Sing praise

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This article was published 24/03/2018 (2748 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

With his shoulder-length dark hair and brown eyes, Winnipeg actor Kamal Chioua might be typecast for the role of Jesus Christ in an upcoming Easter weekend musical, except for a couple of details.

The University of Winnipeg theatre student is Muslim, and this is his first exposure to the story of the life and death of Jesus Christ.

“It was a pleasure to learn it. I love learning about different faiths,” says Chioua, 20, whose previous lead role was Troy Bolton in High School Musical. “I like that Jesus is promoting love. He was a good-hearted person.”

Invited to audition because the producers needed more male actors, Chioua is one of 15 young performers in Eastar, a pop/rock opera composed by Winnipeg’s Shawn Coughlin.

The 75-minute production based on New Testament accounts of Jesus’ life and death runs Good Friday, March 30, and Saturday, March 31, at St. Mary’s Academy. It is pegged as the youth event for the 200th anniversary of the arrival of Catholic missionaries to Manitoba (catholica200.ca) celebrated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Boniface this year.

“I thought there was an opportunity to have a truer biblical account of the gospel story of Jesus’ life and passion that would speak to young people,” says Coughlin of why he wrote the musical more than a decade ago for students at St. Boniface Diocesan High School.

The plot of Eastar is conveyed entirely through its 17 songs, with no spoken parts. The lyrics are based on the folksy language found in the Good New Bible translation.

“The story is (designed) to deepen their understanding and to bring to life the stories and the teaching of the hope that Jesus brings,” says Coughlin, who also directs musicals at St. Mary’s Academy.

That’s been the experience for Mia Downey, who has gained a different perspective on the Jesus story from what she’s previously encountered.

“Sometimes, (when) you learn about Jesus’ life, it’s very black and white, and now it seems to come to life,” the Grade 9 St. Mary’s student says.

This 2018 production is the third staging of the musical, and the first in 10 years, and Coughlin hopes the upbeat, catchy tunes and contemporary setting will lead to more shows.

Set against an industrial backdrop of construction materials, ladders and scaffolding — which double as the Jesus’ cross — this production was designed to be edgy and modern, says director Rhea Radych, 19.

“I was going for a junkyard (feeling) where people were struggling to be themselves, people who were outcasts,” says the U of W theatre student and St. Mary’s graduate.

One of those outcasts is Mary Magdalene — known for both her sexual past and her close friendship to Jesus Christ — played by St. Mary’s alum Mackenzie Koltan.

“For me, that’s the best part of the experience — getting into character and just delivering the story so many people know and love,” says Koltan, 18, whose costume of a flowy yellow dress contrasts to the denim and tees worn by most of the other actors.

As the youngest actor onstage, 11-year-old Victoria Alexander was initially intimidated by the older performers, but soon relaxed into her roles as a chorus member and a witness to Jesus’ trial.

“I like singing and I like participating in things that involve the (Roman) Catholic faith,” says the Grade 6 student at St. John Brebeuf Catholic School. “I like to connect with God and Jesus and I find telling the story helps me get familiar with it.”

After 10 weeks of long Sunday rehearsals, the actors have formed a community of sorts, despite their difference in ages and experience, Radych says.

“At the first rehearsal, I said that I wanted the cast to bond and for the theatre to be an inclusive and fun place where they can spend their Sunday afternoons just hanging out with their friends and sing and dance,” she says.

“It’s such an ensemble project, so everyone gets to enjoy time onstage together,” Koltan says.

brenda@suderman.com

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