Fiddler on the Roof, presented by Highlands United Productions, March 16-20 at North Vancouver's Highlands United Church. Showtime: 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $25, visit brownpapertickets.com or phone 604-980-6071 x23.
For Doug Irwin, it was a life-changing experience. The North Vancouver resident has fond memories of, as a student, being cast in the 1972 University of British Columbia Musical Theatre Society (MUSSOC) production of Fiddler on the Roof.
Asked whether he had been chosen to fill a lead role, Irwin laughs: "All of my lifetime best friends I met in the back row of the chorus for that show."
"There were people from the theatre world, the Richard Ouzounians, and Ruth Nicolls and Marek Normans, just unbelievable talent, that have gone on to be very, very well-known in the theatre world, both in Canada and on Broadway.
... All kinds of people that were involved in that one, it was really fun to kick us all off into our careers," he adds.
While Irwin, 63, says he did go on to be cast in a lead role in a MUSSOC production later on in his university career, "onstage was never my number one talent. It was always going to be something else."
That something else turned out to be 35 years as an accomplished music educator. After receiving an education degree from UBC, he went on to become a fixture at Windsor secondary. He led the choral music program there for 27 years, as well as headed up the school's musicals for 15. His second to last production happened to be Fiddler on the Roof.
After retirement came in 2009, an opportunity arose through his involvement as a congregation member at Highlands United Church.
The ministry team approached him, expressing an interest in having him assist in launching a theatre program at the church and Irwin realized his musical theatre career was long from over. Highlands had long supported Irwin's musicals at Windsor and so now it was time to return the favour.
Together with his wife, fellow retired long-time North Shore educator Gillian Irwin (from Sherwood Park elementary), who serves as one of the church's choir directors, the couple launched an annual musical theatre summer camp for children that continues to be well-attended, and helped Highlands present its first full-length production, Godspell, in 2012, followed by Jesus Christ Superstar in 2014.
"That one turned out to be an extremely successful show. It was nominated as one of the top five large theatre musicals presented in the Lower Mainland that year, which we were quite proud of," says Doug, of their Ovation! Award nod.
The Irwins, serving as co-directors, are looking forward to next week's opening of Highlands United Productions' latest show, Fiddler on the Roof, running March 16-20 at the North Vancouver church.
"It's going to be an outstanding show and a very, very entertaining evening," says Doug.
"We had produced Godspell and Jesus Christ Superstar for our first two shows and, although Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat follows another biblical tale, we didn't feel tied to simply perform Bible stories. Choosing Fiddler was perfect -it is well known, has wonderful music, and it tells us of Tevye, a man struggling to survive, trying to keep to the old ways in a new world, and how his relationship with God helps to steady him," he adds.
There are 42 people featured onstage, approximately 75 working behind the scenes with props, costuming, sets and publicity, and an eight-member orchestra.
"I'm actually almost stunned by the level of ability of the people that are here," says Doug.
"This is not a smaller version of the show, this is the absolute full version of Fiddler. It becomes a major production and to do that kind of thing you have to have so many people willing to give up an awful lot of time to be involved in it," he adds.
Despite having so many people to wrangle, the Irwins have no problem taking charge.
"We use the teacher voice: 'Let's move forward, folks,'" laughs Doug.
The biennial productions are a significant community builder both within the congregation and beyond. The play brings people together from different walks of life, all sharing a love for theatre, and as the work is presented within the sanctuary, Sunday morning churchgoers are able to see its progression as work on the sets continues.
While the majority of those featured are members of the Highlands congregation, participation is open to the wider community. For example, 40 per cent of the cast members are not church members.
As a result, the production helps draw more people into the church -those directly involved and audience members alike.
"I think part of it is just allowing people to come into the building, see who we are, and what we are, and what we're trying to do in a positive way for the local community as well as the wider world," says Doug.
