A new cast aims to recreate the magic of ‘ The Resurrection Song’

Panaji: In 2005, RJ Alfwold Silviera led a group of parishioners from Panaji in performing one of the most memorable Lenten plays staged in Goa. Spotting an interesting musical script online, the group bought the rights to stage the play and began a series of casting sessions, voice training, recitals and rehearsals that ended up in a memorable performance at Kala Academy.
A decade later, Silveira, the sole survivor of the original crew, decides to “resurrect the song” with a whole new cast of multi-talented performers.
The plot of the play showcases the effort of a parish group seeking to animate their parish and deciding to stage scenes from Jesus’ last days. “The story line shuffles from the present to past times. The present day scenes are full of humour and feature single-line lyrics from various modern songs such as ‘Rude’, ‘Animals’, ‘Forever young’ etc. A unique moment to watch out for is when Judas calls for repentance and change,” said Silveira, who is excited about recreating the magic that captivated theatre lovers in Goa a decade ago.
“I have always wanted to stage a revival, having heard about it on Broadway. This play, 10 years ago, started my commitment to bring people close to God and to each other through music and drama. The major difference is kids in the cast. Last time, it was more of professionals, but the new-comers enthusiasm is indispensable. We have also adapted a few changes in the original script to make it contemporary,” says Silveira, who has casted a few young talents from the Amateur Dramatics and Music Society.
The original play has around eight songs, five have been retained and three new songs have been added to the plot. Watch out for ‘Lover of my soul’ which is voted by the cast as their favourite song. ‘Praise Adonai’, ‘Ballad of the Cross’ are other songs sung by splendid vocalists that are bound to move the audience.
The 75-minute-long musical play will be staged in support of COOJ mental health foundation on March 28 at Kala Academy, Panaji, at 7pm and at G V Niketan, Margao, on March 29 at 7.30pm.
Those who watched the play in 2005 said that it grips you right from the first scene, so being there on time is a must. Many members of the original 2005 cast might be in the audience, and disappointed they won’t be, as the equally enthusiastic 2015 team gears up to sing the ‘Resurrection Song’ once again.