GBSC’s ‘All is Calm’ is called back into service

By Rich Fahey

STONEHAM – After a resounding success in 2021, the soldiers have been called back into service.

The Greater Boston Stage Company 2021 production of “All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 2014” won the 2022 Eliot Norton Award for Outstanding Musical Production.

It was – and remains in this production through Dec. 23 — a musical that uses only the original musical instrument: The human voice.

The a capella production is a glimpse of how, in the midst of the hell on the Western Front in those first few months of World War I, a bit of heaven rained down on the soldiers deeply dug into their trenches when a German soldier stepped into No Man’s Land singing “Stille Nacht.”

It began an extraordinary night of camaraderie, music, and peace, a true story, told in the words and songs of the men who lived it. They laid down arms for a few hours, traded gifts and cigarettes, sipped rum, played a football (soccer) game, serenaded each other, and recognized their fallen brethren, before retreating to their respective bunkers.

The brave young men from all over the British Isles singing “God Save the King”  flocked to join their local regiments and fight the Kaiser’s troops, thinking  the war would be over by Christmas. But World War I  —  what author H.G. Welles first coined “The War to end All Wars” – was a special kind of hell. There were 20 million deaths, including 9.7 million military personnel and about 10 million civilians and 21 million wounded in the course of the conflict.

The opposing forces dug into their rat-ridden trenches until the rains turned them into hellholes.

The ensemble portrays various soldiers from all corners of the United Kingdom  before splitting up and portraying both British and German soldiers enjoying peace on earth for a few fleeting hours.

The music is a combination of period songs often sung by soldiers of the day, such as the unofficial anthem of the war, “It’s a Long Way to Tipperary” to traditional Christmas music.

Both the music – and the arrangements   — are simply sublime, with moments that alone are worth the price of admission. Michael Jennings Mahoney as a young Scottish soldier will send a chill up your spine with his soaring tenor solo in the heartbreaking Scottish traditional song “Will ye go to Flanders?” Thankfully, the song is also reprised.

It refers to Belgium’s Flanders Field. From 1914 to 1918, Flanders Fields was a major battle theatre on the Western Front. A million soldiers from more than 50 different countries were wounded, missing or killed in action there. Belgium was  the site of much of the killing in World War I and where some of the infamous trenches still exist.

The production is a true ensemble piece, with the diverse cast of 10 glorious voices performing as a set of interlocking pieces, singing solo at times and then joining together for gorgeous four-part harmonies. The traditional “Auld Lang Syne” is given an emotional, stirring rendition.

For the record and because indeed, they are all indispensable during the 70-minute production, the artists include not only the aforementioned Mahoney, but also Christopher Chew; his son Caleb Chew, who along with Alex Holden serve as musical captains, sort of human “pitch pipes” to begin a song in  the absence of a conductor; David Jiles Jr., whose portrayal of an imperious general is a standout; Stephen Markarian; Zachary McConnell; Bryan Miner; Gary Thomas Ng; and Phil Tayler.

The original direction and choreography by Ilyse Robbins has been skillfully remounted by Arthur Gomez.

Music director Lea Peterson oversees the gorgeous vocal arrangements of Erick Lichte and Timothy C. Takach, full of lush harmonies and skilled melding of voices.

The ceasefire of Christmas 1914 was never repeated. The introduction of poison gas by the Germans in April 2015 against French troops brought the horrors of war to a level probably not repeated until the atomic bombs were dropped at the end of World War II.  

Greater Boston Stage found success in 2021 with a new and different theatrical way to recognize the magic the holiday season can weave, and its revival of “All is Calm” has all the charm, musical magic and emotional storytelling of the original.

The Greater Boston Stage Company production of “All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 2014.” Written by Peter Rothstein. Vocal Arrangements by Erick Lichte and Timothy C. Takach. Remounted by Arthur Gomez. Original Direction and Choreography by Ilyse Robbins. Music directed by Lea Peterson. Lighting design by Jeff Adelberg. Scenic design by Eric Diaz. Costume design by Bethany Mullins. At the Greater Boston Stage Company through Dec. 23. Greaterbostonstage.org