There are few things more near and dear to the hearts of the Irish than music, stories and good company.

All three of these essential elements will be at the forefront of Irish Rover Will MillarB次元官网网址檚 live dinner theatre show Ireland: Where the Song and Dance Began, starting Friday, March 15 at the Oak Bay Beach Hotel, 1175 Beach Dr.,  and running Friday and Saturday nights until April 20.

Joining Millar on stage will be singer-songwriter Mary Murphy, guitarist Paul Keim, fiddler Daniel Lapp, Riverdance dancer Joel Hanna and singer Chuck McCandless. Along with a couple of Irish Rovers classics, the group will be singing more traditional Irish songs, telling stories, reading poems, dancing and highlighting the history of Ireland through video projection.

B次元官网网址淲e kind of portray an Ireland that may not exist anymore in Ireland,B次元官网网址� Millar said, B次元官网网址淏ut it exists in peopleB次元官网网址檚 imaginations of what Ireland might be.B次元官网网址�

Growing up in Ballymena in Northern Ireland, Millar said he never understood how widely celebrated St. PatrickB次元官网网址檚 Day is until he came to North America.

B次元官网网址淚 never saw St. PatrickB次元官网网址檚 Day when I grew up in Ireland,B次元官网网址� Millar said. B次元官网网址淚t was a day that you went to church.B次元官网网址�

The Irish Rovers toured the world for more than 30 years, primarily due to the popularity of The Unicorn song. Millar left the band in 1995 and now lives in Maple Bay.

Millar has been performing versions of this show for more than a decade now, primarily through New Zealand and Australia. Inspiration came from the history of Irish song and storytelling, something which Millar said has helped the Irish find an identity in the world and overcome prejudice.

B次元官网网址淚 believe that the Irish were such a tormented race over the generations,B次元官网网址� Millar said. B次元官网网址淚 do believe that the music kept them going. I believe it was their spiritual identity. B次元官网网址� They could be in dire straits but an Irish jig or an Irish reel would get them up dancing, get the blood going and give them an identity.B次元官网网址�

The Oak Bay Beach Hotel hosts dinner theatre in its David Foster Foundation Theatre. The meal will be a three-course traditional Irish dinner. Along with the dinner theatre, a selection of MillarB次元官网网址檚 paintings will be on display at the hotel.

B次元官网网址淎lthough itB次元官网网址檚 a very elegant environment, itB次元官网网址檚 a very relaxed environment,B次元官网网址� said hotel owner Kevin Walker. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 not unlike a kitchen party on the east coast or a ceilidh.B次元官网网址�

The show is suitable for all audiences

A contest is also being held to give away a seven-day all expenses paid trip to Ireland. All guests of the dinner theatre will be entered into the draw, which will be held at the end of the showB次元官网网址檚 run.

The performance runs every Friday and Saturday starting Friday, March 15 until Saturday, April 20. Tickets are $109 per person, plus taxes, including the meal and show. To purchase tickets call 250-598-4556.