By John Lyle Belden

Did you know that the true meaning of “fa-la-la-la-la” is, believe it or not, fa-la-la-la-la? (Just musical filler.) Or, that while the tune of “Greensleeves” dates back to 1500s England, the Christmas hymn “What Child is This?” was written in America in the mid-1800s?

Feel free to share this information, as well as nearly all the songs in “Buck Creek Players Christmas Cabaret,” the company’s holiday offering through Sunday, Dec. 8.

For this original revue, directors Georgie Teipen and Tiffany D. Wilson went with the theme “Public Domain” not just because it’s for a cost-conscious community theatre, but mainly because so much of what we enjoy sharing at Christmas is not bound up in intellectual property restrictions, especially traditional music.

But because by their nature these songs are quite old, the stories behind their creation may be little known. Our hosts Clance LaTurner and Jeremy Teipen present the relevant histories of nearly 30 tunes – sacred and secular – which are performed by Nicole Bridgens, Onis Dean, Scott Fleshood, Jennifer J. Kaufmann, Nancy Laudeman, Gary Life, and Jennifer Poynter, accompanied by Debbie Stafford on piano. Their charming delivery enlivens our spirits; highlights include Life’s “How Far Is It to Bethlehem” (the lone protected song, for which he got permission from the writer!), lively company renditions of “Deck the Halls” and “Twelve Days of Christmas,” and Dean’s stirring “Ave Maria.”

This intimate show is given a “black box” setting, with audience seating on three sides of the stage (a ramp is provided for patrons). Singers appear at any of the four corners throughout the performance. The set-up works quite well, and we hope BCP considers it for any future productions that can benefit from this arrangement. Since we’re right there with the singers, we are encouraged to join them in a couple of the songs.

A good time for fans of trivia and traditional holiday hits, find the Buck Creek Playhouse at 11150 Southeastern Ave., Indianapolis (Acton Road exit of I-74); find tickets at buckcreekplayers.com.