Steadstyle Chicago
June 2009 Theatre Review by Alan Bresloff
Fiddler on the Roof
Think back 45 years ago to 1964 and remember how different our world was. The big Broadway musicals were all wonderful stories filled with history and great characters, some real and some taken from other stories, but not loud banging rock! They had music that will live on for generations and songs that people use for weddings, such as "Sunrise Sunset" from the current Broadway in Chicago production of "Fiddler On The Roof," based on the stories of Sholem Aleichem's tales of Tevye, the milkman.
1964 was the year that Fiddler opened and since then has become one of the theater's greatest traditional musicals. It can pop up at anytime, in any season and is always a hit. It is filled with love and family, not just Tevye's family, but the extended family that is the town of Anatevka. The play is detailed in the traditions of these Jewish townspeople and how over the course of the play, the lives of these people change as do their traditions.
This production sparkles with Tevye being played by Topol, the man who did the movie and has played this role in over 2,500 performances. He has made the character written by Jerry Bock his own with many little nuances not in the original. Note: I have played this role myself in years past and the second time, I found myself adding new ideas as the character grew on me and we became one. Topol, with over 2,500 performances, has become Tevye and has indeed claimed the spirit of this character as his own. Despite the difference in his real age and that of the character, I found him honest, sincere, loving, open to change and worthy of the standing ovation the audience quickly gave him.
This revival is strongly cast and while it follows the original direction and choreography by Jerome Robbins as reproduced by Sammy Dallas Bayes it is masterfully done. From the opening number of "Tradition" through the Finale as the characters leave the town that has been their home and head for America. The music by Jerry Bock and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick have withstood the years with no problem and will probably seem just as relevant when our grandchildren take their grandchildren to see a production in the future. While the last two scenes have some sad moments, they bring a smile to our face in the knowing that they will have new lives in America and that the memories of the happy days in Anatevka will stay with them forever.
The dancers in this production are strong and I want to mention the bottle dancers from the wedding scene in particular. The bottles are real and they are not connected to the hats, so bravo to Matthew J. Kilgore, Rick Pessagno, Robbie Roby and Matthew Rossoff. Susan Cella started off a little slow as Tevye's wife Golde, but once she got into it, she was dynamite.
I did find Julie Brooks and Kerry Alexander as their two youngest daughters a bit older then the book calls for, but since Topol is probably 30 years older than Tevye is supposed to be, what's a few years here and there? The other three are Tzeitel (the charming Rena Strober), Hodel (beautifully played by Jamie Davis who offers a wonderful rendition of "Far From The Home I Love") and Chava (deftly handled by Alison Walla). These three talented ladies do a wonderful "Matchmaker, Matchmaker" as well. Speaking of the Matchmaker, Yente is played with great style and just the right comic touch by Mary Stout.
The other characters of note include Lazar Wolf, the butcher who wants to marry Tzeitel and is handled by David Brummel. The "To Life number is worth the price of a ticket alone. And the men that change the lives of Tevye's daughters are all strong in character. Erik Liberman as Motel, the tailor is sheer perfection. He fits the role like a glove. Colby Foytik is a smooth Perchik, the student revolutionary and Eric Van Tielen is a warm Fyedka. No one ever mentions the "fiddler," so hats off to Arthur A. Atkinson for a job well done. The Fiddler is not a person, but an icon of the people and their lives. He represents them and when Tevye, as they are leaving, invites him to come with, we know that all will turn out right for Tevye, the milkman and his family.
The ensemble is involved in many big production numbers, in particular the "Dream". Wow! As you may know, I feel they are the most valuable part of the musical, but as good as they are and as solid as the cast is, this is indeed Topol/Tevye's show. If you have never seen "Fiddler" (and I find that hard to comprehend) or you have seen it several times, put this production on your "to do" list. Even if you didn't like the movie version, forget about that. There is still nothing like live theater and I can tell you Topol is better live than on film. This might be your last opportunity, so don't let one of the greatest theatrical traditions pass you by!
"Fiddler" will run through June 28, 2009 at The Ford Center for the Performing Arts, Oriental Theater located at 24 West Randolph Street. Performances are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 p.m., Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons at 2 p.m. Tickets range from $25-$80 and are available at any of the Broadway in Chicago box offices, by calling the Broadway in Chicago Ticketline at 312-902-1400, at all Ticketmaster outlets and online at www.ticketmaster.com. This show is longer than most, over 2 1/2 hours, so plan your evening, but do plan your evening at The Oriental Theatre with Topol.
About Alan Bresloff
Alan
Bresloff, once an actor himself, has been covering the Chicago
Theater Scene since 1993, first as the Theater and Arts critic for
LaRaza newspaper, then with Salsachicago.com and then onto Extra
Newspaper and The Epoch Times. He also writes for ElImparcial
and TeleGuia. His reviews can also be seen on www.theatreinchicago.com.
Alan does not call himself a "critic" but a
"reviewer" as he tries to educate the reader about theater
itself, what is a good value, what to look for in a play or musical
and more.
"Exposure to theater is a very important part of a young person's life" he says. "Learning about the arts and culture is in fact learning about life" and he tries to explain more in his reviews than just if it is good or bad. Even some of the poor productions have some value, he often says and he would love your feedback on shows that you have seen. You can write him here or at albresloff@sbcglobal.net.