Fiddler on the Roof: A Theatrical Review
One of the great works of the American musical theater, Fiddler on the Roof features a book by Joseph Stein, and a score by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick. Based on the stories of Sholom Alecheim and set in a small Ukrainian village during the early 1900’s, the book embraces the importance of tradition and the struggle of maintaining tradition in a rapidly changing world through its central character Tevye, a poor milkman and father of five daughters, delightfully portrayed by Richard Malmos. It is a classic story that transcends time and cultural differences with its eternal themes of conflict between new and old, parent and child, Jewish and Gentile. Directed by Martin Lang with musical director Steven Applegate and choreography by Orlando Alexander, this production does not meet the superior expectations of the Broadway stage, but is a wonderful experience for the entire family none the less.
The Jewish realm of tradition is one that has rarely been broken without serious reactions. Tevye longs for intelligent men for each of his five daughters as spouses, while his wife Golda longs for wealthy men. They live in a town that is steeped in its traditions, expecting their match maker Yenta, to find appropriate mates for each young person in the town; though rarely to the delight of each of the young man and women involved. Tevye is forced to recognize the power of actual love over tradition as one by one, each of his three eldest daughters finds a man that they long to be with. His love for each of them mandates that he break with the long held traditions of his faith in order to ensure that his daughters know something he has only dreamt of, true love. It forces him to ask questions of his own life with his bride Golda, and teaches him that God’s ways are not controlled by tradition, but accepted by faith.
The casting of the production was incredibly well designed for the purpose of visual believability. Together the cast gave a splendid performance of this amazing production, though there could have been a great deal more attention given to the Jewish accents and vocal abilities of many in the cast. Standing out as the most impressive voices are Heather Dudenbostel portraying Hodel, Tevye’s second eldest daughter in a most wonderful manner, and Tyler Milliron portraying Fyedka, one of the Constable’s men. One additional powerhouse voice, often times drowning out weaker voices of the cast, was Cedric Wright, portraying Nachum, one of the townsmen. Superior dancing skills are also displayed in many of the key scores of the show. One particular dancer of note to watch is a young Jacob Bonham, who beautifully performs the Russian Bottle Dance in one of the shows musical selections.
There are many times in which this particular production seems rushed or seen as an over-sight, but the manner in which the cast as a whole delivers the production more than makes up for this. All in all, this is a beautiful show which will warm your heart and touch your funny bone as Tevye quotes “The Good Book” (though mistakenly more often than not) to his maker; wrestles over his love for his daughters; and the struggles with breaking his honored traditions. Fiddler on the Roof is a timeless classic which should not be missed. Currently playing at the Glendale Centre Theater until March 24th, make your reservations today. If you have never seen Fiddler on the roof on stage, now is the time.
Enjoy!
Randall Gray
The California Theatre Critic