Fifty years have passed since the original Broadway production of “Fiddler on the Roof” was first performed at New York City’s Imperial Theatre in 1964.
It’s not hard to understand, though, why the musical’s heartwarming story and endearing characters remain as timeless to our generation as the age-old Jewish traditions and customs were a continual source of balance and identity for the people of Anatevka.
Light Opera Works celebrates the Tony Award-winning musical’s 50th anniversary with a wonderful new production at Cahn Auditorium in Evanston. Director and Choreographer Rudy Hogenmiller, recipient of six Joseph Jefferson Awards and 17 nominations for best direction and choreography in Chicago, delivers a fresh and captivating revival that highlights “Fiddler on the Roof”’s universal themes of family, love, identity, the timelessness of tradition and the inevitability of change.
The story is set in the rural village of Anatevka on the eve of the Russian revolution in 1905. With a cluster of worn wood buildings painted in bold colors, the production’s scenic designer, Adam Veness, creates a poor yet vibrant town that reflects the lively nature of its Jewish community. In the opening scene, the audience is not only introduced to the town’s eccentrics like Nachum the Beggar and Yenta the Matchmaker, but also to all of the play’s main characters, including Tevye’s wife, Golde, and his three daughters, Tzeitel, Hodel and Chava.
The main actors and actresses are phenomenal in their roles. From Jenny Lamb, who plays the loud, caring and superstitious Golde with a sharply impatient nature, to Yael Wartens as the family’s eldest daughter, Tzeitel, who is hopeful but realistic in terms of her expectations for arranged marriage. Wartens makes wonderful use of the stage in one of “Fiddler on the Roof”’s famous songs, “Matchmaker,” bending over and gesturing wildly to mimic Yente the Matchmaker. Katelin Spencer and Meredith Kochan make their debut with Light Opera Works as Tevye’s younger daughters, Hodel and Chava. Spencer portrays the quick-witted Hodel just as well as Kochan plays the kind, naïve and intellectual Chava.
But in my opinion it is Tevye, played by Alex Honzen, who steals the show. Whenever I go to see a revival of “Fiddler on the Roof,” I always expect to be slightly disappointed by the actor who plays Tevye. Who could possibly compete with the great Chaim Topol in the 1971 film version, who creates a character filled with such strength, warmth, understanding and compassion? Honzen came pretty close. Not only were his movements and gestures strikingly similar to Topol’s in the movie, often tired from working a hard life, but his voice seemed to hit every nuance and expression of emotion perfectly. Honzen wasn’t afraid to raise his deep voice suddenly and abruptly at times of anger and confusion or express a softer edge in moments of deep personal reflection and conversations with God. Many of the play’s notable scenes, such as when Tevye and Golde sing about love in “Do You Love Me?” or Tevye’s solo in “If I Were a Rich Man,” would not have been nearly as poignant or captivating without Honzen’s passionate performance.
Marian Kanderbek as Yente the Matchmaker is also phenomenal, acting as comic relief throughout the production. Her wildly expressive body language and characteristically talkative nature are a joy to watch.
The production’s orchestra is an essential component to the performance, providing beautiful melodies that supplement the actors’ emotions in moments of sorrow and happiness.
“Fiddler on the Roof” has many memorable scenes, and Hogenmiller’s production captures several of them exceedingly well. The Sabbath scene, which initially focuses on Tevye and his family reciting the prayers, expands to include families throughout the village. Hogenmiller achieves this by setting up tables across the stage with different families all reciting the same prayers. The lights are dimmed and candles shine brightly under a deep blue night sky with wispy white clouds. The scene is truly artistic. Another one of my favorites is the scene in the inn, where Tevye and Lazar Wolf the Butcher agree on an arranged marriage for Tzeitel. We see both Jews and Christians alike existing harmoniously and blurring religious and cultural lines as they dance and sing together.
And of course there is the famous scene where Tevye tells Golde his “dream” about Fruma-Sarah. In this particular production, it is just as over the top and surreal as it is in the movie except the chorus plays even more of a pivotal role, acting with robotic, jerky movements and mimicking the main actors and actresses on stage.
I think one of the production’s most brilliant feats is in the role of the Fiddler, who, unlike in the 1971 film adaptation, appears in and out of scenes, often in the background but always noticeable. Not only does he perform his beautiful opening solo in the instrumental second half of the song “Tradition,” but he also dances with the chorus in several scenes and plays his violin to reflect the moods and feelings of main characters, particularly Tevye. The fiddler often acts as Tevye’s shadow, fiddling a soft, contemplative tune during the poor milkman’s deepest moments of self-reflection and doubt until he is abruptly shooed away. He plays his violin during Tzeitel and Model’s wedding and, after being ordered to do so by the mean Constable, in the midst of the chaos of the pogrom that follows. He circles the group of Jews and Christians dancing in celebration of Tevye and Lazar Wolf’s arranged marriage agreement at the village’s inn and robotically mimics the movements of the chorus in Tevye’s “dream” about Fruma-Sarah. In Hogenmiller’s unique production, the fiddler is both a singular representation of the Jewish people of Antaveka, who, as Tevye explains, are just trying to scratch out a pleasant, simple tune without breaking his or her neck, and a crucial actor with fluid movements throughout the entire performance.
Light Opera Works provides an overall captivating and true-to-the-movie performance. It is at times moving and intense, entertaining and lighthearted, and always thought-provoking.
“Fiddler on the Roof” runs through August 24 at Cahn Auditorium, 600 Emerson St., Evanston. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit Light Opera Works’ website.
Photo: Ryan Naimy (Fiddler) in Light Opera Works’ FIDDLER ON THE ROOF August 9-24, 2014 at Cahn Auditorium in Evanston, IL.
