John Preece is on his ninth national tour of "Fiddler on the Roof".
He has performed in the musical more than 3,100 times, and more than 1,500 of those performances as Tevye.
Audiences will get to see Preece perform as Tevye once again when "Fiddler on the Roof" comes to the Ford Theater at the Honeywell Center Jan. 16 at 4 p.m. The show is being sponsored by the Wabash Valley Music Association.
In a telephone interview Dec. 2, Preece said he was doing "Fiddler on the Roof" long before he started going on tour with the show.
In 1990, while doing one show, he was asked to audition for several other shows. He was hired, and eventually went on to do his first national tour of "Fiddler".
"It's probably the best written role for a man to play," said Preece of playing Tevye. "There's lot of comedy, pathos, it's a good show to do."
Over the years, Preece has researched the role and the book "Fiddler" is based on, "Tevye and his Daughters". He's also developed a little back story for his character.
"Fiddler on the Roof" features the music of Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick and book by Joseph Stein.
Set in Russia in the early 20th century, the story centers on Tevye, the father of five daughters, and his attempts to maintain his family and Jewish religious traditions while outside influences encroach upon their lives.
Preece said the basic theme of "Fiddler" is traditions. The Jewish people in the musical live in a certain time and must deal with situations put upon them.
"It takes place in 1903 Russia. Outside influences start coming into the area, which are new to them," Preece said.
Tevye deals with and adopts some of the changes, but not all. His faith is strong. When one of Tevye's daughters marries outside the faith, Tevye must disown her. Preece said it's a very emotional part of the show.
Bock's music is great, Preece said. The music, dancing and gestures are all authentic to the time.
Before he started touring with the national production of "Fiddler", Preece said he worked with other directors who made up their own choreography. They didn't follow the book. The touring production is the real thing, he said.
Preece said "Fiddler on the Roof" is a family show about family values. There's a lot in the show for younger people, as well as older people.
"The cast is a very strong cast. Very talented. We get standing ovations and great reviews everywhere we get. We play to sold-out houses," Preece said.Tickets for the Jan. 16 show are $25, $35 and $45. Tickets may be purchased at the box office from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, by calling 260-563-1102 or visiting www.honeywellcenter.org
