Review: 'Fiddler On The Roof' Pits Tradition Against Change
Posted
David Slone-dslone@timesuniononline.com
WABASH - Tradition and change have collided many times throughout history.
While some people desperately try to cling to their old ways - the life they know best - others want to modernize and try something new. The result may either result in a full-out war, or a solution somewhere in the middle.
"Fiddler on the Roof", which came to the Honeywell Center in Wabash Sunday, deals straight up with that conflict. How far can a person bend their traditions before they can bend no longer? How much should they be asked to bend? What does a person have to give up when they break tradition?
Set in Tsarist Russia in 1905, in a village called Anatevka, "Fiddler" centers around Tevye (John Preece), a Jewish man living with his wife and five daughters in a predominantly Jewish village. He lives his life they way he was taught according to his traditions and the traditions of his faith.
Preece has played the role of Tevye more than 1,500 times. He really has made the character his own, deserving his own standing ovation at the end of the classic musical.
One of the most well-known songs from "Fiddler on the Roof", "Tradition", starts out the four-star musical. Tevye and the town people sing and dance to the song, establishing the roles of the papas, mamas, sons and daughters.
The song really sets the mood for the entire musical.
Playing on the roof of the house during "Tradition" is the Fiddler (Jason Garrison), who audiences see throughout the show. The Fiddler is a metaphor for tradition throughout the show. Whenever Tevye questions whether or not he should stick to tradition, the Fiddler comes out to play.
I very much like how the Fiddler is played. He doesn't always stand tall, but sometimes slinks or dances onto the stage. He reminded me of a sort of pixie or elf, and he played a mean fiddle at times.
Four big events force Tevye to weigh the importance of his traditions. Three of those involve who three of his daughters want to marry, while the fourth is the social upheaval going on in Russia at that time.
Tzeitel (Lauren Nedelman) is the oldest daughter, and the first daughter to marry. Though her parents plan to marry her off to Lazar Wolf, the butcher (Frank Calamaro), Tzeitel cries to her papa to not make that happen. Instead of the rich butcher, she wants to marry the poor tailer, Motel (Andrew Boza).
Tevye relents because he loves his daughter so, even though it's breaking some traditions. To get it past his wife, Golde (Nancy Evans), Tevye concocts a dream which Golde believes is a sign that her daughter should marry the tailor.
The next daughter, Hodel (Julianne Katz), falls in love with a modern-thinking teacher, Perchik (Kevin Stangler). Perchik eventually leaves to work for the revolution.
He proposes marriage, admitting that he loves her, and says that he will send for her. She agrees, but Tevye is appalled that they are flouting tradition by making their own match, especially since Perchik is leaving.
Initially, Tevye forbids the marriage, but Hodel and Perchik inform him they don't want his permission, only his blessing. Tevye relents.
When Perchik sends a letter to Hodel, he is in a work camp in Siberia. Though he doesn't ask her to, she insists on going to him in the freezing cold area of Russia. She loves him and Tevye sees her off on the train.
Some time passes, and Motel finally gets a sewing machine. Tzeitel has a baby, and the family seems to be rather well.
Chava (Chelsey LeBel) finally musters the courage to ask Tevye to let her marry Fyedka (Ben Michael). Fyedka, however, is not Jewish and Tevye will not cross that line. It is one tradition he refuses to break.
Chava and Fyedka marry anyway, and Tevye tells the family Chava must be considered "dead".
In the meanwhile, Russians are expelling the Jews from their villages. The constable arrives, while the villagers are gathered, and tells them they have three days to move away.
While Tevye and his family are packing up, Chava and Fyedka stop to tell her family they are headed to Krakow. Though Tevye still will not talk to Chava, when Tzeitel says goodbye to Chava, he tells her to add "God be with you." It's as close to breaking that last tradition as Tevye will go.
As for the rest of the family, Motel and Tzeitel go to Poland with plans to join the family when they have save up enough money. Tevye, Golde and the two youngest daughters leave for America.
As the Jewish family and their friends go their separate ways, the Fiddler comes out one more time, following them wherever they go.
Presented by the Wabash Valley Music Association at the Honeywell Center, this touring production of "Fiddler" definitely earned a place in my top 10 shows of all time. It had amazing performances, great humor and some heartwrenching moments.Unfortunately, it was a one-night only performance, so if you missed the three-hour musical, you missed a great show. If it ever comes back around, or you get a chance to see "Fiddler on the Roof", I highly recommend it.
Surely, you may recognize some of the songs like "Tradition", "Matchmaker Matchmaker" or "If I Were A Rich Man". They are all songs that stick in your head long after you leave.
