Stage Review - Fiddler on the Roof (Tacoma Little Theatre)
Stage Review - Fiddler on the Roof
Presented By: Tacoma Little Theatre - Tacoma, WA
Show Run: December 06 - December 29, 2024
Date Reviewed: Sunday, December 08, 2024 (Opening Weekend)
Run Time: 2 Hours, 21 Minutes (including a 15-minute intermission)
Reviewed By: Greg Heilman
“Without our traditions, our lives would be as shaky as a fiddler on the roof.” And so begins the 1964 musical, based on the book Tevye and His Daughters, the story that tells of milkman Tevye coming to terms with a new world where the long held traditions in his town of Anatevka in 1905 Russia are under attack, as are his responsibilities as a father when it comes to his daughters and their prospective husbands, the days of the matchmaker working with the parents to pick husbands for their daughters fading. Meantime, the world outside is changing as well. Throughout Russia, Jews are being pushed out of towns and forced to find new homes, and Anatevka is surely on the list of those to be impacted, another part of this new and changing world that Tevye is forced to deal with. Fiddler on the Roof centers on Tevye, but tells of his family and townfolk coming to terms with all of these changes, with music that includes a combination of classic Jewish and Russian inspired songs and choreography that is challenging and entertaining. Once considered “too Jewish” to attract mainstream audiences, Fiddler on the Roof won nine Tony awards and at one point became the longest running show on Broadway, and it’s had staying power, through it’s Broadway revivals and popularity among regional and community theaters, the latest running on stage at Tacoma Little Theatre through December 29 in an already sold out run directed by Melanie Gladstone.
When I see Fiddler, one thing I’m struck with is its similarities to Cabaret, not in music or otherwise in style, but in story as it deals with purely human issues set in a changing world of conflict and oppression. The more I think about it, though, it speaks more to the oppression Jews have faced for much of their existence, and also that families and communities have been forced to deal with human concerns while navigating a world of turmoil, for as long as anyone can remember. This relatability has a lot to do with why both of these shows have stood the test of time and why they always seem to be timely, no matter when they’re being put up on stage.
Tacoma Little Theatre, having something the size of Fiddler on their stage, concerned me going in. Their sweet spot tends to be smaller and more intimate productions rather than the bigger musicals, though their production of Rent last year was quite good, and very successful. To meet this challenge, TLT went with a stripped down set, designed by the team of Blake R. York (scenic design) and Jennifer York (scenic artist). Matching the economically depressed Anatevka, the set is sparse, closer to monotone than colorful, with a backdrop of browns and beiges, and a silhouetted view of the rooftops of the town. It’s rustic, outdoorsy, the stage containing just a handful of birch trees, picnic tables, and benches, the stage’s turntable used to bring the proper set pieces downstage for each particular scene. In fact, the turntable is used quite creatively here not just for scene changes, but for movement within scenes as well, and overall, designing and building the set in this manner is the only decision that makes sense, and it’s one of the reasons, but not the only one, why a show of this size is able to be presented in this venue and feel intimate and real. It’s a musical that is about family and transformation, and love, and is a nice way to cap off the holiday season. Creatively, Melanie has put together a really nice version of Fiddler here, from costumes that fit the time, region, and economics of the show, perfectly designed by DCM Costumes, to Heather Arneson’s precise and accurate reproduction of the original Jerome Robbins’ choreography, along with Dylan Twiner’s sound and Niclas R. Olson’s lighting, it’s a well balanced production performed by a cast that is quite good at delivering this tale of hardship and hope. For each of these creative components, especially costuming and choreography, outfitting and challenging a cast this size is quite the undertaking, and this entire team has most definitely risen to the task with their work here.
Fiddler on the Roof is Tevye’s story, and so the show goes with how well this role is cast, and with Jonathan Bill at the helm, this company couldn’t have asked for a better actor to fill the role. Emotionally, his performance is spot on, his love for his family, his frustration with the changing times, and the loss of control with his daughters’ relationships, he’s funny, but at the same time he carries a sadness about it all, though he never seems to get angry, as much as he has a right to. Perhaps more than anyone in this cast, Jonathan portrays the same emotion and personality in the character whether he’s singing or not, and his version of “If I Were a Rich Man” is just about the best I’ve heard, and seen. Each musical number is just as good, and his engagement with the audience, as he narrates the story through his prayers, is stellar. His delivery of the humor of the story is just as good, as noted in “To Life”, along with the equally funny and good Jed Slaughter, who plays Lazar, to whom Tevye’s oldest daughter Tzeitel is betrothed, at least for a minute. Meanwhile, Rebecca Maiten plays Tevye’s sharp tongued and dutiful wife Golde. Rebecca’s Golde isn’t afraid to stand up to her husband, or to stand up for their daughters, and is a little more accepting of the changing times. Vocally, Rebecca’s voice is simply beautiful and it blends very smoothly together with Jonathan’s, and in the popular song “Sunrise, Sunset”, the two are just part of one of the most beautifully staged scenes in the play, the wedding between Tzeitel (Annelise Martin) and tailor Motel (Ellian Kelly).
The wedding scene and what follows is the high point of the show from a production standpoint. The way in which Melanie presents the wedding, to the tune of that very popular and beautiful piece of music is wonderful, and her transition into the reception afterward is done very nicely, and quickly. While it is still shocking to see the men and women of the wedding party separated at the reception, without the ability to cross over the center line, it’s cathartic to see, as part of the changing times, when student revolutionary, Perchik (Antonius “Aleks” Aurelion), who befriends Tevye and falls in love with his daughter Hodel (Juli Dowd), pulls down the barrier and all heck breaks loose as men dance with women and everyone starts to finally enjoy themselves. That’s not before the men in the group engage in a wonderful traditional Russian dance with bottles on their heads, that group including Nick Fitzgerald, Erik Davis, Theron Danielson, and Rayan Atallah. It’s an impressive piece of choreography, and even more impressive execution. In the middle of the festivities, in a Cabaret-like scene, the local Constable, played by Craig Rock, and his officers, crash the wedding reception, ostensibly to prove a point, that being a Jew in Anatevka isn’t a comfortable proposition. This is the only real miss in the show. In a scene that is designed to contrast the pure happiness and joy of the matrimonial celebration with the terror and fear of something akin to martial law, instead of the scene having punch, it sputtered and otherwise lacked its intended emotional impact, and being at the close of Act 1, missed the potential of closing out Act 1 with a great deal of shock value. A little more force, or attitude, in this scene could make this work better, with the kind of energy that Craig and his team bring later in Act 2.
Another very nicely staged scene is the “Sabbath Prayer” number, in which Tevye’s family is shown at supper downstage, closer to the audience, while the rest of the town is shown at their own tables, rotating through on the turntable. I like how this is shown, focusing on Tevya and his family, while at the same time showing life going on with everyone else. And musically, it’s just one example of how good this entire ensemble sounds together, building on the initial “Tradition”, through the aforementioned “Sunrise, Sunset” and to the musical’s melancholy Act 2, and the town’s run-ins with Craig’s constable and his officers. The ensemble performances stand out, and credit to music director Shawna Avinger here for making sure each vocal part is balanced, with full harmonies and good volume, this group’s versions of these classic songs are all excellent.
There are plenty of strong performances in the TLT version of Fiddler aside from what I’ve already mentioned. Tevye’s daughters are all good, Juli Dowd as Hodel and Nora Sidhu as Chava are both talented and good vocally, their ability on display in the popular “Matchmaker” number, but it’s Annelise Martin as Tzeitel who is the standout here. Tzeitel is strong willed and independent, fighting the work of the matchmaker and her parents, while Annelise herself brings her vocal talent to bear in this number and throughout the show. I also like Antonius’ Perchik, the rebellious revolutionary with a heart full of love for Russia and for daughter Hodel, Sam Barker’s Rabbi, who is the de facto village leader, but isn’t sure where the new world is taking his religion, and Libby Cantalinich’s Yente, the nosy matchmaker who can see the writing on the wall for her profession, but does her best to hold on to what she can. And Ellian Kelly’s Motel is very good in their depiction of the poor tailor who believes in marrying for love. This is a large cast, and it’s a group that works together very well, again kudos to Melanie Gladstone for her staging, movement, and blocking to make the show keep a good pace and engage the audience into a story that is familiar and timeless.
Fiddler on the Roof is one of those musicals that virtually everyone knows of, perhaps through the stage version, but more likely through its film. Regardless of the medium, it’s the story that resonates, one of loss, oppression, family, tradition, love, and hope, things that have been part of our everyday lives no matter what generation we’re part of. The Tacoma Little Theatre production of Fiddler, under the direction of Melanie Gladstone, has everything a good version of this story needs to be successful, a talented cast, led by the stellar Jonathan Bill as Tevye, the familiar and classic songs that are impeccably performed, and staging that is creative and memorable. The show misses nary a step, and though our own lives may be as shaky as a fiddler on the roof, this is a show that most certainly is anything but, a delightful telling of a classic.
The sold out run of Fiddler on the Roof runs on stage at Tacoma Little Theatre through December 29. To get on the waiting list or to learn more about the theatre and its next production, Allen Fitzpatrick’s one-man version of A Christmas Carol on December 17 and 18, and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, opening on January 24, visit https://www.tacomalittletheatre.com/.
Photo credit: Dennis K. Photography
