On the one hand, Fiddler on the Roof is undeniably a classic of the American musical theater. On the other hand, as Tevye might ask if he was a kvetching critic and not a pious papa, “How many sunrise, sunsets can one endure during a lifetime?” There is no answer to that except that traditionalists are likely going to be delighted with this latest incarnation.
Director Barlett Sher, who is also represented on Broadway with his stunning production of The King and I, has added a small but effective frame for a Fiddler that threatened to be carved in stone. In fact, this production has an animated fiddler (Jesse Kovarsky) who is imaginatively integrated into the entire show. To Sher’s credit, he has refrained from including shtick, milking for laughs (despite Tevye being a dairyman), and adhered sensitively to the musical play that Sheldon Harnick, Jerry Bock (score), and Joseph Stein (book) based on the witty collection of stories by Sholem Aleichem.
For those who feel that tinge of overexposure, let me assure you that this production, that includes original choreography by Israeli-born Hofesh Shecheter, offers a refreshing new vision to traditional Hasidic and Russian folk dances while also retaining the spirit of original choreographer Jerome Robbins. This brings a renewed adoration and appreciation of a work that has indeed become a tradition. Humor, sentiment, and philosophical wit abound in this poignant story of Tevye, his wife Golda, and their five daughters during turn-of-the-century Czarist Russia as they struggle with the conflicts between tradition and change. It could not be better served than by this fine company.
While warmly considering both Jewish body-language and inflection, Sher’s view of “Tradition” shows it to be more than just a way of getting through life for Jews. Above all it’s a celebration of life even under Czarist tyranny. And with its new short-and-subtle intro and coda, we see this newest Fiddler applying to all oppressed people.
Tevye, the humor-endowed, good-book misquoting dairyman, is played in an empathetically disarming demeanor by five-time Tony nominee Danny Burstein. There is gratifyingly little attempt on his part to be anything but a real human being struggling between traditional Jewry and the pressures of a father faced with the age old concern of marrying off his daughters.
Jessica Hecht is delightful as the sharp-tongued Golda, a tender soul hiding behind a tough matriarchal front. Among the excellent supporting cast, I especially like the meekly ingratiating Adam Kantor as Motel, the tailor.
Much of the delight and pleasure of this production comes from Sher’s staging and the way the company gracefully moves many of designer Michael Yeargan’s atmospheric mobile settings. But, as you know, there are many tears to shed along he way as the tragedy of the pogrom and of broken hearts weaves its way through the story. Be prepared to be thrilled once again by a grand and emotionally moving Fiddler on the Roof, surely one of the great and essential musicals of our time.
