Posted: Thursday, July 15, 2004
Classic Musical �Fiddler on the Roof� Takes the Stage July 16
The traditions of a Jewish family in early 20th Century Russia are brought to life on the stage at Straw Hat this summer, as the classic musical �Fiddler on the Roof� opens on July 16.
Written by Joseph Stein, �Fiddler on the Roof� is based on a group of stories by the Yiddish short-story writer Sholom Aleichem. Many of these stories center on the life of Tevye, an overworked milkman living in a little Russian village called Anatevka in the year 1905. Tevye, although poor and struggling, is likeable for his courage in the face of his troubles, which include not only his poverty, but also his sharp-tongued wife and three daughters of marriageable age for whom he can provide no doweries.
At the beginning of the story, Tevye sings a song about the unshakeable Jewish traditions that sustain him and his fellow oppressed villagers. �Without out traditions,� he sings, �our lives would be as shaky as � as a fiddler on the roof.�
That first song sets both the title and the theme of the show, for Tevye soon finds that, in a time of unrest in his country, his world and his traditions are about to come tumbling down.
His daughters, for example, refuse to let him choose their husbands for them, as was the Jewish tradition of that time period. Instead, they want to defy the matchmaker and their father, and marry men that they love.
As each of his three elder daughters veer out of the family circle and into marriage, another piece of Tevye�s tradition is chipped away. His eldest daughter, Tzeitel, refuses the match that has already been agreed on for her � a marriage to the wealthy butcher Lazar Wolf � and instead marries a poor tailor named Motel. The next daughter, Hodel, also chooses her husband for herself, and takes a penniless, radical student named Perchik � who asks Tevye�s blessing, not his permission. These blows are compounded when Tevye�s third daughter, Chava, marries a Russian, not a Jew.
Meanwhile, the villagers of Anatevka, including Tevye and his family, are being forced from their homes by the Russian government. Tevye is determined to start a better life in a new land.
The cast of �Fiddler on the Roof� includes Bob Godfrey as Tevye, Alexandria Lowe as Tzeitel, Rose Emrich as Hodel, Megan Betteley as Chava, Neil Meloro as Motel, Adam Shimko as Perchik, and Ralph Elliott as Chava�s love interest, the Russian Fyedka. Other featured cast members include Pat Betteley as Tevye�s wife, Golde; Mark Pendleton as Lazar Wolf; Gloria Benz as Yente, the Matchmaker; Gary Van Buren as the Constable; and Bill Kline as Mordcha, the Innkeeper.
�Fiddler on the Roof� is directed by Linda Fundis, with musical direction provided by Debbie Inks.
The musical will run for three weekends, July 16-18, July 23-25 and July 29-31. All performances begin at 8:00 PM.
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