SEEING FIDDLER AGAIN AND AGAIN IS A GREAT TRADITION
It’s no surprise that this 1964 triumph — with an irresistible book by Joseph Stein and unimprovable songs by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick — keeps surprising us with our own humanity. It’s 1905 in a small Russian village called Anatevka, and a fiddler plays a simple tune. Tevye (lovable Matthew Henerson), a dairyman with five unmarried daughters, delights in explaining to us that “Tradition” is what gets the Jewish villagers through the days. The irony is that the world is changing and tradition will be the first thing to get bucked when it doesn’t serve the next generation. Russians are barely tolerating the existence of Jews and stories of pogroms find their way into the village. San Diego Musical Theatre aces this opening number, as the company continues to amaze with having huge casts on a small stage without a glitch — in this case, credit goes to choreographer Jill Gorrie Rovatsos.
Through the matchmaker, Yente (D. Candis Paule, more approachable, sweet, and empathetic than other interpretations), Tevye pledges his eldest daughter Tzeitel (Tamara Rodriguez) to marry the much-older town butcher Lazar Wolf (Bryan Curtiss White). Tzeitel, though, has secretly promised herself to her once-childhood friend and now great love, the nerdy tailor Motel Kamzoil (Zane Camacho). Even if Tevye wanted to allow for her wishes, which at his core he doesn’t, how would he ever explain things to Lazar or, far worse, to his not-so-meek wife, Golde (Debra Wanger).
A young Jewish political activist, Perchik (Kenny Bordieri), has been brought on to tutor Tevye’s youngest daughters. Tevye likes him but is wary of Perchick’s methods to fight back. As traditions begin to break down with the younger generation, the tension grows between powerless Jews and the Czar’s antisemitic forces. A Russian Constable (Manny Fernandes) gives us a look at what happens when people with good hearts and intentions are caught up in not having the courage to turn the tide of their government. (Interestingly, in the original tales by Shalom Aleichem on which Fiddler is based, this character is brutal and cruel; here, Stein has created a gentle and decent man who is just obeying orders — and we know from history where that leads.)
With drama very much at the core of Fiddler, there is a wagonful of wit as Tevye struggles with his wife, his work, and changing times. Director Omri Schein keeps the funny on track and the angst palpable. Most entertaining was Tevye’s dream sequence, made memorable by Sasha Weiss as Golde’s dead grandmother and Sheira Stein as Lazar’s dead wife Fruma-Sarah, who looks like something out of The Nightmare Before Christmas, thanks to Monique Hanson’s great make-up and Chong Mi Land’s costumes.
SDMT’s production is certainly good, if not necessarily one of its best; the primary lack is the singing power. To be sure, there are no poor voices, but the women outshine the men in many places, especially in some of the duets where the comparison is clear. Also, pre-recorded music has come a long way in making musicals far more accessible to smaller theaters, but — through no fault of Musical Director Richard Dueñez Morrison — some of the tracks just seem a bit too fast, especially the tear-jerking “Far From the Home I Love,” which is sung beautifully by second-eldest daughter Hodel (Tori Hitchcock).
Is this a home run? Not quite, but there’s still so much to like about SDMT’s production that it’s easy to recommend, especially for those who’ve not yet encountered this touching show. In song, joke, and sorrow, Fiddler on the Roof is very much a nearly lost family album, seminal snapshots that stand for many more perished memories. It remains a powerful testament to a village united by habit as much as love, and destroyed by ignorance as much as bigotry.
photos by Ken Jacques
Fiddler on the Roof
San Diego Musical Theatre
4650 Mercury Street in San Diego
Wed & Thurs at 7; Fri & Sat at 2 and 7; Sun at 2
ends on March 10, 2024
for tickets, call 858.560.5740 or visit SDMT