Photos by Paul Lyden
‘Fiddler On The Roof’ – Book by Joseph Stein. Music by Jerry Bock. Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick. Direction by Robert W. Schneider. Music Direction by Miles Plant. Original Broadway Choreography by Jerome Robbins reproduced by Josh Assor. Scenic Design by Ryan M. Howell. Costume Coordination by Kelly Baker. Lighting Design by Jack Mehler. Sound Design by James Cannon. Hair & Wig Design by Rachel Padula-Shufelt. At North Shore Music Theatre, Beverly, through June 16, 2024.
By Linda Chin
A fresh and exciting production of one of the world’s most beloved musicals – Fiddler on the Roof – is at the beloved North Shore Music Theatre in the round, giving patrons of all ages and abilities access to the action from no further than 12-15 rows from the stage. Jerome Robbins’ original Broadway choreography, which has been faithfully recreated by Josh Assor, is exuberantly performed by the 35-member cast. The circle dances of Jewish culture, inclusive of community rather than exclusively for couples, feel right at home on the circular stage.
With Robert W. Schneider’s deft direction, designers Ryan M. Howell and Jack Mehler’s imaginative sets and evocative lighting, the scene blocking and stage pictures work from every angle. Actors also use the aisles to enter/exit and perform some musical numbers, providing patrons with an even more immersive and intimate experience. From the actors’ perspective, performing in the round can be complicated, with having “nowhere to hide” and trying to maintain a visual and audible connection with the audience. The Fiddler company rises to the challenge.
Set in the small village of Anatevka, home to a tight-knit Jewish community, Fiddler on the Roof centers on the story of a poor dairyman Tevye (Jeremy Radin), husband of 25 years to his wife Golde (Alaina Mills), and fiercely protective father of five unmarried daughters. The village’s Yenta (Kathy St. George), who fulfills her purpose and earns her livelihood by finding the perfect matches, is on the case. Anatevka has been a safe home for Tevye’s family for decades, but the world is changing. New social morés are challenging the traditional values that Teyve has long held – and wants to instill in his daughters – and his deep faith. And unfortunately but undeniably, antisemitism in Czarist Russia is growing.
The leading role of Tevye is one of the most coveted roles in the musical theater canon. It requires an actor with a powerful presence and voice who can take us on the complex journey of marriage and fatherhood. He must be comfortable being vulnerable, talking to God, engaging an audience member, and performing in the round. In his impressive NSMT debut, Jeremy Radin’s Tevye is a man with a big conscience and an enormous heart. Perhaps younger in age than other actors who’ve played the role (and who have been married for 25 years), Radin’s Tevye also has a skip in his step, and perhaps as a nod to new generations of Fiddler fans, a deep respect for women who want to follow their own paths.
Another delightful choice was casting a musician for the titular role (the fiddler is oft played by an actor with stylized movements, a projected image in silhouette). Felix Herbst, a violinist who played in the pit of the First National Tour of Fiddler on the Roof in 2022-23, brings this music to life onstage (and on the raised platforms in the amphitheater, on the center platform that descends below stage level), to mesmerizing effect. Otherwise silent during the entirety of the production, the fiddler’s presence reminds us that life is precarious, that without holding onto their traditions, the lives of Jews can be as shaky as a fiddler on the roof, and that the future is uncertain.
What is certain is that NSMT’s production is a crowd-pleaser. The musical numbers are beautifully executed, and the dream sequence and wedding scenes are a good balance of wonder and terror. I would have preferred more emphasis on the “C” in the lyrics “To Life, to life, L’Chaim” and more consistency in the accented speech (Yiddish and Russian) in general, less volume in Golde’s delivery, and for Lazar Wolf to display more character traits that make him a distasteful marriage prospect. In general, the characters were well-developed; in particular, Motel (Jordan Matthew Brown) is a mensch.
One of the reasons I love live performances, especially musical theater, is to share funny and emotional moments (even hearing other audience members humming and singing along to the familiar tunes) with other humans. The sense of being together, united as one community, feels even more so when sitting in the round. For audience members young and old, gay and straight, single or married for over 25 years, the answer to Tevye’s question (“Do You Love Me?”) is a heartfelt yes. For tickets and information, go to: https://www.nsmt.org/
