RSS 2.0 FeedJanuary 11, 2012, Cover Stories, Theatre
A rich "Tradition" renewed
A solid cast, anchored by John Preece, and simple-yet-effective design made all the humor and abject heartbreak of "Fiddler on the Roof" palpable in Troika Productions’ performance at on the Performing Arts Series at Johnson County Community College.
Well, tradition rang tremendously true. Whether in Jerome Robbins’s reproduced direction and choreography or John Preece’s 3,400th-plus performance as Tevye, the milkman with five daughters, Troika Production’s Fiddler on the Roof was as vibrant and moving a version as the one that first opened on Broadway in 1964.
Performing to a packed house on Sunday evening, the superb cast and efficient design transported the audience to the pre-Russian Revolution shtetl of Anatevka. There, Tevye (Preece) and his wife Golde (Pamela D. Chabora) are raising their five daughters, three of whom are of marrying age. As the times are changing, so are attitudes toward gender roles and the family, at least in the younger generation. Herein lies the heart of the musical; as the daughters find love, Tevye is forced to reconcile his traditional Jewish way of life with the impulse of a father who only wants what’s best for his children.
As Tzeitel, Hodel, and Chava, Brooke Hills, Sarah Sesler, and Chesley LeBel held their own with veteran Preece. Love, rage, and frustration were palpable in their interactions with one another. I heard many a sniffle from men and women alike during all three of the climatic scenes: Tzeitel’s wedding, Hodel’s goodbye at the train depot, and Chava’s disownment…I admit a tear or two may have come from me as well.
Preece embodied Tevye as much as Zero Mostel ever did, and perhaps more so. There was an ease with Preece’s characterization that belied the stage. His bantering with Lazar Wolf (Can we all agree on that name being one of the best in the canon?) was full of old-man grumpiness and his choked-out “God be with you” to Chava was desperation and grief at its most extreme.
Chabora tried her hardest to make Golde less of a shrieking shrew and succeeded for the most part. Joshua Phan-Gruber, as the Bolshevik student Perchick, was the strongest actor of the fiancés, though, unfortunately, he was saddled with the only clunker in the entire production, “Now I Have Everything.” It’s a song this musical can and should do without. Billy Holly as the Rabbi was the one noticeable misstep in casting. He conveyed none of the Hebrew wisdom in his flat delivery.
Each number was sung recording-ready, as they had to be since they are such well-known tunes. The choice to reduce “Anatevka” from a company number to a sextet was sublime as it conveyed the inherent sorrow and bleakness. “The Dream” was suitably surreal and the “Bottle Dance/Wedding Dance” was celebratory and spontaneous.
A hearty and deserved “Mazel tov!” to this fantastic production of a gem of the American stage.
REVIEW:
Performing Arts Series at Johnson County Community College
Fiddler on the Roof
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Sunday, January 8, 2012 (Reviewed)
Yardley Hall, Carlsen Center, JCCC Campus
12345 College Blvd., Overland Park, KS
For more information, visit http://www.jccc.edu/performing-arts-series
Top Photo: Fiddler on the Roof Company (Photo by Carol Rosegg)
Editor-in-Chief; Traditional and New Classical Contributor
Lee Hartman holds degrees from the University of Missouri-Kansas City (D.M.A., M.M.) and the University of Delaware (B.M.). At the University of Delaware, he received a Dean's Scholar position enabling him to pursue an individually designed academic program combining music education and composition. At the University of Missouri-Kansas City he served for three years as the Assistant Director to Musica Nova, the conservatory's new music ensemble, while teaching a variety of composition classes.
In 2007 he was invited to both the Iceland Academy of the Arts in Reykjavík, Iceland and the Sichuan Conservatory in Chengdu, China to give lectures and master classes in composition. In the summer of 2009, Hartman served as an orchestra manager for the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble and Aspen Opera Theater Center for various performances. He serves on the National Executive Committee of the Society of Composers, Inc. as Submissions Coordinator. His primary composition instructors include James Mobberley, Chen Yi, Zhou Long, Paul Rudy, John Beall, and Jennifer Margaret Barker. He currently teaches music theory at the University of Central Missouri and general music classes at Park University having previously taught at UD (2007–08) and UMKC (2006–07).
His compositions can be found at http://www.leehartmanmusic.com
All material contained in KCMetropolis.org is the property of or licensed for use by KCMetropolis.org. Any use, duplication, or reproduction of any or all content of this publication is prohibited except with the express written permission of KCMetropolis.org or the original copyright holders.