Avery serviceable production of a solid show, if not very exciting.
I found Act I was a bit slow to get going and the beginning over all the cast lacked a feeling of a village and felt more like a chorus. (Laura turned to me after "the sons" did their bit and said "Are ALL the sons gay?"). It wasn't until much too late in act I began to feel more Anatevka and less a bunch of actors on stage. TRadition should have done this but I felt the chorus actors hadn't found solid individual characters at all to make up the residents of the village. The 3 main daughters all seemed too similar in age (and from where I sat, in look). I also found Fyedka and Perchick tended to blend in too much as well and could have used more distinct characters and costumes, as well as costumes that retained a similarity through the seasons and scenes so that they were still identifiable. All three suitors were fine but kind of bland. Motel can get more laughs (and have more joy), and both Perchick and Fyedka should have more passion.
I liked Harvey at Tevye, it was a solid performance though didn;t give any new insight to the character. He milked some nice comedy out of new ideas and had some nice pathos as well. I felt for him. Golde (an understudy) was again serviceable but rather flat and boring, many missed comedic moments here. She sort of stepped aside for Tevye and played the role very straight - too straight. Yente too missed out on some laughs. Her comedy came form her look rather than her delivery. SOme nice business in the original staging was lost as her lines were rushed through. I think that’s direction more than anything.
The sets were fine, though not as colorful or exciting as they could be (the mish mash lighting didn't help at all) and the main show curtain and portal looked like they were rented from stock and not part of the same show. The costumes were fine but often seemed too pastel. Not enough patterns and certainly not distressed or poor enough. Shiny clean black boots n all the girls that had obviously never seen a barnyard. I'd prefer much richer tones - whether earth tones or Chagall jewel tones. AS I menioned, I disliked the lighting - too many follow spots, too much electric blue or hooker red and a backdrop that seemed unevenly lit and unsure what palate it wanted to be or for what reason. For a show where time of day is often so important (the begining of the Sabath at sundown, sunrise/sunet, etc.) it was very indecisive often opting to go for either popsicle colours or a dull grey.
Over all the production was fine, but didn’t hold a candle to Stratford's Fiddler a few years ago.
Still, Fiddler is one of my favorite shows and I enjoyed the eveninb over all. I found it interesting that I was constantly reminded of how so many of the Broadway classics are much better constructed than the Rock of Ages/We Will Rock You crap we have nowadays. They took bigger risks as well - like basing a musical comedy on a fragmented collection of depressing stories and then ending both first and second acts in fearfulness and uncertainty, trusting he audience to forgive them and enjoy the drama instead whining about a Barbie and Ken ending for everything. The characters went through genuine emotional torment (not just "will he get the girl" when you know he will before the lights go down). This show let me get emotionally involved instead of just viewing it like a theme park ride, or oohing and ahhing at the performers vocal hoop-jumping the way so many of the new shows do. It was nice to feel that way in a theatre again.
My - what a tirade!
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