By Deidra O’Brien.
Family, community, tradition—The Gateway’s production of Fiddler on the Roof, which opened Friday, January 26, 2024, expresses these unifying themes. Though, the crème de la crème is an even deeper unearthing of humanism, female empowerment, and agape love. The musical originally opened on Broadway in September 1964 and then stepped into the next year with Tony awards for Best Musical, Best Score, and Best Book. In 1990, the show won an additional Tony for Best Revival of a Musical. The dramatic, iconic Fiddler follows a Yiddish Jew named Tevye, played by Bruce Winant, who is a dairyman and father of five daughters in 1905 Anatevka, Russia.
“Tradition,” a hallmark of both the show and the general musical world, ignites a powerful start. The ensemble delivers spirited harmonies that swell the theater, enlightening the audience to the setting and culture of the Jewish people living in the fictional Anatevka. The ensemble brings an undercurrent of strength to every number in which they appear, beauty in “Sabbath Prayer,” humor and horror in “The Dream,” and reverence in “Sunrise, Sunset.” These invoke palpable emotion, but “To Life” (L’Chaim) and “The Bottle Dance” also impress on multiple levels. The dancing and choreography are magnetic, and I’m sure that if I dared pull my gaze from the stage I would have seen other audience members shimmying shoulders in their seats. All of this would be challenging to achieve without the efforts and talent of the pit, directed and conducted by Keith Levenson and associate music director Luka Marinkovic.
Overall, the casting of the show was formidable. Bruce Winant leads the show, embodying Tevye, and is full of life in every expression of his movement: hands, body, face, voice, all of it. The character is both written and executed through a humanist lens. He’s loveable, relatable, and admonishable to the audience, and seemingly even to God, evident in Teyve’s casual conversations with Him throughout the show. He raises a hand in gratitude, a fist in anger, and both hands in yearning question. When he charms through “If I Were a Rich Man,” it amuses and also draws us all in. The song itself has been revered by Broadway royalty Lin Manuel Miranda as one of the most universal in all of Broadway canon, think renditions by artists such as acapella group Semi-Toned, Gwen Stefani, and even Sesame Street. Abby Lee’s Golde and Susan J. Jacks’ Yente effortlessly tickle the audience with impeccable comedic timing of lines, the arching of a brow, the pursing of lips. The daughters, Leah Mossman as Tzeitel, Ruthy Froch as Hodel, Rebecca Lynn Goldfarb as Chava, as well as younger actresses Giada Longo and Addison Wasylyshyn as Shprintze, and Sonnie Betts and Sofia Da Costa-Wilson as Bielke, collectively perform effectively to highlight the main conflicts. Starting in “Matchmaker,” they lay the foundation by posing the essential question, can there possibly be balance between tradition and a life governed by happiness and conviction via self-fulfillment? Notable performances are also exhibited by Nikita Burshteyn and Justin R. G. Holcomb as Perchik and Lazar Wolf, respectively. Finally, Oliver Prose’s Motel, a walking, talking ball of anxiety, is gilded in humor gold. Live theater has the liberty of extra punchiness that comes from nostalgia and unparalleled energy between the cast and audience; The Gateway’s cast cohesively worked well to leverage this.
This production of Fiddler on the Roof is a welcomed escape from a confused, cloudy New York winter into another world. This touching story compels us to examine our ideals of family, community, and tradition. Daughters buck tradition for love, and the Jewish community of Anatevka are forced to lay down some traditions and muster resilience. Whether you’ve never seen a production of Fiddler or have seen it a time or two, The Gateway’s production is well worth your presence. It reminds us that we’re all fiddlers on the roof, a metaphor for just trying our best to live with some sort of contentment despite peril, “scratching out a pleasant, simple tune without breaking our necks.”
Running Time: Approximately 3 hours one 15 minute intermission.
Advisory: Adult themes present in conflict.
From The Gateway: “May not be suitable for all ages. While there is no official rating system for live theater, we encourage you to use your judgment based on age, maturity level, and subject matter.”