Desert Theatrical’s FIDDLER ON THE ROOF Features Great Performances
by Laura Bloom Farber
For the benefit of the few who are unfamiliar with Desert Theatrical’s latest local production, Fiddler on the Roof is a 1964 musical that tells, with both heart and humor, the story of Tevye, a poor Jewish milkman living in a Russian shtetl in the early years of the 20th century. Tevye has a wife, five daughters, three of whom are of marriageable age, and a lame horse. At various points in the narrative, Tevye makes important decisions by expressing his conflicting thoughts directly to God, as well as his general complaints about his lot in life. On a deeper level, however, the play is about the erosion of norms and traditions in a changing world. This theme has contributed to its popularity in many countries throughout the world.
The score with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick is magnificent and combines elements of American musical theater and Yiddish theater. The book by Joseph Stein is based on the works of Yiddish writer Sholem Aleichem and does a fine job of preserving the Yiddishkeit of the source.
The whole cast is excellent, but I would like to draw attention to several of the performers. Fiddler requires an exceptional Tevye for its success. Jason Wesley Green inhabits the role with warmth and humor. The actresses playing Tevye’s three oldest daughters, Lizzie Schmelling as Tzeitel, Michelle Estrada as Hodel, and Charlotte Upp as Chava all sing beautifully. I have seen other performances by Patrick Wallace and have been consistently impressed by his professionalism and skill in singing and acting. As Perchik, the suitor of Hodel, however, it was a pleasure to witness his dancing for the first time. Christopher Fonte as Motel, the poor tailor who loves Tzeitel, captures Motel’s initial fear of Tevye and his growth into a “mensch”. As Tevye’s wife, Golde, Jaci Davis’ beautiful voice enhances the production. Doris Tamburri, as Yente the matchmaker, does a fine job of acting and maintaining a nice Yiddish inflection in her speech. Jana Giboney, in her brief appearance as Fruma Sarah, creates an effectively frightening character.
Desert Theatricals’ production of Fiddler is well-directed by Ray Limon and excellently choreographed by Jose de la Cuesta. I give the company kudos for using a 13-piece live orchestra conducted by musical director Joshua Carr rather than prerecorded tracks. My only cavil with this production is the inconsistency of accents among the actors. A few actors demonstrated convincing Yiddish inflection, but most did not. Several of them failed to master the guttural “ch” sound. Aside from that, if the production were running longer, I would recommend seeing it.