Fiddler on the Roof
Book by Joseph Stein, Music by Jerry Bock, Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick
Directed by Rob Ruggiero
Original Choreography by Jerome Robbins Adapted for the Muny Stage by Parker Esse
The Muny
July 20, 2024
Adam Heller and Cast
Photo by Phillip Hamer
The Muny
Fiddler on the Roof is about to be 60 years old, and it still resonates with audiences around the world. It’s been performed at the Muny ten times before, and now that it’s on stage again, it’s as fresh, vibrant, and poignant as ever. Under the direction of Rob Ruggiero and featuring an excellent cast led by Muny veteran Adam Heller as Tevye and featuring a superlative Muny Orchestra led by music director Darryl Archibald, this show is as timeless, timely, and tuneful as ever.
This show is so well known that many viewers will already know the story. In a small village in early 20th Century Russia, Tevye the Milkman (Heller) and his wife, Golde (Jill Abramovitz) live in a close-knit Jewish community that holds its traditions dear, although times are changing and their lives will soon be thrown off-balance, within families, in the village at large, and in the outside world. Tevye’s five daughters successively challenge long-held traditions and beliefs–especially the three eldest, Tzeitel (Samantha Massell), Hodel (Hannah Corneau), and Chava (Emerson Glick). Meanwhile, the news of disruptions and discord throughout the land continues to creep into the little village of Anatevka, getting closer and closer to radically changing the lives of everyone who lives there. As the story plays out, the familiar songs such as “Tradition”, “Matchmaker”, “If I Were a Rich Man”, “Sunrise, Sunset” and more are featured, highlighting the themes of connection, conflict, tradition and change.
This is a show that works so well, it’s not easy to mess it up, but it’s also so familiar that it’s fairly easy to just coast through and do a “good enough” version. At the Muny, this Fiddler is a lot more than just “good enough”. Led by Heller’s enthusiastic, charming performance as Tevye, this cast makes the stage come alive with strong voices and excellent stage presence and chemistry. Heller and the equally strong Abramovitz work especially well together, and all of the daughters are also memorable, well-matched by their suitors, Max Chernin as Motel, Clay Singer as Perchik, and Andew Alstat as Fyedka. There are also standout performances by Cheryl Stern in a fine comic turn as Yente the matchmaker; Jeremy Radin as Lazar Wolf the butcher; and Susan J. Jacks and Blair Goldberg who make the most of their roles as Grandma Tzeitel and Fruma-Sarah in the “Tevye’s Dream” sequence. There’s a strong ensemble across the board, and the production numbers are especially impressive, with strong choreography recreated by Parker Esse based on Jerome Robbins’s original work. There’s also that excellent orchestra adding much in the way of atmosphere and sweeping emotion.
The look of this production is also impressive, with an inventive set by Tijana Bjelajac augmented by excellent video design by Kevan Loney, giving the show a timeless look that fits with the mood of the show, but somewhat veers away from the more traditional sets that many productions of this show seem to use. There’s also striking lighting by John Lasiter and meticulously detailed costumes by Alejo Vietti, along with wigs by Tommy Kurzman.
Overall, this is a Fiddler that tells its story well, with the well-known themes and iconic score given a notable production on the vast stage in Forest Park. It’s a timeless tale, with a great cast and a marvelous score. At the Muny, it’s a classic show that still resonates as much as I imagine it ever could.
Hannah Corneau, Samantha Massell, Emerson Glick
Photo by Phillip Hamer
The Muny
The Muny is presenting Fiddler on the Roof in Forest Park until July 25, 2024
