| FIDDLER tonight | |
| Last Edit: hugoP 12:26 am EST 12/28/18 | |
| Posted by: hugoP 12:24 am EST 12/28/18 | |
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| I was blown away tonight by the Yiddish version of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF. Many have already weighed in on its wonders, but I just want to point out a few things that make it a must-see when it transfers off-Broadway in February. Steven Skybell is an extraordinary, fascinating Tevya. I've seen a number of them-- Topol, Burstein, Bikel, numerous regional Tevyas and several high school ones, too-- and I almost always enjoy the performance. It's a great part and the actor usually rises to the occasion. Skybell is doing something beyond that, though. His Tevya is funny and loving, but very very intense and very vulnerable. He really DOES seem like a Fiddler on the Roof, whereas the other Tevyas I have seen have usually been rock solid, big men whose world was shaking apart underneath them, though their solidity remained. Skybell seems to more vulnerable and more human and more flesh and blood than any i've seen-- he's not a larger-than-life Tevya, and I mean that in the very best way. The whole production is great, though, and I cannot recommend it highly enough. Great, committed cast and beautiful direction by Joel Grey. And to hear it all in Yiddish is just wonderful-- more haunting, funnier, more nuanced than I've seen before. I used the supertitles a lot and I'm glad i did, because the adaptations of the lyrics and book are quite inventive and intriguing on their own. Everything about this production works, and it really makes the case that FIDDLER can be done in a lot of inventive ways. Cast was surprisingly large (29!) for such a small venue; orchestra I believe had 13 excellent musicians-- if all this transfers to Off Broadway you are in for a treat. Just sought out Jesse Green's NYT review of this production and I largely agreed...especially about the fact that the audience is visibly moved by the experience of this production nearly from the opening number onward. If you grew up in a household where Yiddish was spoken it likely has an even deeper impact. But if you love theatre, if you seek inventive performance and staging, if you even like the musical FIDDLER...get your tickets now. |
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