Barn 'Fiddler on Roof' freshly familiar

Published: Thursday, June 16, 2005 -- The Truth, A5
Last updated: 6/15/2005 11:31:42 PM
By Marcia Fulmer, Entertainment Editor

Augusta, Mich. -- When a show is old (41 years), often-revived on Broadway (four times) and presented in countless community, regional, tours and high school productions, it may seem gratuitous to check it out yet again.

What can be done to freshen "Fiddler on the Roof," the story of Tevye, the dairyman of Anatevka, his five daughters, his long-suffering wife and their equally long-suffering neighbors?

The production that opened Tuesday evening at The Barn Theatre (its fifth of the classic musical) offers an answer.

With an excellent orchestra under the baton of pianist David Ames, a delightfully innovative set design by Doug Blickle, some didn't-see-that-coming staging by director Scott Burkell and an outstanding cast headed by Barn veteran Joe Aiello, everything old is new again or, at least, freshly familiar.

The show, which runs close to three hours including intermission, can seem endless. Changing scenes alone takes up a good chunk of time. Burkell takes care of this by using Blickle's framing flats, done in blue/brown/gray and covered with real bare branches, beside and behind the stage, as just that . . . a frame within which set pieces come and go quickly and imagination supplies the rest -- Tevye's home (inside and out), a tavern, a train depot, a tailor shop -- it's all there in no time at all. Permanent pieces are a large tree and an uneven fence which, accompanied by Frank Vella's lighting design, silently convey the sparseness of the life on the Russian plains.

Throughout these sites move the citizens of Anatevka, led by Aiello in a role whose greatest challenge today is to make it individual. It is a challenge he meets comedically, dramatically and vocally, giving humanity to a character that could become caricature. His "chats" with God and his struggles to preserve tradition are very familiar but also very fresh.

Another Barn veteran, Penelope Alex, plays his wife, Golde, with a stolid demeanor that unquestionably forms the backbone of the family. Golde may crack but she never crumbles. Her duet with Aiello, "Do You Love Me?" is a highlight of the second act.

As Lazar Wolf, the older butcher who wants to wed Tzeitel, Howard McBride delivers a solid performance. Dusty Reeds' Yente, town matchmaker, is a familiar -- and very believable -- comic delight.

One by one, Tevye's daughters break away to find lives of their own. First to go is Tzeitel (Erin Elizabeth Coors), who looks more like Barbie than Yentl. Her "other half" is Motel the Tailor, played with increasing assurance by an adorable Anthony Christian, who delivers a physically non-stop "Miracle of Miracles" without missing a note, a beat or a lyric.

Hodel (Ellen Schnier) opts for Siberia with student radical Perchik (Nick Horton). Both do admirably in "Now I Have Everything" and she offers a poignant rendition of "Far from the Home I Love." As Chava, ostracized by her father for her alliance with a Russian, Sarah Roussos is, in the end, too abrasive to be really sympathetic.

The ensemble numbers are solid, from "Tradition" through "L'Chaim" (aka "To Life") to the wedding sequence (applause to bottle dancers who never spill a drop!) and the sadly hopeful finale.

Especially memorable is "The Dream," in which Tevye convinces Golde that Tzeitel's fiancé is the wrong man. Grandma Tzeital (Renee Gonzales) is sharp and clear, but it is Fruma-Sarah (Cecily Smith) who steals the scene thanks to a strong voice, a startling entrance/exit and some great "Night of the Living Dead"-style makeup.

Contact Marcia Fulmer at mfulmer@etruth.com.

Barn 'Fiddler' surprisingly lighthearted, but quite effective

Kalamazoo Gazette
June 15, 2005
By C.J. Gianakaris

Winner of nine major Tony Awards in 1965, "Fiddler on the Roof" remains one of the finest, most perpetually popular American musicals ever produced - in fact, it is enjoying another hit revival right now on Broadway.

Tuesday evening, Augusta's Barn Theatre opened its own successful revival before a full and enthusiastic house. Directed to perfection by Scott Burkell and performed superlatively by many Barn veterans, this production evidences careful rehearsal and imaginative forethought.

Without question, "Fiddler" will be a hot ticket in town, as it should be. The opening number and dance, "Tradition," proves especially spirited and pungent, while the hilarious "The Dream" scene is worth the admission price alone.

Production values are very high. Besides Burkell's wonderful direction, the show benefits from a strong, eight-piece pit orchestra directed by David Ames, with special credit to Jason Andert fro excellent clarinet work that highlights the ethnic qualities permeating the play. Choreographer Charlie Misovye effectively captures the essence of Jerome Robbins' original award-winning dances and stage movements, including Jewish handkerchief dances and thrilling Cossack routines with glass mugs atop dancers' heads.

Costumes designed by David Hermosillo catch the spirit of a backwater Russian village in 1905. Scenic designer Doug Blickle effectively executes Burkell's obvious intentions fro a clear and open stage space, with hand props brought on (and removed) by the cast. A general but attractive outdoors setting of partial trees and leaves allows easy scene switching for the viewing audience.

The fluid setting is one of Burkell's important innovations here compared to four previous Barn productions of "Fiddler." Another Burkell choice is to play the show lighter and more openly comic than it is usually done. As chief consequence, Joe Aiello's solid performance as Tevye accentuates the funny, almost slapstick elements in lines typically spoken with subtlety and irony.

Laughter arose easily in Tuesday's audience, though thoughtful irony and potential gravity were sacrificed in such a broad acting approach, until the dark second act when members of the Jewish community of Anatevka is forced to leave their homes. Some playgoers might prefer a less cartoon-like texture. Still, Aiello's numbers "Tradition," "If I Were a Rich Man," and "Sunrise, Sunset" are sung well and effectively. Some will be surprised that comic actor can possess a rich baritone and emotive power.

Penelope Alex's Golde extends the range of her successful roles, here as a mother of a large family. Her singing is exceptionally sweet, clear and enjoyable, particularly in the duets "Sunrise, Sunset" and "Do You Love Me." Veteran Howard McBride is convincing as the butcher Lazar Wolf, and Dusty Reeds excellent as Yente the matchmaker.

Erin Elizabeth Coors (as Tzeital), Ellen Schnier (as Hodel), Sarah Roussos (as Chava), Anthony Christian (as Motel) and Nick Horton (as Perchik) show fine talent and performance savvy. All sing well, too. This fresh "Fiddler" is thoroughly enjoyable, first number to last.

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