‘Fiddler on the Roof’ is being performed at Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn until Jan. 7. Pictured above, from left, are Maya Jacobson as Chava, Alexandra Socha as Tzeitel and Austen Danielle Bohmer as Hodel.
The Paper Mill Playhouse hits it out of the park once again with its lovely production of the beloved, classic musical, “Fiddler on the Roof” with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, book by Joseph Stein and directed by Mark S. Hoebee.
This iconic show originally opened on Broadway in 1964 and won nine Tony Awards, including choreography by Jerome Robbins which is showcased in The Paper Mill production and is absolutely beautiful to watch.
Set in Anatevka, a village in Russia, in 1905 on the eve of the Russian revolution, the story centers around Tevye, a dairyman of limited means, played by Jordan Gelber, Jill Abramovitz as his wife Golde, and their five daughters, who are all living a traditional Jewish life, observing the customs of those times, such as only allowing arranged marriages and offering education just to boys.
As times begin to change, and ideas from the closest big city, Kyiv, begin to infiltrate their little village, their time-honored traditions begin to be questioned by the younger generation. The oldest daughter, Tzeitel is horrified when her father enters into an agreement for her to marry the wealthy, widowed, much older butcher, Lazar Wolf, played by Jeremy Radin. She is in love with Motel, the painfully shy, poor tailor with whom she grew up.
The hesitating, sweet chemistry between Tzeitel, played by Alexandra Socha and Motel, played by Etai Benson, is apparent – and upon reading their bios in the program, we learn that Socha and Benson are actually married to each other. Well, it works!
Some of the most touching and memorable scenes in this show are each time Tevye is presented with a conflict and tries to figure out what to do. The scene stops, and all actors are frozen except Tevye as he speaks to God of his dilemma.
Gelber is a marvelous Tevye. He brings humor and pathos to the role in just the right measure and we can all feel and relate to his agony as he tries to choose between doing what is right for his little girl – even if it conflicts with every fiber of his being, as it goes against all he has been taught and believes in.
Golde played by Jill Abramovitz is the practical one in the marriage. With running the household, and raising five daughters she has her hands full and does not have time for any nonsense, but is still affectionate with her daughters. Abramovitz is a perfect Golde. She is thrilled about the marriage to Wolf because the family does not have money for a dowry and won’t need one if Tzeitel marries Wolf.
Since Tevye acquiesces to Tzeitel’s request to marry Motol, he now has to figure out a way to break this news to his wife – and decides to tell Golde that Wolf’s deceased wife, Fruma-Sarah came to him in a dream/nightmare. This dream scene is one of the stand-out moments of this production – with a larger-than-life scary Fruma-Sarah, hauntingly played by Blair Goldberg, warning that all sorts of bad things will happen if Tzeitel marries Wolf. It is a fabulous, attention-grabbing scene with Tevye and Golde looking terrified in the bed and Fruma-Sarah towering over them, singing her warnings with a witch-like voice.
As the next two daughters, Hodel played by Austen Danielle Bohmer and Chava played by Maya Jacobson also choose their own husbands, Perchik, a student played by David R. Gordon and Fyedka, a young Russian man played by Andrew Alstat, Tevye becomes increasingly disturbed.
Throughout this gem of a show, we are treated to the incredible orchestra playing songs that are etched into the memories of so many of us, including “Matchmaker,” “If I Were a Rich Man,” “To Life,” “Sunrise, Sunset,” “Tradition” and more. You will be singing along to these old favorites with this extremely talented cast.
In one of the more heart-breaking scenes, Tzeitel and Motel’s wedding is interrupted by a pogrom – which is violence on a village and its people, just because they are Jewish. Although many of us know the story, it is still shocking when it happens – and so much more so because it is eerily similar to what recently happened on October 7 when little villages in Israel were attacked just because their inhabitants are Jewish. It is horrifying that so little has changed – even though so much time has gone by.
Suzanne Grodner is wonderful as the overbearing matchmaker, and Carley Gilbert and Emerson Glick are adorable as the two youngest daughters. And it is fabulous to experience the entire ensemble with their fantastic dancing – especially some of the Russian-type dances.
The sets by Kelly James Tighe are simple, but perfect and allow the acting and singing to be the main events. The costumes by Leon Dobkowski seem quite accurate and what you would expect the people in the village to be wearing during that time period.
“Fiddler on the Roof” is at the Paper Mill Playhouse through Jan. 7. It is truly a bit of holiday magic and I encourage everyone to make the time to see this Broadway-caliber production.
Poignant ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ on stage at Paper Mill Playhouse added by Debbie L. Hochberg on
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