Before taking on this review, my knowledge of Fiddler on the Roof went about as far as that one episode of Gilmore Girls. When I left the Eglesfield Musical Society’s production on opening night, I was both thrilled and genuinely touched. It is clear that Joseph Stein’s timeless script is in good hands with artistic director Hannah Davis. Fiddler on the Roof follows Tevye the Dairyman (played to perfection by Jacob Ostfeld) and his family through the vices and virtues of tradition, supported along the way by a masterclass in tragic comedy and some truly exhilarating group numbers.
Tradition…Tradition!
Though tradition was soon to transport us to the vibrant village of Anatevka, teetering on the verge of the Russian Revolutionary Period, I found myself amongst a nearly-sold-out audience in the Drawda Gardens of The Queen’s College. Davis’ choice to stage the production outdoors definitely subverts our precious traditions, but it goes to show that sometimes change is just what we need. The natural scenery – gorgeously maintained garden foliage against the stained-glass backdrop of the Old Library – augmented the minimalist staging beautifully. All the while, the Fiddler (Issy Lesser) played through the windows of the Front Quad staircase, another of Davis’ inspirations.
I had reservations about the company’s choice to compete with natural light throughout the production, with the performance starting in the 8pm sunlight and ending under the stars at around 11pm. Unfortunately, the sunlight minimised the effect of the stage lights during much of the first act. However, this made it all the more impressive when golden hour brushed the audience, and Felix Gibbons’ rose-coloured wash-lights shone on some of the most compelling and poignant moments of the performance.
“Today I am a horse…”
Of course, Davis’ careful hand could not have crafted such an inviting evening without the perfect cast to carry out the job. Jacob Ostfeld as Tevye is phenomenally dynamic and assured, refusing to let up for a single second before the curtain closes. His ability to shift between laugh-out-loud comedy, solemn conversations with God, and the dignified and powerful ‘man of the house’ is unrivaled. Ostfeld is a star, and an expert on belonging on every inch of the stage, drawing the audience in so much that he feels more like an old friend than an actor. That’s not even touching on his ability as a vocalist, and how refreshing it is to see baritone representation done so well – Ostfeld’s breath support, textual interpretation, and pure richness are all top-notch, making him a commanding leader of the breathtaking chorus that supports him. The only drawback to such a performance is that Ostfeld sometimes highlights the nerves and reserves of other cast members, but any opening night outdoors – let alone on a day that suffered an earlier four-hour downpour – is enough to make anyone nervous.
Another stellar performance that cannot go unmentioned is Anneka Vetter as Yente, who is truly mad, in the best possible way. Her voicing, gestures, and expressions are infinitely commendable, and the pure joy that accompanies her on stage is infectious. Vetter manages to steal scenes that she’s hardly in by throwing out a single line from far stage left. I promise you that you’re missing out if you pass up the chance to laugh along with Vetter during this production.
Tevye’s three eldest daughters (Sydney Haskins as Tzeitel, Emma Leibowitz as Hodel, and Nicole Palka as Chava) are perfectly cast. All three manage to stand out as individual performers and, simultaneously, come together with beautiful vocal blends and three-part harmonies. Palka as Chava is always acting, even in the background of scenes, where the minutiae of her facial expression is perceptible to every member of the audience – a radiant and patient performance that really comes into its own in the second act of the show. Leibowitz is a thrillingly tenacious actor, one of few in this production with the confidence to stand by her character choices and make every line count. She shines alongside the charmingly earnest Perchik (Joe Baszczak) with whom she shares a moving progression into love, and a true chemistry. And of course, I would be remiss to forget Baszczak’s gorgeously resonant final note in “Now I Have Everything”, where we see the true range of his performance as Perchik.
But Tevye’s eldest daughter is easily the most convincing of the three. Haskins gives a subtle but remarkably compelling performance as Tzeitel. Her clear and mature voice supplements her authentic and carefully chosen expressions that begin in “Matchmaker” and last until her closing scene. It is clear that she feels right at home in Queen’s, where she is a first-year Music student, and her attentive and conscientious portrayal of Tzeitel is totally engaging. If I took a drink for every time I commended Haskins in my notebook, I could join Tevye and Lazar Wolf in “To Life.”
“It’s no sin to dance at a wedding…”
While the performance contained many scenes where just one or two characters captivated the audience and convincingly moved the story along (Tevye’s monologues are exquisite, as are the many transitory scenes between Golde (Madeleine Murphy) and the villagers), the EMS company excel at one thing: group numbers.
As a Queen’s student, I had the privilege of crashing some of the company’s rehearsals, where I got to watch choreographer Magdelena Lacey-Hughes (who made a fantastic cameo as the Constable on opening night) in her element. “Tevye’s Dream” features Emma Jayne Smith as Fruma Sarah in a gorgeously decrepit bridal get-up – an incredible feat of costuming, hair and makeup – performing to the max alongside Tevye while the company makes the most of the staging levels. Watching the company move up and down the stairs, crouching and watching, alongside a truly impressive choral arrangement was a highlight of the performance. It was the first time I felt every member of the company giving it their all, and Lacey-Hughes facilitates a grand and faithful reproduction of the original choreography.
The second, and personally my favourite scene in Fiddler on the Roof is Tzeitel’s wedding. The whole company shouts, laughs, and dances across the stage, through the audience, with the audience. Simultaneously, the music swells to its zenith on a gorgeous lighting bed that oscillates between warm and cool tones as the sun sets on the Drawda Gardens, and the audience is riotous. Then, just when you think it can’t get better, the men of the village perform most of the dance balancing full glass bottles on their hats, in some genuinely awe-inspiring choreography and spatial awareness from everyone involved. The phrase ‘on the edge of your seat’ was made to discuss this scene.
“Send us the cure, we’ve got the sickness already…”
No production is flawless, however – the theatre would be boring if they were! The music of Fiddler on the Roof was almost always brilliantly full and so close to Jerry Bock’s original score under the direction of Kyle Siwek and Tom Constantinou that it was easy to forget the orchestration was live. However, microphone interference interrupted many of the scenes in the second act, possibly due to the wind that picked up toward the show’s end, and the percussion was occasionally confused, resulting in some occasionally off-tempo performances. None of this, however, takes away from the impressive performances from both wind and string sections – the audience was very lucky to experience just a fraction of the music prowess that The Queen’s College and friends have to offer, best represented by the fantastic chorus that really took the show to that next level.
“Why should I tell you what the good book says…?”
So, what’s the point? Why did you just read my ramblings on bottle-balancing and Queen’s, when you could have been doing literally anything else?
Fiddler on the Roof, as Davis says in her Director’s Welcome, is ‘demonstrably both timely and timeless’ in its discussions of family, change, togetherness, and the real historical displacements of families during this period that are not unlike what we observe in the news today. When I sat down in that seat, I had very little idea what I was going to walk away with, but I didn’t expect to be thinking about how grateful I am to be so close to my own family, and how lucky we all are to be able to come together to sing, dance, laugh, and really listen to a message that never goes out of style.
So, though the Drawda Gardens were below freezing by the time the performance ended, my heart was warm. If you ask me, this production is well worth every night of sleep the students of Queen’s college miss out on, as “Tradition” rings out through their windows, and into the night.
[Fiddler on the Roof, a production by the Eglesfield Musical Society, is running at The Queen’s College, Wed 21-Sat 24 May].