‘Fiddler on the Roof’ and tradition

FROM left: The author, Danny Burstein and Bobby Garcia

NEW YORK—When I was 8 years old, both my mother and I were cast as part of the large ensemble of Repertory Philippines’ production of “Fiddler on the Roof,” starring Freddie Santos as Tevye, and Baby Barredo as Golde.

It was at the CCP Main Theater, and it must’ve been one of the largest casts of actors I’ve ever seen. Many men, women, boys and girls of all ages were in the show (including Bibot Amador as Yente the Matchmaker, the late Terry Legarda as Tzeitel, Becca Godinez as Hodel, Enchang Agudo-Kaimo as Chava and Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo and Iwi Laurel rounding up the five daughters as Bielke and Shprintze).

Cocoy Laurel was the student Perchik and Miguel Faustmann was Fyedka. It was one major mass exodus when the final song “Anatevka” was performed.

Fast forward many years later, and I’m sitting now at the Broadway Theater (where “Miss Saigon” opened 25 years ago) about to watch “Fiddler on the Roof” for the first time. My friend   Bobby Garcia was my date for the evening, and we were both very excited.

Director Bartlett Sher (coming from the most recent revival of “The King and I” at Lincoln Center, as well as the Broadway production of “The Bridges of Madison County”) was at the helm of this glorious new revival, and stars Danny Burstein as Tevye and Jessica Hecht as Golde.

The show starts out with a bare stage, with only a wooden chair on stage right and a hat hanging from it. Burstein, wrapped in a red parka, comes onstage. As he begins his opening monologue, he takes off his red coat and puts on the hat.

We then see a fiddler atop a thatched roof house, dressed in a purple coat at the back of this very deep stage. Both he and the house float higher and higher until they both disappear.

Then, the opening number, “Tradition,” begins, introducing the papas, the mamas, the sons and daughters, plus the ancillary characters such as the matchmaker, the beggar and the rabbi.

I got goosebumps as I sat in the dark, mouthing the words to certain memorable lines of dialogue, as well as the lyrics to many of the songs. Perhaps this was the “Hamilton” or “Les Misérables” to my 8-year-old self, as I had practically worn out the cassette of the “Fiddler” movie soundtrack and memorized the songs.

The show, as old as it is (this Jerry Bock-Sheldon Harnick-Joseph Stein gem was first staged on Broadway in 1964) has not lost its relevance, most notably in the final scene where Tevye, his whole family, and the rest of the townspeople are driven out of their homes, forced to find a new place to settle. “Maybe that’s why we always wear our hats,” notes Tevye.

In the chilling way this finale is staged, one can imagine the refugees from Syria (or from anywhere, for that matter) forced away from their homeland into possibly more hostile surroundings.

Burstein as Tevye did not disappoint. I’ve been a fan of his since I first saw him as Luther in “South Pacific” some years ago. He was incredibly funny. I then got to see him as Buddy in “Follies,” where he was heartbreaking. Now as the dairyman from Anatevka, he was both, in spades.

One by one, Tevye’s three oldest daughters get engaged in ways that buck the traditions of their little town. With Tzeitel and Hodel, he reluctantly but eventually cedes. However, with Chava who has fallen in love with a man who is not Jewish, his fury rises to the surface.

Once she marries against his wishes, his heartbreak is then on full display to everyone in that audience—and our hearts break along with him. He is a man with a huge heart.

Hecht was already a familiar face, having played Ross’ wife’s lesbian lover Susan on “Friends” for quite a few years. It was exciting therefore to see her live.

A fine actress as the mother to these five daughters, she is a pillar of maternal strength, her spine not bending even once, until Chava (played by “So You Think You Can Dance” Season 8 winner Melanie Moore) runs off and gets married. She drops on her knees, as every mother whose child has done the same has probably done, wailing to the heavens. And yes, I cried along with her.

The rest of the cast is truly wonderful. Adam Kantor, as the tailor Motel who marries Tzeitel (played on this night by understudy Tess Primack), is neurotic, adorable and in fine voice.

Ben Rappaport as the student Perchik is sexy and handsome, a great pairing for Samantha Massell’s Hodel. And Melanie as Chava doesn’t get to display her full dancing range, unfortunately, but is a fine actress and singer, which is more than just a pleasant surprise.

Sher has, with this production of “Fiddler on the Roof,” has cemented my fan-girl status for his work.

Each tradition bucked by Tevye’s daughters is specifically placed in front of us in a way that I never really understood before.

Congratulations also to his entire creative and production team (set design by Michael Yeargan, costumes by Catherine Zuber, lighting by Donald Holder, sound by Scott Lehrer, hair and wigs by Tom Watson, music director and orchestrator Ted Sperling, and choreographer Hofesh Shechter) for putting together such a breathtaking production of one of my most favorite musicals on earth.

To you all, l’chaim (To life)!