By Rick Jepson and Wendy Jepson
NETworks Presentations has once again brought Broadway to Boise, ID with its sensational production of Fiddler on the Roof. Located in the heart of Boise, the Morrison Center provides a spacious and warmly classic backdrop for the story of Fiddler on the Roof to unfold. The play, from playwright Joseph Stein, with music by Jerry Bock, and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, is based on the story Tevye and his Daughters by Sholem Aleichem. Fiddler first appeared on Broadway in 1964, playing over 3,000 shows during its eight-year run, with Broadway revivals adding thousands of more showings since then. This simultaneously heart-warming and heart-wrenching tale has been wowing and wooing audiences for over five decades, and Boise is smitten.
In this glowing production, Danny Arnold’s Tevye begins with a wink. He knows as well as we do that he’s retelling a classic. Catherin Zuber’s costume design, which is everywhere else flawless in its period presentation, has a truck up its sleeve. Teyve steps out onto an empty stage not in traditional garb, but dressed just like us. He’s one of us. And he’s literally reading us the story we already know. “A fiddler on the roof,” he dictates from a book he’s holding out in front of him. “Sounds crazy, no?”
The fourth wall isn’t just broken, it’s shattered. As he continues the narration, his bright red jacket comes off, his prayer shawl comes out, the ensemble floods in from the sidelines, and the set pieces glide down from heaven. We’re in Anatevka!
The core of Fiddler is its ensemble. Theirs are the songs we love most. And they deliver. Christopher Evans’ recreated choreography by Hofesh Shechter is luscious and executed brilliantly throughout the production, with moments of sheer genius scattered throughout. They bravely give us moments of powerful silence, and trust we will honor them. Michael Gildin’s musical direction, Donald Holder’s lighting, and Scott Lehrer’s and Alex Neumann’s sound design perfectly complement these bold moments—pausing the action and trusting we won’t shatter the silence with an errant sneeze or cell phone ring.
Given the ensemble strength, the soloists needn’t be virtuosos. Only two need to be show stoppers: Fruma-Sarah in the dream, and Sasha, the Russian soldier, in the bar scene. Kelly Glyptis and Sam McLellan exceed all expectations with pitch-perfect performances.
There were other delicious surprises from soloists throughout the night. Kelly Gabrielle Murphy, wonderful as Tzeitel, gives “Matchmaker, Matchmaker” a vulnerability artfully juxtaposed against its happy cadence. Maite Uzal’s Golde is humorous and lovably fierce in her performance of “Do You Love Me?”. And Arnold takes risks with Tevye’s farewell song to his little bird, “Chavelah.” He infuses the lovely, familiar song with a tragic sadness. The breathtaking effect is complimented by Noa Luz Barenblat’s Chavelah, who glides across the stage and interacts with a stage setting brilliantly designed by Michael Yeargan.
Motel’s “Wonder of Wonders” can often be a soft spot in the play. But Nick Siccone gives this number a new life. He is charming and humble and endearing. And Hodel’s “Far From the Home I Love” soared like I’ve never seen in previous productions. Ruthy Froch enlarges and fills the song with a power that put me in tears. She doesn’t sing with girlish sadness, but with feminine strength for the one she loves and the truth she believes.
The characters, big and small, are both well-played and playful. If they don’t quite break the fourth wall like Tevye does, they at least tap on the glass. Carol Beaugard’s Yente is familiar yet striking. Nic Casaula’s Perchick has a humanity more broadly expressed than the stern, studious character we’ve previously seen. And Jonathan Von Mering’s Lazar Wolf has a warm gravitas that nearly stops the show in each of his brief appearances.
But Fiddler can only be brilliant if Tevye is. And here, Arnold delivers. He never succumbs to the universal temptation of impersonating Topol. Instead, he casts new life into the learned milkman.
As he finally closes the story, he dons his bright red jacket and rejoins us in the present. Here he reminds us why this story is timeless. It moves us because we see ourselves in it.
Each of us has family stories of brave ancestors who left their simple homelands and risked everything for our brighter future. We sit comfortably in the theater because of their tired feet, sore hands, and empty stomachs. But now, sitting in that comfort, we can’t help but remember that the story is always being retold. That even today, there are millions of refugees fleeing the humble homes they love all over the world.
And who are we in the story now? Are we brave like Hodel? Tender like Fyedka? Or, like the Russian constable, do we just throw our hands up in the air and feel powerless against the forces of history, complaining “the world is full of trouble; trouble makers”?
And that’s where Fiddler hits us the hardest. Arnold’s Tevye brings that home as he walks back into the narrative in his modern clothes. As he rejoins the huddled masses and—for the first time in the play—physically embraces the dancing fiddler, we feel a bit less comfortable in those plush seats.
This wonderful production of a timeless classic is suitable for audiences of all ages and it is a must-see not just for its artistry and production, but for the universal human story it tells. As we open a new decade and look forward with hope, we could do worse than starting off at Boise, Idaho’s Morrison Center, watching NETworks, Presentation of Fiddler on the Roof.
NETworks: A Theatrical Production Company presents Fiddler on the Roof, directed by Bartlett Sher, written by playwright Joseph Stein, with music by Jerry Bock, and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick.
Morrison Center, 2201 Cesar Chavez Lane, Boise, ID 83725
JAN 3 – 5, 2020 (Show times vary) January 3, 2020, 8:00 PM; January 4, 2020, 2:00 PM, 8:00 PM; January 5, 2020, 1:00 PM,6:30 PM
Tickets: $40.00 – $75.00 (ticketing fees not included), All Seats Reserved
Contact: 208-426-1110
NETWorks on Tour Facebook Page
The Morrison Center for the Arts Facebook Page
Fiddler on the Roof Facebook Event
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