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Sun rises on 'Fiddler'
By JOY DAVIS-PLATT
© St. Petersburg Times, published October 19, 2000
A father raised with Jewish traditions finds himself coping with rebellious daughters and harsh political realities in Fiddler on the Roof, opening Friday at the Show Palace Dinner Theatre in Hudson.
Fiddler, the musical that has fascinated audiences since its 1964 Broadway opening, centers around the village of Anatevka in turn-of-the-century Russia. It focuses on Tevye, the local dairyman, his wife, Golde, and their five daughters. The three elder daughters are eager to wed young and handsome husbands, but Tevye and Golde want to arrange marriages for them with men who are secure in finances and orthodox in religion.
Tensions rise when Tzeitel, the eldest daughter, rejects the middle-aged butcher her parents chose and falls in love with a young, penniless tailor. Problems get worse when the second-oldest, Hodel, falls in love with a radical young teacher.
Tevye's world is finally shattered when his third-oldest daughter, Chava, falls for a non-Jewish Russian soldier.
Director Steven Flaa said Fiddler is a perennial favorite with audiences.
"The themes are so universal in this show," Flaa said. "Everyone can relate to the issues of family and tradition."
Tampa actor Joshua Sussman, who plays Tevye, said the stories of Sholom Aleichem (adapted for stage by Jerry Bock, Sheldon Harnick and Joseph Stein) capture the essence of characters in the throes of profound change.
"There is such a wide range of emotion in this show," said Sussman, who called the part of Tevye one of the greatest character roles in musical theater. "So much human drama is woven together into this story."
Chelle St. Pierre, who plays Tzeitel, said it is rewarding to perform such timeless tunes as Matchmaker, Matchmaker.
"These songs are so beautiful," said St. Pierre, who has appeared at the Palace as Sister Mary Leo in Nunsense and Claudine in Can-Can. "And they really become meaningful in the context of the show."
As a counterpoint to the story of how aging parents deal with their upstart daughters and the brutality of the Russian government, Fiddler on the Roof is known for several catchy, up-tempo songs, musical director Bill Cusick said.
Audiences respond to songs such as Matchmaker, Matchmaker and If I Were A Rich Man with a sense of nostalgia, he said.
"They know many of the songs like Sunrise, Sunset," said Cusick, who joined the Show Palace one year ago. "That's a song many people had at their wedding."
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