Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Joel Grey’s affecting, minimalist revival of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF (in Yiddish!) emphasizes the work’s timeliness and timelessness

• By drediman
• August 18, 2018
• No Comments

Steven Skybell leads the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene’s revival of “Fiddler on the Roof” at the Museum of Jewish Heritage.

This week, I had the opportunity to finally take in the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene’s well-received production of Bock and Harnick’s Fiddler on the Roof at the Museum of Jewish Heritage way downtown just off Battery Park. But here’s the catch, the revival is performed in Yiddish (with English supertitles). As a non-Yiddish speaker, this nuance happily didn’t diminish the power of this classic musical, which depicts life in Anatevka, a rural Jewish village in Imperial Russia, at the turn of the 20th Century and the events that ensue when Europe’s wave of antisemitism finally hits the remote shtetl. In fact, I felt that the Yiddish only enhanced the much-loved work’s sense of heritage; as those of you familiar with the show know, the role and evolution of “tradition” within the context of community is the show’s central theme. I also enjoyed the smart, subtle nuances of the English translations, which deviate somewhat (a good thing) from  Sheldon Harnick and Joseph Stein’s original lyrics and book, respectively.

The production is being given an affecting, sparse staging – the elegant and strikingly minimalist set design is by Beowulf Boritt – by Broadway legend Joel Grey (of Cabaret fame), which calls to mind one of those “semi-staged” Encores! revivals uptown. I’m often of the persuasion that less is more, and here that’s certainly the case. Performed essentially on a bare stage against the backdrop of large Hebrew characters (תּוֹרָה or “toyre”, which means Torah), this intimate revival emphasizes the timelessness and timeliness of the show’s themes without being didactic or obvious. Indeed, it seems Fiddler on the Roof is more timely than ever, especially in our current socio-political landscape, both domestically and globally (e.g., the refugee situation).

Any production of Fiddler on the Roof hangs on the performance of Tevye, the village’s milkman. The character’s struggle to maintain tradition in the face of a forward-moving, strife-filled world is a universal one. Luckily, Mr. Joel has cast Steven Skybell in the role, and he’s just magnificent; the character’s life-changing journey is the heart of the show, and Mr. Skybell teases out its highs and lows with presence, grit, and ultimately grace. The rest of the cast – which includes a wonderfully and sh0ckingly restrained Jackie Hoffman (perhaps because of the Yiddish?) as the matchmaker Yente – exuberantly throw themselves at the material, particularly Bock and Harnick’s spirited score (here played lovingly by an onstage 13-piece orchestra) and Jerome Robbins’ dynamic and iconic original choreography. Even if some performances were more polished than others, I nevertheless admired their collective commitment to the show. This is a heartfelt production that exudes plenty of genuine heart and a poignant sense of community.

RECOMMENDED

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF
Off-Broadway, Musical
National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene at the Museum of Jewish Heritage
3 hours (with one intermission)
Through September 2