By Elyse Trevers
By definition, a revival is an improvement, a revitalization, yet most of us attend theatrical revivals expecting to see the theater we loved the first time. We really don’t want them changed, and inevitably we compare the new interpretations to the originals.
It takes “chutzpah” (nerve) to change a classic like “Fiddler on the Roof.” With music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick and book by Joseph Stein, the musical is beloved by the thousands who have seen it over the years. Yet somehow, the National Yiddish Theater Folksbiene’s has managed to give an old show a new interpretation and the end result is touching, masterful and memorable. The show is under the direction of Joel Grey who won accolades as the MC in “Cabaret.”
The entire cast performs in Yiddish and the musical feels as if that’s the way it was originally intended. The characters are Russian Jews living in a small village in Anatevka in 1905 under the rule of Tsar Nicholas II and, in reality, would have been Yiddish and Russian speakers. So this interpretation is inspired, yet remarkably simple. The ‘new’ musical feels original and creative yet natural.
The real question is how would present day non-Yiddish-speaking audiences respond to the show which touches on religious traditions, family roles and persecution? The answer has become apparent. The show so touched viewers that the original production, which ran for months at the Museum of Jewish Heritage, has now transferred to Stage 42, a small and intimate theater.
The show uses little scenery. The backdrop is composed of several pieces of wrinkled parchment-like scrolls with the center piece bearing the word “Torah” in Hebrew. Flanking either side of the stage, translations of the script, both in English and Russian. appear as performers speak.
Many of the Yiddish words, if not common slang (like mensch and meshugenah) are almost cognates of English and not difficult to understand. Coupled with that is the familiarity of the music. When the orchestra plays strains of “Sunrise, Sunset” and “Tradition,” many in the audience seem to know the lyrics and don’t need translations.
In some instances, there were subtle differences. When Tevye sings “If I Were A Rich Man” on stage, the words read “If I Were A Rothschild.” The translations produce another interesting side effect. Laughter, and there’s a lot of it, especially with the complaining Yente, the matchmaker (portrayed perfectly by Jackie Hoffman) is slightly delayed as people read the translations, and the humor seems to last seconds longer.
The show revolves around having a believable, sympathetic Tevye, the struggling milkman with his wife Golde and five daughters. When he first makes his entrance, he is pulling his cart because his horse has gone lame once again. Tevye is extremely likable, and one source of his charm is his constant use of quotes from the Scriptures. His quotes often include incorrectly words or are attributed to the wrong prophet. Quite frankly, it’s difficult to envision anyone other than the incomparable Zero Mostel or Chaim Topol as Tevye , yet Steven Skybell, who looks nothing like either of the two beefy actors, is wonderful. He is a slender, good-looking younger man who quickly wins the audience’s affection with his ready smile and warmth. Skybell, like the others in the cast, had to learn Yiddish for the role. Although I don’t know Yiddish, his command of the language seemed excellent to me. He sings well, works hard in the role and deserves the ovations he receives at the conclusion of the musical.
The ensemble is talented and well-cast, and the staging, especially of the “Sabbath Prayer” and the “The Dream” sequences is extremely effective. The show conveys a lot of emotion while using very little in the way of and props.
Happily, the show resonates as deeply now as did when it first touched audiences in 1964. Tevye struggles to keep his traditions, as the changing world intrudes on his life and his village. His three daughters also chafe at some of the rules, but it is the Tzar and his edict expelling the villagers that brings chaos to Tevye’s ordered existence.
Times have changed but the anti-semitism that destroyed Anatevka is also very much current and one need only read the papers to be reminded that prejudice didn’t end in the twentieth century. Above all, Tevye loves his family and wants happiness for his daughters, so he begins to yield, even showing slight flexibility when his daughter marries outside the religion. The show asks that once, “You pull out a prop, where does it stop?”
If you’ve already seen and loved “Fiddler On the Roof,” don’t let the Yiddish prevent you from seeing this version; use of the language actually enhances the show and makes it more authentic. The new approach is inspirational because, as with Tevye, while theater will continue to hold onto “Traditions,” it will wisely embrace changes because they can be exhilarating.
