Fiddler On The Roof!

Yesterday had a wonderful evening out with my neighbor and friend, Takako. We began the evening with dinner at Station 4 restaurant and lounge, where I had the Hazelnut Ragout Pappardelle. Then off to Arena Stage for an in the round production of Fiddler on the Roof.

It was magnificent! The actor who played Tevye, Jonathan Hadary, carried the show just as it must be carried. The roles of Golde (Ann Arvia) and Lazar Wolf (Erick Devine) were likewise standouts. The set was simply amazing and gave everyone in the theatre a vantage point worth occupying. The three principle daughters were pitch perfect, and "Matchmaker" a delightful performance. The highlight was the dream sequence with Fuma Sarah, and really led every major ensemble number all of which were of broadway quality (the choreography was superb). I also thought that the number "Do You Love Me" was another show stopper. Not that it was all golden.

I was disappointed by the uneven performance by Michael Vitaly Sazonov in the role of Perchik. The role of the Rabbi was also uninspired. But everyone knows this show inside and out. To bring to it a sense of wonder is no easy task. The overall production was delightful and well worth the price of admission.

The Washington Post theater critic is spot on with this description: "Tevye the milkman has been played by countless performers since “Fiddler on the Roof” began its long Broadway history 50 years ago, yet at Arena Stage, Jonathan Hadary acts the part like it was written yesterday. Hadary’s Tevye is funny but not a buffoon, warm but not schmaltzy — and, boy, does he connect to his increasingly rebellious daughters. He is the genial, breakable heart of a production that does justice to one of the gold-standard American musicals."