Miracle of miracles! I managed to get Ashley to another musical, and -- despite being a self-professed musicals-hater -- he seems to have liked this one too. So, Fiddler on the Roof goes into the 'not so bad' file, along with The Producers and Wicked... I'll convert him yet!
Overall, I was quite impressed, and have been humming ‘If I were a rich man’ and more since leaving the show last night. Ok, maybe I was even humming *during* the show, but I promise no one could hear, seriously.
I think the Tevye role must be one of the most difficult to give your own personal spin to, given Topol’s role-defining performance. However, Henry Goodman (no, I hadn’t heard of him either, a proper stage actor in this age of 'celebs' treading the boards) was quite good, with a nice mix of humour, cynicism and frustration at changing times (I do think he was a bit over the top in Rich Man – though the audience seemed to enjoy).
Overall, however, fun show, great dancing, nice use of a relatively small space and sparse staging for a variety of scenes (I particularly liked the dream scene, with people popping up from ‘graves’ in the floorboards). And, most amazing of all, the tailor Motel Kamzoil looked just like Jess! [my brother-in-law, for the odd reader I may have who isn't a family member or close friend I've begged to read this blog]. So much so, in fact, that at times it was distracting, as I expected him to sound like Jess as well… Instead he sounded like a weird mix of English and faux-Yiddishy something… but that’s another story.
So, yabadebadebadabadabadebadebadum and L’Chaim!
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1 comment:
You are so so so young. The defining Tevye was definitely Zero Mostel from the original Broadway show! If only there were a video available!
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