BWW Blog: FIDDLER ON THE ROOF's Ben Rappaport- Back To School In a Harnick and Bock Way

'God, Ben. We get it, we get it. Arts in school blah blah blah.' I know, I know, but I have to piggyback on last week and tell you about what I got to witness this week.

My dear friend and cast mate, Al Silber, is not only a fiercely talented actor/singer, but an equally gifted teacher. She allowed a few of her friends to sit in on her final class of the year at Pace University, where she teaches musical theater. Essentially, acting through song. Megan and I had gone to one of her previous classes and were so taken with her teaching style, her passion for her students, and their hunger to learn and grow. We now had gotten to know to several of these young actors and couldn't miss their last class where they were each performing their favorite song from the year.

It was really much more of a celebration than a class. Each student truly owned the room when it was their turn. Some turned off the lights, asked us to crowd in an intimate circle around them while using the flashlights on our phones as special lighting. In one instance, a student sang a beautiful ballad about stars and our flashlights represented those stars. Others, set up the room in elaborate set designs. Literal playgrounds. After each performance, the room would erupt in screams of support, tears, and applause. Al would leap from her chair and tearfully embrace each performer and whisper words of pride and gratitude into their ears. As one girl prepared to perform 'Cabaret', Al leaned over to me and said, 'I can't wait for you to see this. She told me to really kick her ass this year, so this is the song I gave her.' What followed was an incredibly mature, vulnerable, and complicated performance of that song. It was a prime example of the level of challenge and growth that had filled that room all year. It was also a great reminder for all of us in that room who were lucky enough to do Fiddler On The Roof on Broadway in a few short hours that this is where we came from. As they inspire us with their hunger and drive, we inspire them with actualization of dreams and hard work. That's a beautiful cycle.

Another part of this cycle is someone who is looking back at a long and varied career like our lyricist, Sheldon Harnick. He is being celebrated this year with a lifetime achievement Tony award and enjoying two high profile revivals of his work on Broadway. She Loves Me and Fiddler On The Roof are stagedoor neighbors on 53rd street. Because of this coincidence, the city of New York decided to rename the block of 53rd street between Broadway and 8th Avenue Harnick and Bock Way. A lot of us from the Fiddler and She Loves Me casts were in attendance at the unveiling of the sign ceremony on the southwest corner of 53rd and Broadway a few days ago, right next to our marquis. I mean, you've gotta know you made it when you become a STREET, right?! I was standing next to Sheldon as we were getting our picture taken by the press. He leaned over to me, pointed at the sign and said, 'I know who Harnick is, but....who is Bockway?' I replied, 'Don't they make the pianos?'

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Check back next Wednesday for more from BroadwayWorld's latest blogger, Ben Rappaport. Ben can currently be seen as 'Perchik' in Fiddler on the Roof, playing at the Broadway Theatre. Every week, he will answer questions from fans, so be sure to comment below, or tweet him directly at @Ben_Rappaport.

Ben was last seen on Broadway in Picnic with Ellen Burstyn, directed by Sam Gold. His Off-Broadway credits include: Sex Lives Of Our Parents (Second Stage),The Gingerbread House(Rattlestick/stageFARM). Regional: Alex Timbers' original production of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson (Williamstown Theatre Festival). On TV, Ben is best known as the star of the NBC series "Outsourced". He currently appears as Carey Zepps on "The Good Wife"(CBS) and Ollie Parker on "Mr. Robot"(USA). He has also appeared on "Elementary"(CBS). Film credits include: Hope Springs opposite Meryl Streep, Tommy Lee Jones, and Steve Carell. The Brass Teapot, Stereotypically You (upcoming), and lead of the upcoming film Landing Up. Ben trained at Juilliard, where he received the Michel and Suria Saint-Denis Prize for Outstanding Achievement and Leadership in Drama.