BWW Reviews: Surflight's 50th Anniversary FIDDLER

Very rarely a Broadway musical transcends mere entertainment and becomes part of the cultural landscape. FIDDLER ON THE ROOF is such a musical. Although the word 'iconic' has been overused of late, I daresay FIDDLER has reached such status. Its themes of family, love, community and yes - tradition - have made it a transformative experience for five decades of theatergoers. Like THE SOUND OF MUSIC, with which it shares many common themes, the 1964 Broadway musical is one of the most recognizable stage properties of all time. The image of Tevye, a beaten down Russian peasant slumped wearily on his horseless milk cart, is almost as recognizable as Julie Andrews joyously twirling on an Austrian mountaintop. FIDDLER has been produced on stages near and far - both large and small - from basements to Broadway. It has been revived on the Great White Way four times with talk of a fifth in 2015. It should come as no surprise, then, to find an endearing new production at New Jersey's summer tradition, Surflight Theatre.

The title of the musical was inspired by artist Marc Chagall's painting of a fiddler balancing on a rooftop - his analogy for survival in revolution-torn Russia. For the benefit of this new generation of theater-goers (or those living under a rock for the past 50 years), FIDDLER is the story of Tevye, a middle-aged milk man in 1905 scratching out a meager living in a Russian village called Anatevka while also coping with five headstrong daughters and his overbearing wife, Golde. Tevye attempts to maintain his dignity amidst radical changes, especially the idea of his children 'marrying for love' instead of using the services of Yente, the village matchmaker. His frequent conversations with God and quotations from the 'Good Book' help him try to make sense of his quickly changing world.

Surflight's jewel box staging maintains the Chagall-influenced set design of the original Broadway production. A twinkling star field and other subtle effects are often breathtakingly evocative. More importantly, however, the production also strives to recreate the original staging and choreography by Jerome Robbins. The fact that Robbins' mammoth Broadway production can be so lovingly approximated on the Surflight stage is something of a 'wonder of wonders' - a minor 'miracle of miracles'. Surflight's ensemble is as versatile and as vocally talented as ever - with rich harmonies elevating the famous Bock and Harnick score. Songs like "Sabbath Prayer" and "Sunrise, Sunset" exude warmth and familial love. "Tradition" is as good an opening number as musical theater has ever produced and director / choreographer Norb Joerder keeps it precise, clean, and focused.

Of course, the strength of any FIDDLER is its Tevye and Matt Ban does not disappoint. His Tevye is not a paunchy Zero Mostel comic, but the Alfred Molina sort - a virile, younger papa whose whiskers have just recently gone gray. His raspy speaking voice breaks into a rich baritone that helps songs like "If I Were A Rich Man" and "Little Bird" soar. Ban capably grounds the show, serving as our touchstone and confidante throughout the story. Just occasionally Joerder allows a few of his performers to dabble in musical comedy 'shtick' (a word Yente would doubtless approve of), but Ban is always nearby to bring things back into balance. After FIDDLER closes, Ban returns to Broadway in ROCK OF AGES, so catch him now!

If by some odd chance you have not yet seen FIDDLER in any incarnation, this endearing and often evocative production would be an ideal way to introduce yourself to a musical theater classic. Even if you have, it is a heart-warming opportunity to reacquaint yourself with a piece of theater history. If the Smithsonian Institution had a place for musicals of cultural significance, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF would be my first nomination for inclusion.

Surflight's 65th summer season continues with MONTY PYTHON'S SPAMALOT (July 30 through August 24) and A CHORUS LINE (August 27 through September 14). The theater is located at 201 Engleside Avenue, Beach Haven, NJ. For tickets and information call (609) 492-9477 or www.surflight.org

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