Arizona Jewish Theatre Company's Fiddler on the Roof at Herberger Theatre
(out of 
)Mark S.P. Turvin
(home office) (602) 912-0117
I can be reached for comment via e-mail at: mspt@goldfishpublishers.com
Reviewed 8/27/97
Revised 4/13/99
(out of )There are a few shows that are bound to be hits, no matter how badly a production goes. Mainly musicals, these shows are so well-constructed, so perfectly balanced, and so timeless, that even lackluster performances, lackadaisical choreography and lame technical design can't seem to kill the spirit of the piece. Bock and Harnick's Fiddler on the Roof is one of those elite few. And, despite the abovementioned problems, Arizona Jewish Theatre Company's production is still guaranteed a successful run. Audiences will have to do alot of imagining and ignoring to get to that point, though.
Ever since going professional, AJTC has blossomed, bringing in big name talent, wonderful designers, and impressive visuals. In the transformation, though, a certain amount of heart seems to have left the productions. This season's opener has recaptured a bit of the heart lost in previous productions, but at the expense of some of its former professionalism. The result is a disappointment.
Director Graham Whitehead is not to blame, since he has held up his end of the bargain. He delivers some beautiful and striking staging, and heartfelt moments, especially with the song "Sabbath Prayer." The troubles come from the cast and crew. Save for a few impressive and a few solid performances, the rest of the leads range from woefully mediocre to wildly miscast.
At the heart of Fiddler is, of course, Tevye, whose one-sided discussions with God and his attempts to secure his disintegrating family by clutching desperately to his traditions propel this show. Claude File's portrayal of this integral role is unaccountably bad. When he's not rushing his humorous monologues or barely interacting with his fellow performers, he's singing off tempo and off key in a way that makes an audience want to shut off his already malfunctioning microphone. Mr. File's lack of a credible character choice makes one long for the entrance of the miscast, though infinitely more enjoyable Robyn Ferracane as Golde. Ms. Ferracane sings wonderfully, though even she suffers from the same hesitation of characterization.
Though the casting is as kosher as a ham sandwich, some of the other performances shine. The two greatest are Shana Bousard as middle daughter Hodel, and her love interest and revolutionary Perchik, played by Dominik Rebilas. These two seem so natural, and are so easy with their roles, that it only serves to show up the inadequacies of their fellow cast members. Another standout is Rusty Ferracane, as Motel the tailor. Mr. Ferracane's acting was wonderful, though his singing sounded hesitant, too modern and misplaced. Also solid in their roles are oldest daughter Tzeitel, played by Melissa La France, and younger daughter Chava, played by Dana Pauley, although the famed "Matchmaker" sequence was not as impressive as the three performers were capable of. From there, the lead performances dip noticeably. As an example, inexplicably unimpressive was the usually solid Janet Arnold as Yente, who rushed through her performance as though she had a train to catch.
The chorus musically made up for some of the leads inadequacies, though Jo Ann Yeoman's reproduction of the choreography didn't fare too well during their presentation. Joe Bousard's musical direction was commendable, and the orchestra seemed generally flawless.
Thom Gilseth's set design, Cyndee Smith's costumes, and Paul Black's lighting were wonderful, though Mr. Black's follow spot operators missed cues with alarming consistency. Though this may be cleared up by the middle of the run, the worst part of the evening was Robin Coate's sound design, which actually might have been better with no microphones at all. The preview audience was treated to the conversations of backstage actors on mistakenly open mikes, while onstage singers spent portions of songs without any mikes at all. Also, Mr. File's microphone made him sound like he was talking into a megaphone.
Perhaps some of these problems and hesitations will smooth
themselves out during the two week run. Perhaps some of the performers
will find their characterizations, dance steps and voices. Perhaps
the atrocious sound system will be repaired. Based on this performance,
there are too many things to pray for the redemption of. If you
love Fiddler, and who doesn't, then just seeing the show
may be enough, and you'll be able to ignore the problems and lose
yourself in the world of Anatevka. It will require a strong imagination
on your part, though.
Production Details:
Fiddler on the Roof Book by Joseph Stein, Music
by Jerry Bock, Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick
Herberger Theatre, Phoenix
252-8497
August 27th-September 7th, 1997