Sophie Gilchrist
Sports Editor
Tarist Russia may seem to be the farthest thing from modern San Francisco, but a touring production of Fiddler on the Roof is bringing it close to home.
Fiddler on the Roof, which first opened on Broadway in 1964 and set a new record for longest run, centers around the village Anatevka in tsarist Russia. The musical, like the Marc Chagall painting “The Fiddler” from which it gets its title, uses the character of a Fiddler to highlight the value of tradition.
From the moment the curtain opens the stage is alive with singing and dancing, immediately drawing audiences in to the widely-recognized Jerry Brock song “Tradition” in which the audience is hears Tony Award-winner Harvey Fierstein’s raspy voice as the main character Tevye. Although he projects well, Fierstein sings with the same intonation and magic of his speaking voice: none.
Steve Gilliam’s shabby-chic Anatevka village set smoothly glides into a quaint home. Yente the Matchmaker, played by Mary Stout, is introduced — her voice both hysterically nasal and accented.
Susan Cella brilliantly plays Tevye’s rational wife Golde. Her harsh but affectionate tone when Tevye continually tells her that he has allowed their daughters to marry poor men, allows the viewer to understand her character better as a woman who wants the best for her family.
Cella’s performance provides a needed contrast to Fierstein, whose interpretation of Tevye sometimes loses the audience’s sympathy and errs toward exaggeration. There are times Tevye seems like a more elderly version of Eric Cartman from South Park by the childish way he stomps his feet and speaks in his babyish voice.
Gilliam’s dazzling celebration set has the villagers standing on several levels and holding lights and softly singing “Sabbath Prayer.” The inventively designed set uses different sides of the same house for multiple scenes.
The show is an admirable rendering of the Broadway classic. Aside from Harvey Feinstein’s sometimes over exaggerated acting, the characters were convincingly portrayed.
The show plays at the Golden Gate Theatre on Taylor Street through Feb 21. Tickets range beween $30-$99.
