Encore’s Season 17 Finale From The Golden Age Of Musicals – Fiddler On The Roof

The Encore Musical Theatre opened Fiddler On The Roof Thursday evening, their final show of season seventeen. With music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick and script by Joseph Stein, Fiddler opened on Broadway in 1964. The musical was based on the Sholem Aleichem short-stories “Tevye The Milkman”.

“We wanted to cast and direct the show with cultural authenticity,” said director Dan Cooney. “Each Jewish part includes a cast member who is Jewish.” In his director’s program notes, Cooney wrote, “There’s a reason Fiddler on the Roof has never left us. It doesn’t ask whether you belong – it asks how you hold on when the world insists you let go.”

Daniel Eli Freidman as Tevye. Photo by Michele Anliker.

Daniel Eli Friedman and Elizabeth Jaffe as Tevye & Glode:

Daniel Eli Friedman, who plays Tevye, brings realism and humor to the role that reflects his lived experience. “My mother was an Orthodox Jew, and our house was kosher,” Friedman said. “Within the Orthodox Jewish communities, the traditions depicted in Fiddler are still practiced today, including the arranged weddings.” Friedman easily blended humor with the seriousness of the story. “Humor is how we survived for generations, despite all of the hardships,” he said.

Elizabeth Jaffe plays Tevye’s sharp-tongued wife Golde. She portrays the perfect Jewish mother in early 1900’s Russia. Organized and stern but with a heart of gold. The five daughters are played by Lila Rose Harris (Tzeitel), Lily Rosenberg (Hodel), Lily Wright (Chava), Eve Dahlia (Shprintze) and Frankie McElroy and Olive Donow (Bielke).

Elizabeth Jaffee as Golde and Daniel Eli Friedman as Tevye. Photo by Michale Anliker.

Introducing Tevye’s Five Daughters:

While Friedman’s Tevye serves as the narrator of the story, it is the women demanding change which forces Tevye to try to balance his internal struggle with change vs. tradition. Recognizing his daughters want to marry for love and not accept an arranged marriage, as told through the song “Matchmaker”, Tevye begins to compromise on his beliefs. However, compromise becomes a bridge too far to cross when Chava wants to marry outside the faith. Tevye’s lament is expressed in the song “Little Bird”. Learning that Chava has married Fyedka, a Russian soldier, Friedman disavows his daughter and declares her dead.

Cleb Smith as Fyedka, Lily Wright as Chava. Behind is Daniel Eli Friedman as Tevye. Photo by Michele Anliker.

Rebakah Geller “The Fiddler.” Photo by Michele Anliker.

Meet the Fiddler:

Rebekah Geller was onstage as the ever-present fiddler. Geller provided a visual symbol of the traditions of Anatevka, the village where Tevye’s family lives. Her music was beautiful and haunting, highlighting the show’s changing moods. Sarah Tanner’s mammoth set design was an integral part of the story. “The set was built on a tension between the ordered and the inevitable,” Tanner said. “This is a world of patriarchy, tradition and the repair of what keeps breaking.” Measuring 23 by 27 feet, suspended 11 to 14 feet above the stage, Tanner says, “it purposely represents the curved frame of the ribs, simultaneously offering shelter and pressure, protection and constraint.”

Sarah Tanner’s set structure for Fiddler. Photo by Steve Sheldon.

Hayden Steiner as Motel. Photo by Michele Anliker.

Supporting Cast Members:

Other cast members included Erit Gill (Yente), Hayden Steiner (Motel), Kiran Behr (Perchik), Jason Briggs (Lazar Wolf), Fred Buchalter (Rabbi) and Caleb Smith (Fyedka).

Jason Briggs as Lazar Wolf. Photo by Michele Anliker.

Kiran Behr as Perchik, Lily Rosenberg as Hodel. Behind is Daniel Eli Friedman as Tevye. Photo by Michele Anliker.

The Bottle Dance Created Just For The Musical Fiddler:

The ensemble added vocal depth to the singing and shined in the dance numbers. Jenny Florkowski’s choreography for the show included some truly magical moments. From high-energy numbers like “To Life”, as Russian soldiers added their own brand of high kicking moves to the celebration. Always a highlight, the wedding celebration, featuring the bottle dance with Neri Frank, Emmanuel Morgan, Trey Perlut and Joe Solomon, was spectacular. Florkowski envisioned an eerie dream sequence, with ghosts and the intimidating Fruma-Sarah, then ending with the somber farewell to Anatevka. From the opening number to final bows, Florkowski delivered.

Joe Solomon as a bottle dancer in the wedding celebration. Photo by Michele Anliker.

Music director, conductor and accordian player R. Mackenzie Lewis led a 12-piece orchestra that blended smoothly with the singers. Full ensemble numbers, accompanied by the orchestra, filled the theatre with harmonic music. Lily Rosenberg sang, “Far From The Home I Love”, the iconic goodbye song between father-daughter. Rosenberg’s rendition is heart-wrenching, which highlights her soprano voice. It is a song that just isn’t long enough.

Lily Rosenberg Singing Far From The Home I Love:

Lily Rosenberg singing “Far From The Home I Love.” Photo by Michele Anliker.

There is a lot to like about this classic musical. The score includes such memorable songs as “Tradition”, “If I Were A Rich Man,” “Miracle of Miracles,” “Sabbath Prayer,” and “Sunrise, Sunset.” It is can’t miss entertainment and a perfect end to a remarkable season. I give it an enthusiastic two thumbs up.

Fiddler plays through Sunday, July 19^th. Tickets can be purchased at theencoretheatre.org or calling (734) 268-6200. Encore is located at 7714 Ann Arbor St. in Dexter.