BWW Reviews: Phamaly Presents an Exceptional and Memorable Evening of Theater at the Denver Center

I have a confession to make. I have seen several productions of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF (including the good, the bad, and the ugly) and I was excited but hesitant to see this show that I feel is overdone and dated. The talented cast and crew of Phamaly completely changed my entire perspective and made me fall in love with this classic all over again. It was the heart and support that this company has for their craft and each other that exudes on the stage and makes this dynamic production so memorable. Job very well done to each of you! From the opening notes that featured the amazing talents of youth and a special one armed artist that was simply awe inspiring, I knew I was in for a good night. There were so many memorable moments that elevated this show to a class of its own including - Yente, who was over the top and hilarious, the lovely staging of the Sabbath Prayer, the dancing in To Life, the awesome costumes, staging, and effects for the Dream, the inventive use of wheelchairs to feature a Jewish wedding tradition, and the emotional power of Anatevka that brought a tear to everyone in the audience. Outstanding musical numbers include Tradition, Matchmaker, If I Were a Rich Man, Sabbath Prayer, To Life, Far from the Home I Love, Anatevka.

Bar none, Mark Dissette's passionate and realistic portrayal of one of musical theater's best iconic characters was the best Tevye I have ever had the pleasure of witnessing onstage. When he started If I Were a Rich Man, I knew that Mark has a good voice, but not as trained as others and it was that aspect that gave his performance a wonderfully humanistic quality and relatable flair that kept the audience entranced from beginning to end. He presented the song as if it were a conversation with himself and didn't go over the top with it (which I have seen so many times before) and it was these thoughtful character decisions that made me absolutely fall in love with Tevye and this show all over again. Kathleen Traylor as his wife, Golde offered a nice contrast to Tevye and I loved their little grumpy arguments that made Do You Love Me? so endearing. I have to applaud each of the sisters for giving their roles wonderful character arches and I especially loved the growth and maturity that Rachel Van Shoy gave to Tzeitel (especially in Act II). She brought this wonderful big sister strength to the part and I loved her voice Matchmaker and Miracles of Miracles. Her betrothed, Motel (aptly played by Trenton Schindele) was such a nice contrast to Tzeitel and they made an adorable couple. His awkwardness, but fierce love and devotion to Tzeitel made for a interesting character. Kenzie Kilroy was outstanding as Hodel she showed such range and her rendition of Far From the Home I Love was absolutely haunting. Jeremy Palmer captivated everyone with his performance as the revolutionary scholar, Perchik. While everyone was enchanted by his rebel strength, it was his duet, Now I Have Everything and love of Hodel that captured the audiences hearts. I was thoroughly impressed by Lindsay Palmer's passionate performance as Chava and for an actress that was hearing impaired, her voice was superb and pitch perfect. Daniel Traylor was fantastic as the conflicted soldier Fyedka and I loved the infusion of sign that he brought to express his love to Chava that made us fall in love with this couple and root for them till the heartbreaking end. I was also impressed by his dancing, especially in To Life, that was inventive and fascinating.

There is only one word to describe Ashley Kelashian's performance as Yente - OMG! While the rest of the ensemble kept it down to earth and real, they gave this hilarious actress full reign to go over the top and boy did she. She absolutely stole the show and the audiences hearts each time she was onstage and was a whirlwind of energy. My favorite moment of her was actually when she broke out of her spirited flair to say goodbye to her friend Golde that nearly brought me to tears. Don Mauck does not let his loss of sight prevent him from giving a wonderful performance as Rabbi. His voice was excellent and I adored that he walked with purpose and never missed a beat. I was in awe of the talent of Leslie Wilburn as the Younger Fiddler as he played with professional proficiency for a boy at his age. Sophia Hummell was sensational as the Elder Fiddler, especially considering that she played with amazing ease with one arm and a prosthetic. This was one of the several touching moments that seared into the audiences hearts and only elevated this exceptional show.

Steve Wilson should be commended for his superb directing of such a fantastic production. With such a large cast, I truly believe that Steve Wilson chooses to look beyond the actors disabilities and enhance and highlight their talents and that was completely apparent in this show. No one was left out of the ensemble numbers and each brought their A game. I also appreciated his thoughtful blocking that worked the entire audience of the circular Space Theatre. Musical Director Donna K. Debreceni found amazing voices that made those big numbers enchanting and the solos so memorable. I want to praise Debbie Stark on her unique choreography that whether standing or in a wheelchair, left no actor out of the action, and was just a delight to watch. I especially loved To Life, The Dream, and The Wedding. The set by designer M. Curtis Grittner was simplistic, but so effective, especially for such a large cast. I loved the subtle infusion of the wheelchair ramps and scene transformations that transported the audience into Anatevka. Lighting designer Stephen D. Mazzeno was excellent in illuminating every aspect of the stage and I loved his effects in the Dream. The sound by designer Craig Breitenbach was also quite good with this large ensemble. I adored the costumes by Linda Morken that stayed with the peasant theme, but was full of color and individual flair.

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF is another heartwarming and memorable production in Phamaly's rich history and aboslutely should not be missed! FIDDLER is touching audiences hearts now through August 11 in the Space Theatre at the Denver Performing Arts Complex. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.; Sundays at 2:00 p.m., and 7:30 p.m. on Monday, July 29. Post show talk-backs follow the July 29 and August 4 performances. Tickets can be purchased by calling Denver Center Box Office at 303-893-4100; online at www.phamaly.org; or at the Denver Center Ticket Office, located at the Helen Bonfils Theatre Complex in the Denver Performing Arts Complex.