Review: ANATEVKA at Grand Théâtre

Last week, we had the pleasure of attending Joseph Stein’s timeless classic Fiddler on the Roof, courtesy of our esteemed Grand Théâtre. This co-production with the Saarländisches Staatstheater remained quite faithful to the spirit of the original musical, betting strongly on period costumes, props and an absolutely amazing setting, where only three houses on a revolving stage were enough to perfectly recreate the spirit of an entire village. These were our favourite three numbers, in no particular order:

Tevye's Dream: This one just ticks all the boxes. Since it depicts a nightmare, there is a far greater range of elements that can be present on stage. And they sure make it count. Tevye (Enrico De Pieri) and Golde (Christiane Motter) are joined by most of the company, with virtually everyone wearing a ghostly costume. A giant depiction of Lazar Wolf’s deceased wife (Stefan Röttig) crowns the marital bed with promises of vengeance and future hauntings. The pace and spirit of the number clearly stand out from the rest of the play, adding a distinct episode of humour to an already comedy-rich script.

To Life: When Tevye discovers Lazar Wolf’s intentions to marry his daughter Zeitel (Nina Links), what ensues is a celebration of epic proportions. Most of the village joins in a number filled with song and dance and, for a second, you almost think the play will not have the sad ending we all remember. Although tense at first, the moment the young Russians join the dance it is almost as if those two worlds are learning to live in harmony, and not about to go down two very different roads. The performance of both dance styles was quite remarkable and no doubt one of the highlights of the entire play.

Sunrise, sunset: The wedding scene as a whole. With some of the strongest singing renditions, this was one of the richest arcs in the show. The acting was at its best, since it ranged from moments of love and happiness to just about the worst scene in the story. The spirit of the play could easily be encapsulated in this number, with its display of tradition, love, family bonds, village life and the complex social relation of a Jewish community with the dark shadow of an opressive Tsarist Russia.

As usual, our thanks to the Grand Théâtre and everyone involved.

To reach out to the writer: nuno.de.sousa.lopes@gmail.com

Photo Credit: C Kaufhold