Review: FIDDLER ON THE ROOF Arrives in Vancouver!

One of Broadway's finest musicals, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, has made its way to the Queen Elizabeth Theatre this month with Broadway Across Canada. Although here for a short run from January 17th to 22nd, this show has made a big impact on audiences so far with its relevance to current world affairs and progressive themes.

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF tells the story of a Jewish family living in the Russian shtetl of Anakteva in the early 1900s. Led by Tevye, a dairyman, with his wife Golde, and his 5 daughters, the story follows the family's life highlighting their encounters with tradition and conflict. As Tevye's daughters start to break from Jewish tradition, we see Tevye navigate through his internal conflict, acceptance, and resilience towards this occurrence. On top of the deviation from tradition, Tevye also encounters pressure and conflict from the Russian guard in the area. Despite the show being set in an earlier time, the themes and issues arising amongst the characters are definitely parallel to issues happening in our world today.

An admirable aspect of this production was how well every part of the show complimented each other. FIDDLER ON THE ROOF is not completely sung through with the perfect combination of dialogue and musical numbers. The music by Jerry Bock and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick cohesively tied the show together by bringing more emphasis on the high points while tying the various low points together. Furthermore, the original choreography by Hofesh Shechter and recreated choreography by Ted Sperling also did a good job of bringing the large numbers together amongst everything else. One of the most impressive numbers to watch was Tzeitel and Motel's wedding celebration. This number was a lot of fun to watch and brought the energy up in the theatre before the end of Act I.

While the entire cast of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF did a phenomenal job, I think that most would agree that Jonathan Hashmonay (Tevye) gave a standout performance on opening night. What I loved about Hashmonay was that he was so versatile in his role. He was very charismatic when we first met him in Act I and progressed to being more strong-willed (yet understanding) as the show progressed. His emotion and passion in the second act was unmatched and had the audience in tears by the end. If there's one reason to see FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, it should be to see Hashmonay excel in his role as Tevye.

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF was definitely more than anyone expected it to be. It had humor and an emotional impact on its viewers. Although the show was long, it had good reason to be as every moment was a worthwhile watch. Do not hesitate to see this production before it closes on January 22nd. FIDDLER ON THE ROOF is definitely worth your time.

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF will play at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Vancouver until January 22nd. Tickets are available at the link below.