Fiddler on the Roof at Toby's: Traditional and Terrific

While some shows like Cabaret, Chicago and the like are ripe for re-imagining, other classics, like A Chorus Line and Sweet Charity are best left alone, so wonderful were they in their original state (someone really should have told the Charity folk to let it be).  And leave it to Toby and her staff to recognize when to putter with a classic and when not to – her Fiddler on the Roof, which opened last Saturday for a 3 month run at the Baltimore location, is Fiddler as we all know and love it.  The Jerome Robbins inspired choreography –yes, they do "The Bottle Dance" - is intact, those little gem moments – the mop swap in "Matchmaker, Matchmaker", Tevye wiggling his tummy as he "daidel deedle dums" his way through "If I Were a Rich Man" – are there.  And yet, the show, guided by Toby and her ace director/choreographers Tina DeSimone and David James, is as fresh and vibrant as if it were a brand new show.  Perhaps it is the judicious cuts made in the script (the show is now just 2 and a half hours, INCLUDING a 25 minute intermission!).  Perhaps it is the palpable excitement felt from the audience to the cast and back again.  Or perhaps it is the flawless casting from Tevye and Golde, right down to the smallest townfolk of Anatevka.  My guess is that it is all three. 

Although I never bring a script to a show I am reviewing, I am familiar enough with the stage production to know that some cuts were made to move things along, unpad the piece, and to focus the broad strokes of the original.  Chief among the cuts is a song for Perchik, the student revolutionary, which may be the only negative because it doesn't give us another chance to hear Matthew Schleigh's wonderful voice.  But still, most theatre folk agree that his number, "Now I Have Everything" is there simply to give him a number, not really advancing things at all.  The other song cut from this production, "The Rumor", was a scene change song, the content of which is covered elsewhere in the script already.

Saturday evening's audience was alive with excitement – you could feel the enjoyment all around.  There is great comfort in enjoying a show live that many have only ever seen on film, and it is even more enjoyable when you know the songs!  That outpouring of enthusiasm was matched only by the same feelings coming back at us from the stage.  It is so clear that the entire company is enjoying what they are doing and feel so good about the important ideas about life, love and happiness that the show, and they, are conveying.  And there is much to be said for offering renditions of classic show tunes that are personalized by the performers, but never in a self-indulgent, over-the-top way.  Ego, it seems at least, is absent here, making this wonderful show about community all the more so real.

In addition to tight, highly detailed direction by Ms. Simone and Mr. James, designers David A. Hopkins (sets), Janine Gulisano-Sunday (costumes) and Lynn Joslin (lighting) have created a production that has a very grounded, homespun feel, but also with the ability to switch locales and times with swift subtlety, often with just the spin of a set piece or a colorful lighting change.  All of these team members have combined to make a Fiddler that never flags in intensity or speed – this show simply flies by!

It is the 100% perfect casting, though, that makes this production so utterly fantastic.  The entire ensemble is a triple threat – they sing with sublime purity and harmony, dance wonderfully, and never once forget that each one of them is a vital piece of this Russian community.  To a person, you can glean complete characterizations at any given moment.  If you ever need to see what it means to be a true, committed company of actors, look no further than this stage.  The Bottle Dancers – Steve Apple, Adam Grabau, David James, Matthew Moore, Matthew Schleigh and Joshua Singer – are excellent, even as the entire room collectively holds its breath through the entire number.  Itzy Freidman's Rabbi is the perfect blend of wisdom and good humor, and Susan S. Porter (it is great to see her in a show that is worthy of her talents) brings a harder edge to her matchmaking Yente, showing us a tough business woman, not a caricature, as is often the portrayal of choice, and her resignation at the way her life turns out gives Yente a deeply touching side.  And Matthew Moore's Fyedka – the Russian who falls for a Jewish girl, despite his political beliefs – is the perfect blend of tough guy and warm romantic (I can't wait to see him in a larger role).  And in the brilliantly staged (it is both "traditional" and original) dream sequence, Heather Marie Beck and Ariel Vinitsky make the most of their from beyond the grave characters, singing and acting up a storm.  As the butcher, Lazar Wolf, Toby's regular Andrew Horn makes the most of this meaty role (pun not intended!) – he is a delight in the vodka laden bar song "To Life!"  Finally, Ray Hatch's quietly observant fiddler gives the production an active framework as he weaves in and out of the action, symbolically reminding us that life is ever changing and fragile.

Central to Fiddler, of course, is the main family, the embodiment of the soaring opening number, "Tradition", which fairly explodes off the stage as it builds.  The dairyman, Tevye, tells us often – sometimes in despair and others in joyful triumph – that he has five daughters.  All five are a joy to watch, again nailing individual characters, and never settling for blending in.  Bailey Gabrish and Greta Stetson played the youngest daughters on opening night, and were quite sweet, offering a pretty sobering reminder that even small children were affected by the deportation of Jews at the finale.  Chava, the quiet, bookish daughter is played with a light touch by the very versatile Kate Williams, and Hodel, played with a heartbreaking intensity by Jessica Ball delivered a tear inducing performance of "Far from the Home I Love." (Ball and Williams, are, in this reviewer's opinion true assets to the Toby's organization – is there anything these two can't do?  I mean were these the same actresses who played working class bimbos in The Full Monty?)  Tzietel, played by another Toby's asset Tina DeSimone, is a wonderful blend of maturity, girlish fun and overall strength.  Watching this character develop throughout the show is one of its many pleasures. 

David James, as Motel, Tzietel's love, is a funny blend of nebbish geek, awkward rube, and ultimately a fully realized man, complete with backbone.  His "Miracle of Miracles" is well sung, and overall, he and DeSimone offer a glimpse at what Tevye and Golde might have been had they married for love.  Golde, played by the wonderful Lynn R. Sigler, is a tough lady – years of putting up with hardship and making due have hardened her edges, but there is a constant flow of love just under the surface.  God help anyone who tries to harm her family.  Much of the humor in the role is mined very carefully by Sigler who has found that difficult balance between making Golde a constant nag-joke and a full woman.  Her chemistry with her daughters – a character facet often overlooked by other actresses I've seen – is genuine.  And the hilarious give and take between her and her husband is a constant source of laughter, but is also brought to a serious understanding in "Do You Love Me?"  Sigler is simply captivating.

No production of Fiddler on the Roof can hold together, no matter how good it is, without the right Tevye.  In David Bosley-Reynolds, this company is truly blessed.  Having played the role in four previous productions, Reynolds has developed a character that fits him like a glove.  There is absolutely no sign that he has gotten tired of the role, nor does he ever seem to be walking through it.  His performance is fresh, spontaneous and completely genuine.  He is the very embodiment of that actor phrase "in the moment."  He also finds the perfect blend of blustery everyman, hard suffering father, and a man at the crossroads of tradition and growing with the times.  Every time he compromises you see subtle changes, some for the good, some take their toll.  His performance is completely magnetic.  When he is onstage, you want to watch him, and yet, he is perhaps the most generous Tevye I've ever seen – when it isn't about him, Reynolds doesn't make it so anyway.  And his renditions of "If I Were a Rich Man" and "Tradition" are nothing less than thrilling.

I know I sound like a broken record by now – I swear I'm not on the payroll!  But you really need to take advantage of what is the best entertainment value in Baltimore.  A full course, gourmet meal (the buffet gets better every time) and a show that has Broadway caliber talent both on and offstage for less than $50.00 a person is not to be beaten in the entire area.  You have until mid-June to see this awesome production, but don't put it off until it is too late.  You'll regret missing it.

PHOTOS: Top to Bottom: David Bosley-Reynolds as Tevye; The Company in The Dream; David James as Motel.  Photos by Kristine Christiansen.

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