From his first words, I warmed to Bill Nolte starring as Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof at the Westchester Broadway dinner theater. By turns funny, dignified, and down-to-earth—and believable throughout—he bonded with the audience right away. He understudied this role in the last national tour (starring Topol), which I reviewed favorably for this magazine when it came through New Jersey. He clearly understands the subtleties and nuances of this demanding role. And he's got authority, helping make this one of the more satisfying productions I've seen at this theater. Emily Zacharias was effective as Tevye's careworn, no-nonsense wife, Golde. Others in the cast of 25, such as Eric Johnson (Lazar Wolf) , Rachel Prather (Tzeitel), Sarah Rolleston (Hodel) and Chris Giordano (a perfect Fyedka), made their supporting roles count. Director Richard Stafford made intriguing use of the character of the Fiddler (Andrew Mayer), involving him in the action to an unexpected degree—moving about the stage, as if to provide commentary on the action—a nice, inventive touch. With a book by Joseph Stein, music by Jerry Bock and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, Fiddler on the Roof is a near perfect musical—well-constructed, moving, with many richly rewarding moments. There were times I wished the production projected a greater ethnic feel. A certain Russian-Jewish flavoring ideally should have come through more strongly and consistently in inflections of speech and song, and even in gestures and body language. But by and large, this is a very satisfying theatrical experience. And Nolte is delivering a memorable, and very human, performance.
This recommended show will return from January 3-February 3, 2013.
(Pictured (L-R): Bill Nolte and Andrew Mayer; photo by John Vecchiolla)
Chip Deffaa
Cabaret Scenes
October 12, 2012
www.cabaretscenes.org
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