Viewfinder: 'Fiddler on the Roof' Opens at High School

For senior students, the spring musical represents one of the final benchmarks prior to graduation and moving on into a world of new traditions at colleges and universities. The cast and crew of Fiddler on the Roof hope to be able to encapsulate that feeling when the three-day run opens today at 7:30 p.m. in the school auditorium.

“My friends and I in drama have managed to stay together since freshman year, which is kind of amazing, given all the hard parts of any show,” said Rachel Brett, 17, of West Bloomfield, who plays Tzeitel in Fiddler. “We’re sad to be leaving each other when this is over, but I’m glad that this is our last show … it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

According to WBHS theater arts program director Micah Greene, the musical’s story and themes should resonate with the community, especially the notion of how communities respond to change and the traditions that maintain community ties.

“(Fiddler) intimately speaks to how much we’ve been through, not only how much of how population has changed in the community, but also our school,” Greene said. “At the same time, it speaks to the sense of what remains in the core of West Bloomfield High School — one of those things is great student acting.”

Wanda van den Ende, whose son, Tom Lee, plays the role of Lazar Wolf, the butcher, said her son has been active in the theater since he was 3 years old. She pointed out that students will be facing new challenges as they leave the comfortable confines of the high school.

"(Tom will) be going on to study acting at the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts next fall and hopes to make a career of it. It's interesting that students who want to continue their education in this field not only have to apply to their schools of choice, they also have to audition to be accepted," van den Ende said.

Cheryl Pauli, whose son, Jason, is a freshman, said she is looking forward to the show. "It's been a great experience for him working on this production, although it's a lot of work for all the kids. They stay late every night and are very committed to making a good show," Pauli said.

Brett explained the story of Fiddler, set in Czarist Russia in 1905, centers on Tevye, a Jewish milkman and the father of five daughters, who attempts to maintain his familial and religious traditions while outside influences, including love and politics, encroach upon their lives.

The West Bloomfield High School Drama Department will present “Fiddler on the Roof” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Tickets cost $12 each and will be sold at the door. For more information, visit wbhstheatre.com or call 248-865-6720.