Fiddler on the Roof Opens at Yorktown Stage

Producer and Director Barry Liebman beamed with pride at the opening night show of Fiddler on the Roof on Saturday.

The owner of the theater, Liebman took on the added responsibility of directing for this show because it has special meaning for him.

"It's one of the best shows ever written," he said before recounting the numerous Tony awards, including Best Show, that Fiddler had won when it opened in 1964.

The show holds more than just entertainment value for Liebman and many others, though. "It's about family, about tradition and about hope," said Liebman.

This performance of Fiddler on the Roof had an added attraction for audiences.  Broadway's Craig Schulman, whose past roles include the Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera, Jean Valjean in Les Miserables and the title characters in Jekyll & Hyde, starred as Tevye.

Paulette Oliva, who has a long history in the theater and is currently performing a cabaret in New York City, fills the role of Tyve's wife, Golde.

Before the curtains opened, Barry Liebman took the stage. He announced that not only had the theater been sold out on opening night but they had already booked all of the seats for Sunday's show and for the evening performance on Saturday the 20th.

Liebman dedicated the show to Joseph Stein, writer of the book, and Jerry Bock, who had written the music, both of whom recently died.

Liebman also emphasized the sense of community fostered at Yorktown Stage.

The theater is small but comfortable, with the size acting to its advantage.  In contrast with larger theaters where the actors can be barely visible, the audience can clearly see the actor's expressions and are drawn more deeply into the experience.

During the performances of both "Sunrise, Sunset" and "Anatevka" many in the audience cried.

The actors also do an excellent job of making the conflicts and relationships evident and understandable. The insightful humor of the show, largely provided by Tevye, is also well executed and does not become awkward or cheesy.

The set design is simple but creative and makes efficient use of the space while not becoming an obstacle for the cast.

The live pit orchestra, conducted by Chloe Sasson, handles the difficult music well and complements the vocals of the cast rather than overshadowing them.

Fiddler on the Roof contains many large choral numbers which are performed by the cast with tight, and often stirring, harmonies.

Throughout the course of the show, however, it becomes evident who the theater professionals are and numbers during which they are not on stage seem out of place and uncharacteristically lackluster. These moments are fortunately few and do not spoil the overall quality of the show.

The original, well-known choreography of Fiddler on the Roof is reproduced by Greg Baccarini and handled well by all of the dancers, highlighting the best. The symbolic Fiddler, played by Jennifer Jonas, has no spoken lines and emotes solely through dance.

The Bottle Dance, performed by Jonas, Mickey Connolly, Sebastian Moore and Jake Kosack, is carried out with impressive precision while the dancers move across the stage with glass bottles balanced on their hats.

The message and emotion of the show was not lost to theatricality but was augmented by it. The final scene, which shows the characters being forced from their homes, makes full use of the space, lighting and other effects to build emotion.

The show elicited a standing ovation from the audience, many of which had been hooting and responding to the actors throughout the show.

Lois Fatel, a Mount Kisco resident who has been attending shows at The Yorktown Stage for years, thoroughly enjoyed the performance.

"They were so professional all the way through. It was so lovely," she said.

Fiddler on the Roof will be at the Yorktown Stage until November 28.

Prices range from $25 for regular tickets, $23 for Yorktown residents, $21 for seniors (over 62), $21 for students (age 12-22), and $19 for children (under 12).