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After 10 Years, A Reprise For "Fiddler"

After 10 Years, A Reprise For "Fiddler" image
Parent Issue
Day
7
Month
February
Year
2006
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Donated by the Ann Arbor News. © The Ann Arbor News.
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After 10 years, a reprise for 'Fiddler'

Burns Park Players pick an old favorite for school fundraiser show

PREVIEW

'Fiddler on the Roof'

Who: Burns Park Players.

What: Classic Bock-Harnick musical about Russian Jewish milkman Tevye, who struggles to keep his family together and maintain traditional Jewish values in the face of the harsh realities of Tsarist rule.

Where: Tappan Middle School Auditorium, 2251 E. Stadium Blvd.

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 7:30 p.m. Feb. 16-17 and 4 p.m. Feb. 18.

How much: $10 (reserved patron seats with valet parking, $30).

Information: 734-417-6429

BY ROGER LELIEVRE, News Arts Writer

Traditionally, Ann Arbor’s Burns Park Players put on a musical every year to raise money for various school projects. So it’s fitting the group has chosen a show with tradition at its core - the much-loved “Fiddler on the Roof.”

The production, directed by Michelle Mountain, opens Friday at Tappan Middle School Auditorium.

It’s the second time the Burns Park group has presented “Fiddler” - the first was in 1996.

“They just really liked the show and figured it had been long enough,” said Mountain, who is also resident artist at the Purple Rose Theatre in Chelsea. “And it’s a good show to do for a community group ... it’s not just the stars, everybody is pretty valuable.”

The story revolves around Jewish milkman Tevye (Joel Swanson), who struggles to keep his family together and maintain traditional Jewish values in the face of the harsh realities of Tsarist rule in 1905 Russia. He often talks to God, and wonders, in one of the show’s most familiar numbers, what harm would it cause “If I Were a Rich Man.” Meanwhile, his wife Golde (Sara Meingast) runs the household and negotiates with matchmaker Yenta (Jane Glass) over suitable Jewish husbands for their three older daughters.

“Fiddler” bowed on Broadway in 1965, winning nine Tony Awards, and a 1971 movie version earned three Oscars. It was recently revived on Broadway. Other popular songs include “Matchmaker, Matchmaker” and “Sunrise, Sunset.”

Mountain said the musical’s appeal is timeless.

“I love this play. To me the show is all about community and coming together and working together, and that’s what they do. And it’s a great story. It is primarily a Jewish story, but as an American (I think) it’s about all of us and it’s pretty timely for now. The same issues - marrying outside the faith, newcomers, racism, bigotry -are all still here.”

Producer Susan Hurwitz agreed.

“It is amazing to me how (the show) evokes such strong fondness and emotion from people. Not just Jewish people, from everybody. In this country we’re all immigrants, everybody has an immigrant story. No one would have come here if they weren’t looking for a better life. People can relate.

“The other part is the beauty of the people - there’s no glitzy costumes, there’s no Broadway background. The beauty of it comes from the characters and their relationships with each other.”

Mountain listed one other plus - the score.

“Regular people can sing the tunes because some of them are fairly simple,” she said.

Other cast members include Jay Sandweiss (marriage-minded butcher Lazar Wolfe), Frank Worden (Motel the tailor), Clark Baxtresser (the young outsider Perchik), Julie Halpert (grandma Tzeitel), Janet Taylor (ghostly Fruma Sarah) and Bob Galardi (innkeeper Mordcha). The show is produced by Hurwitz, with music director Eric Lofstrom and choreographer Mara Newberry, a student in the University of Michigan Musical Theatre Department.

All in all, the cast includes between 60 and 65 adults and 70 and 75 children, said Mountain. Group bylaws limit participation in its shows to residents of Burns Park. “We’ve got 6-year-olds through an 86-year-old,” she added.

As is usual with Burns Park Players’ productions, some tweaking has been done to accommodate the large number of children who take part.

“We’ve got them scattered throughout the production in various numbers ... They just have little moments,” Mountain explained.

Formed in 1984 by a small group of parents looking for a way to raise money to send children to camp, the Burns Park Players has grown into an active community theater company that has maintained its commitment to family-oriented musical productions as well as support of local schools. Since 1992, the group has donated over $150,000 to a variety of projects.

Roger LeLievre can be reached at 734-994-6848 or by e-mail at rlelievre@annarbornew5.com.