Fiddler On The Roof 2004 revival

[Younger Brother]

Posted: 6/30/13 at 10:15am

I was just listening to the Fiddler On The Roof 2004 revival cast recording and for me, it's a mixed bag. I never got to see the revival live so was curious to know, did many people on here see it? Anyone care to share their opinions?

[lightguy06222]

Posted: 6/30/13 at 10:22am

bad.

Bad, bad, BAD.

Alfred Molina covered his british accent by playing Tevye with an american accent. He was god awful.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 6/30/13 at 10:31am

From what I recall, it was very mediocre. The cast was mostly a miss (Randy Graff and Nancy Opel in particular missed the mark for me) which was the shows main detriment. Alfred Molina was a fine Tevye, carrying the show fairly well, even if he and Graff had absolutely zero chemistry. That being said, it looked stunning. The set was gorgeous, as was the bold lighting design. I know there were quite a few people complaining it wasn't "Jewish enough" (whatever that means), but I didn't think that was an issue. I appreciated the approach David Leveaux took to this production and I'm excited to see what he does with ROMEO AND JULIET. But mainly, the cast was too all over the map for me to fully appreciate his vision of FIDDLER. Updated On: 6/30/13 at 10:31 AM

[Dollypop]

Posted: 6/30/13 at 11:58am

How could you have a FIDDLER ON THE ROOF that was devoid of Jewishness?

Leveaux created stunning stage images but left his actors adrift.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 6/30/13 at 1:22pm

I saw it with Harvey Fierstein and I thought it was excellent.

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 6/30/13 at 1:27pm

I will echo what others said about the set, it was truly beautiful. I love Fiddler but was pretty unimpressed with Alfred Molina and Nancy Opel in particular, especially the latter who was brilliant in Urinetown a couple of years before but was just terribly miscast and misdirected in this. I went back and saw the show with Harvey Fierstein and Andrea Martin and it felt like the production had changed entirely...it was much more full of life and humor and, yes, Jewishness.

[Rentaholic]

Posted: 6/30/13 at 2:07pm

The only thing I really remember was that it was really dark, in terms of lighting. It wasn't particularly captivating either but I'm not sure who to blame there.

[lemiz3001]

Posted: 6/30/13 at 7:30pm

I think the set and stage imagery were part of the problem. The set looked straight out of Midsummer Nights Dream, including the onstage orchestra. Wasn't really appropriate nor does it conjure feelings of a turn of the century Russian shtetl.

Updated On: 6/30/13 at 07:30 PM

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 6/30/13 at 7:55pm

It ran the gamut from Uninspiring to adequate. The best thing in it: John Cariani as Motel.

Updated On: 6/30/13 at 07:55 PM

[steven22]

Posted: 6/30/13 at 8:21pm

Harvey Fierstein and Andrea Martin were great...and then when Rosie replaced Andrea...not so much

[hushpuppy]

Posted: 7/1/13 at 1:57pm

During the run of FIDDLER at the Minskoff (starring Alfred Molina as Tevye), the movie Spider-Man 2 (with Alfred Molina as Doc Ock) was playing downstairs at the Lowes Astor Place. To my knowledge, it was the only time an actor appearing in the movie playing downstairs was appearing in a show playing upstairs.

[KJisgroovy]

Posted: 7/1/13 at 2:25pm

I also saw it with Harvey and Andrea... and I thought it was absolutely marvelous.

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 7/1/13 at 2:26pm

I'll say this for Rosie: she's the only person I've seen (bear in mind, I'm young) who has nailed "Do You Love Me" the way it's supposed to be played.

[dreaming]

Posted: 7/1/13 at 2:27pm

KJ-That's who I saw it with too. And they were great together. I'd never seen the show (just the film) and thought it was very good.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 7/1/13 at 3:23pm

Harvey Fierstein and Andrea Martin were WONDERFUL.

The production was...British.

[Wilmingtom]

Posted: 7/1/13 at 3:32pm

PJ summed it up perfectly. The set, while lovely to look at, was perhaps more suited to Chekhov than Fiddler. There seemed to be a restraint about the production (e.g. "British") that undercut its emotional currency, especially before Harvey and Andrea stepped in.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 7/2/13 at 1:11am

I'd love to see some pics of it?

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 7/2/13 at 1:13am

http://tompye.com/tompye/fiddler_on_the_roof.html

[ljay889]

Posted: 7/2/13 at 1:19am

Wow, Brantley hated the production. Especially with Rosie, lol.

A warning to those of delicate hearing: the show is now so overmiked that when Mr. Fierstein exercises his nasal tones, your eardrums go into shock. When Ms. O'Donnell tries to match him in stridency in the duet "Do You Love Me?," you may find yourself longing for a more aurally soothing environment, like the runway of a busy airport.
http://theater2.nytimes.com/2005/10/14/theater/reviews/14fidd.html

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 7/2/13 at 1:35am

^ That is one amazing review.

[sanda]

Posted: 7/2/13 at 8:23am

I love Alfred Molina's Tevye. Saw it second time with Feinstein and was shocked by how bad he sounded.

Updated On: 7/2/13 at 08:23 AM

[AC126748]

Posted: 7/2/13 at 8:40am

I didn't see the original cast. I saw it with Fierstein and Martin. Both great. Very convincing. Fierstein's scene with Chava stands out in my mind as particularly moving. John Cariani I found annoying. The very Anglican daughters seemed out of place.

[once a month]

Posted: 7/2/13 at 9:53am

Loved Fierstein and Martin and found myself quite moved. I sat center orch, 1st row so I felt literally a part of the town. It was my first Fiddler "live" and it not only met my expectations but surpassed them.

[mamaleh]

Posted: 7/2/13 at 10:01am

I sat there, too, and an autumnal leaf blew onto my lap. Somehow that didn't connote shtetl life or Tevye's small farm. But I did like Fierstein's and Martin's characterizations. (Nonetheless, Herschel Bernardi remains my favorite Tevye, as recalled from my adolescence.)

[The Other One]

Posted: 7/2/13 at 11:37pm

I did not get the hate for this production. I loved Molina and had no complaints. Leveaux really did become the British punching bag at some point during that decade.