Fiddler on the Roof Previews- Page 25

[DAME]

Posted: 12/16/15 at 1:45am

As I said... Glad you enjoyed the pictures.  

[bunnie3]

Posted: 12/16/15 at 11:18pm

Didn't  have time to read every single comment on this thread, but saw the show today with my mom on tdf.  Seats were back orch but we decided to sit in the mezzanine, which was waaaaay better.   So, I will not go into the detail that others have already described, but my "official" review is:  Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant and brilliant.   I 've seen all 5 or 6 Bway versions, have seen about 2,000 shows in about 50 yrs, and I was simply blown away but by the understated, beautifully realized, superbly SUBTLE artistic vision of the in credibly talented Mr. Sher.  Ridiculously beautiful minamalist, in a great way, set, lighting and costumes.  So moving, that in those absolutely superbly directed dramatic scenes, even with hundreds of matinee ladies, you could hear a ****ing pin drop!  Miraculous!  Even in the barn of the Broadway Theatre, he focused you in, and never let go.  The sound system, and genius pit orchestra of 25!! was natural and superbly executed.   I am a seriously jaded theatergoer, for the most part, and was really not prepared for the stunning brilliance of this production.  I wept several times throughout.  The dance numbers were fully integrated and so emotional.  What a ride.!!  Btw, the first act was 1 hr 45 minutes and absolutely breezed by!      Ended about 4:50.  The music sounded better than I 've ever heard it before.  This production is not your over the top caricatured Fiddlers, but a new classic, imho, of it s own.  

[VernonGersch]

Posted: 12/17/15 at 1:53am

i was far than impressed by this production and a good part of my lack of enjoyment has to do with the thread bare production design (with the exception of a stunning coup de theatre that I won't spoil here)

the performances were outstanding across the board and the choreography was inspired 

and the first act was looooong 

[Someone in a Tree2]

Posted: 12/17/15 at 6:49am

^ Having seen the show back in previews (and sharing your less than enthusiastic response), I'm wondering what coup-de-theatre you're referring to, Vernon? Did something "stunning" get added after Thanksgiving weekend when we were there? Damn you, Bartlett Sher!

 

(Give us a hint so not to spoil it for others.)

 

[holdyourbatboy]

Posted: 12/17/15 at 8:29am

This is an EXTRAORDINARY production. I was at the performance last night after having seen the second preview. Several changes - you cannot spot standhands any longer.  Fruma Sarah's costume is brand new and much more spectacular. They added some subtle changes to the "framing device" that greatly clarifies the concept.

The design is certainly not spare - there are many visual surprises throughout the production. Don't spoil yourself. The production photos show a small taste, keeping many of the larger set pieces a surprise. 

This is the most beautifully acted production of the show I've seen. Danny owns the evening and gives the performance of his career. It is a masterful, smart, moving portrayal of Tevye that continuously builds throughout the evening. The payoff is huge and you could hear a pin drop in the last 30 minutes. 

Updated On: 12/17/15 at 08:29 AM

[Musical Master]

Posted: 12/17/15 at 1:25pm

"Larger set pieces"? Do you mean the floating houses that are in the production photos or is it something else?

[holdyourbatboy]

Posted: 12/17/15 at 2:51pm

I don't want to spoil it, but the floating houses you've seen are only in a few scenes.  There are different sizes of "floating houses" that come up and down throughout the show  - NOT just the ones in the photos/instagram, which are only a small part of this theme.  They change throughout the course of the show.  

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

In the opening 30 seconds, a giant house slowly floats up from the "ground" in the back of the stage with the Fiddler on wires floating slightly above it "on the roof" playing his theme. It's a gorgeous image. It keeps floating up until it's out of view at the top of the stage.  Shortly after, the entire ensemble rises up "from the ground" in the back to join Tevye in "Tradition". 

 

[Musical Master]

Posted: 12/17/15 at 3:47pm

Thanks for that, I think this production will be something special when I'll see it flaws and all.

[haterobics]

Posted: 12/17/15 at 3:53pm

Musical Master said: "Thanks for that, I think this production will be something special when I'll see it flaws and all."

 

Or you may not find it flawed at all?!

[Musical Master]

Posted: 12/17/15 at 4:09pm

Yeah, maybe it will be like with Bartlett Sher's productions of South Pacific and The King and I as classic musicals that feels fresh again. Sher and his crew know what they're doing. :) 

[SNAFU]

Posted: 12/17/15 at 6:11pm

I hope to see it next week.

[Musical Master]

Posted: 12/17/15 at 11:27pm

Another thing I picked up from the official pictures was that Donald Holder's lighting design is drop dead gorgeous, probably on the same level as his amazing lighting design in The King and I.

[Kad]

Posted: 12/18/15 at 12:27am

I saw this tonight and thought it was a pretty stunning, beautiful, and heartfelt production of a nigh-perfect show.

The physical depictions of Anatevka- stylized, always somewhat out of reach- contrasted wonderfully with the very real renderings of character and,  importantly, tradition and ritual. That's what is remembered and handed off to future generations, as poignantly depicted in the final moments.

Burstein is an actor of immense warmth and glow, and I can't help but be drawn. Love permeates his actions- love for family, for God, for tradition- and he is constantly trying to  figure out which love is most important. But love is what drives his performance, and that makes it so easy to be engaged in his Tevye.

Hecht's Golde (odd accent aside) is cold and restrained for much of the show, until the second act when you realize the depth of her devotion to her family, bringing shades to the character beyond sheer matriarchy.

The supporting cast is wonderful, and the dancing is impeccable.

I cannot recommend this highly enough.

[DramaTeach]

Posted: 12/18/15 at 1:35am

My two cents:

 

Didn't have a problem with the modern framing.  I get that some might now be a fan, but it was a different take and I appreciated that.  Danny Burstein was a warm Papa.  My seats were very close, so watching him contemplate each daughter's request and the lot he's been given in life was a joy.  I thoroughly enjoyed Jessica Hecht's performance (including the accent).  Her Golde is trying to be the strength for her family and when she falls apart at the end, it was more touching than ever.  The daughters were where the family fell apart.  Individually I was not a fan of Alexandra Silber, whose facial expressions were so dour that I wondered why she was marrying a man with whom she seemed to be so miserable.  The other girls were better, but no one stood out as being anything better than good.  "Matchmaker" was a downer.  

 

In terms of side characters, the suitors stood out with Adam Kantor's energy winning my heart.  By the time he got to "Miracle of Miracles" and breathlessly recited a verse, I wanted to marry him (which made it even more depressing that such a joy was paired with the exact opposite in Tzeitel).  The absolute biggest disappointment for me was Alex Kori's Yente.  What a gift that part can be.  Her delivery fell flat, her 2015 accent felt out-of-place, and I cared not one iota for her.  

 

The sets didn't bother me as much as they bother others on here.  It's Fiddler.  These are not wealthy people (as Tevye reminds us MANY times), so why should their houses be anything more than bare?  The dancing was really the most beautiful part of this production.  It brought me to Anatevka and made me feel the importance of their traditions and tradition in general.  Overall, I enjoyed the show.  It definitely has its flaws, but there are many positives to be found.  

[pnewelljr]

Posted: 12/18/15 at 9:09am

DramaTeach said: "Her Golde is trying to be the strength for her family and when she falls apart at the end, it was more touching than ever."

 

Agreed. Made for a beautiful moment.

 

DramaTeach said: "Matchmaker" was a downer."

 

One of my favorite Broadway songs and it didn't have the power it normally does.

 

DramaTeach said: "The absolute biggest disappointment for me was Alex Kori's Yente.  What a gift that part can be.  Her delivery fell flat, her 2015 accent felt out-of-place, and I cared not one iota for her."

 

Glad I'm not the only one who felt this way. How can one mess up a part like this? It is so well written, just waiting for you to bring it to life.

 

DramaTeach said: "The dancing was really the most beautiful part of this production."

 

This was the thing my whole party commented on as they left the theater. I don't know who the choreographer was, but wow.

 

An additional note, Bartlett Sher really outdid himself. There were so many little things that made such a difference. Like the hug at the end of Miracles.

Updated On: 12/18/15 at 09:09 AM

[pnewelljr]

Posted: 12/18/15 at 9:11am

On a side note, a party of four behind us left during intermission. We overheard them saying how disappointed they were, they thought the story was boring and the music was awful. My sister claims hearing them say that it was their first time seeing Fiddler. It was very weird.

Updated On: 12/18/15 at 09:11 AM

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 12/18/15 at 9:15am

I agreed totally about the three sisters and yes Matchmaker (the song, not the character to clarify) was also a weak link for me. That said, I think part of the problem for me was the age of the "girls".

 

I know you suspend belief and ages are usually all over the place when you create a cast - but in this case, the parents sing an entire song about being married 25 years and Alexandra Sliber for one has to be in her early 30's and looks it. (I don't mean that in a negative way - she looks fabulous but looks like a grownup and is too old for this part). Girls married very young in these times, often in their teens... and I am sure they could find talented people in the early - mid 20's, it's not like I am asking for 16 year olds. They just don't look vulnerable enough when they are older and look a little ridiculous asking the parents for permission.

 

To me, not to digress, it was sort of like watching Lauren Ward in her early 40's playing Ms. Honey in Matilda - compared to say Alison Luff ( in her 20's) who played her later on. Lauren was fine and talented - but by the age of 40, it's like you had a bad childhood, get over it. It worked much better with a 20+ year old who was still finding herself along with Matilda herself and made the journey more meaningful. I think by having older daughters here - you lost a little of the "searching of youth to find your life" element that I personally missed.

 

 

Updated On: 12/18/15 at 09:15 AM

[Kad]

Posted: 12/18/15 at 9:31am

I'm surprised by the complaints about Alix Korey. I didn't find her dialect any more modern than anyone else's, and thought she was consistently funny- her first scene even drew applause upon her exit. She's not as brash as Yente is typically played- more placidly "woe is me"- but still effective.

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 12/18/15 at 10:03am

Just to clarify (and I did it in my earlier post as well), I felt that Matchmaker the song was a weak link) not Yente, the character of the Matchmaker.

[Kad]

Posted: 12/18/15 at 10:16am

Kathy, my comment was certainly not directed at you! I found "Matchmaker" to be strangely ineffective as well. I understand the motivation behind it, to underscore that the sisters- especially Tzeitel- are far more likely to lose out when they're matched, but that came to the fore far too soon. The first third of the song should be girlish, fun daydreaming and it came off as dour.

[little_sally]

Posted: 12/18/15 at 11:17am

I admit I had never seen a production of Fiddler before this one but I knew the story/score very well, and was surprised that the role of Yente wasn't bigger.

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 12/18/15 at 12:57pm

Kad said: "Kathy, my comment was certainly not directed at you! I found "Matchmaker" to be strangely ineffective as well. I understand the motivation behind it, to underscore that the sisters- especially Tzeitel- are far more likely to lose out when they're matched, but that came to the fore far too soon. The first third of the song should be girlish, fun daydreaming and it came off as dour. "

 

I wasn't sure  but I could see it could be confusing which is why I edited my post. I really only liked the middle daughter so that could have been the reason it didn't work for me (as well as the ages of the daughters which I mentioned earlier). It's hard to be girlish when you are not really a girl any more - but a woman.

 

[Okiekat]

Posted: 12/18/15 at 7:38pm

For those still interested in rush, I bought a ticket at 7p tonight.  Row M orchestra.?

[Musical Master]

Posted: 12/18/15 at 11:43pm

A 49 second video of highlights arrived and the production looks GREAT. The choreography by Hofesh Shecter looks very good and the atmosphere of the piece looks beautiful and a bit haunting at moments. There's a backdrop for Tzeitel's wedding that looks gorgeous which I wonder why they don't use it for the show often.

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

I REALLY loved the glimpse of the flying Fiddler and this BIG set that I'm guessing is for the ending (or it's something else) which Bartlett Sher's staging looks very haunting, almost like Follies.

 

Updated On: 12/19/15 at 11:43 PM

[SweetLips]

Posted: 12/19/15 at 5:40am

Those hightlights achieved for me exactly what they set out to do--where do I buy a ticket?