I Just Heard Molina in FIDDLER oy!- Page 2

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 2/18/05 at 4:40pm

The OBC is priceless - but the quality of the CD keeps me from really enjoying it.

[magruder]

Posted: 2/18/05 at 4:44pm

The "quality"? What, do you prefer the dry, digital sound of modern recordings, compared to a recording like the original Fiddler, which sounds alive, spacious and theatrical? Most, if not all of the RCA recordings of the 1960s were recorded at Webster Hall, and just burst with theatrical vitality. The original Fiddler recording is also way less distorted than many of RCA's other titles. I think it sounds pretty great, myself.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 2/18/05 at 5:09pm

It just sounds distant and muffled.

[Plum]

Posted: 2/18/05 at 5:18pm

Actually, I'm not overly enamored with "Far From the Home I Love" on the OBC, either. But to be fair, I'm not particularly enamored with the sound of the women in general on that recording.

[magruder]

Posted: 2/18/05 at 5:25pm

I've never found it distant or muffled...but the new remixed version in the cardboard box makes it sound better than ever.

And that Julia Migenes woman made a bit of a name for herself. Here's her biography:

Julia Migenes was born on the Lower East Side of New York into a family made up of a passionate mixture of Greek and Irish-Puerto-Rican descent. Despite a difficult and violent childhood, she discovered her calling upon engagement of the child role in Madame Butterfly where she first experienced the power and the emotion of music linked to a stage setting.

A few years later, while studying at the New York School for Performing Arts, she was chosen by Leonard Bernstein to be a soloist in his "Young People's Concerts". Julia then began her Broadway career : she was part of the original casting of "Fiddler on the Roof" with Zero Mostel and she interpreted Maria in West Side Story.

However, she understood that her real calling was to sing, leading her to a cover contract at the New York Metropolitan Opera. While substituting for the leading role of Alban Berg's Lulu, renowned for its technical difficulty, she was cheered and acclaimed by the public, launching her opera career.

Word of this new star crossed the Atlantic where Maurice Béjart was desperately searching for his Salomé to be staged in Geneva. Julia Migenes embodied the ideal combination for this role : a world-class opera singer and a graceful dancer.

While on stage in Geneva as Salomé, the Italian film director Francesco Rosi was casting for his up and coming film : Carmen. The lead role required not only an opera singer and dancer but also an actress sensual enough to personify the burning passion of Bizet's character. The result was Julia Migenes immortalized in a motion picture that has since become a reference in the filmed opera genre. The soundtrack not only brought her a Grammy Award but even more worldwide notoriety that allowed her to access the greatest theaters in the world.

To this day, Julia Migenes has recorded more than 20 albums. Among the most recent : "Vienna" conducted by Lalo Schifrin, a Gold record six months after its release ; in 1996, "Man of la Mancha" ("L'homme de la Mancha"), conducted and arranged by Paul Gemignani, with Placido Domingo, Samuel Ramey, Mandy Patinkin ; in 1999, "Robert Stolz" and "The music of Franz Lehar" for BBC and in 2000, Donizetti's "Catarina Cornaro".

In 1998, Julia Migenes wrote "Diva on the Verge", a one-woman-show mingling monologue and opera often mocking its rigid world, revealing her daring wit and sense of humor. In 1999, she performed this show in French in Paris and throughout France and French-speaking countries. She is preparing a Spanish version of this show for a tour in Spain and Latin America. She continues to present the English version in a tour throughout the US.

In May 2001 Julia Migenes created "Passions Latines", a choreographed recital in which she interprets a repertoire of Latin music, both classical and traditional, from Granados, Villa Lobos, to flamenco, tango and the great contemporary salsa songs. She presented this show at the Paris Olympia in March 2002 followed by several international summer festivals. In July 2002, she created for the Festival d'Avignon "La Argentina", a tribute to tango accompanied by the Argentinan quintetTiempo Sur. An international tour is currently taking place and included a stop at the prestigious Paris Théâtre du Châtelet in November 2003.

Julia Migenes has put together a program dedicated to sacred songs which premiered at the Fès Festival of Sacred Music (Morocco) in June 2003.

She will also be part of the cast along Barbara Hendricks of a new opera "Angels in America" by Peter Eötvös which will be created at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris in November 2004.

Updated On: 2/18/05 at 05:25 PM

[mallardo]

Posted: 2/18/05 at 6:01pm

A footnote to Magruder's fine summary of Ms Migenes's career. At the Met for Lulu she understudied the brilliant but unreliable Tersa Stratas in the tile role and, wouldn't you know it, Ms Stratas cancelled on the night the opera was to be televised LIVE. Ms Migenes went on in the most harrowing of circumstances - the role is an absolute killer! - and scored a huge triumph. I only wish the Met would release the tape they must have of this performance.

[Caroline-Q-or-TBoo]

Posted: 2/18/05 at 6:03pm

speaking as a proud Jew- i am not a fan of Fiddler that much, but i saw the show in previews and most say: the cast was astonishing! along with Mr. Leavux's brilliant staging. i have no problem with Molina. i think he was pretty good

[InfiniteTheaterFrenzy]

Posted: 2/18/05 at 6:10pm

I absolutely loved Alfred Molina in Fiddler on the Roof. I absolutely love love loved him. I saw him in it twice, I loved him so much. Yes, I have the OBCR. Yes, I appreciate Zero Mostel's interpretation, as I always have. But Molina's so- called "vacancy" is actually a choice I found quite moving in the song. I am one of those big fans of the Fiddler revival... But hey, my mom, who has definitely seen enough productions of Fiddler in her time (including the original) LOVES the new production.

[ShuQ]

Posted: 2/18/05 at 6:19pm

I wish I had seen Alfred..I would have paid double to see him over seeing Harvey..ugh.

[sanda]

Posted: 2/19/05 at 8:52am

I am a big Fiddler fan and I only watch Molina's Tevye live.

I have both obc and new revival and Topol's London cast and movie soundtrack.

In my opinion, Topol is the best Tevye ever.

I watched Mr.Molina in Minskoff and he is absolutely wonderful. His "if I bend that far, I will break"totally broke my heart. But I admit, the cast recording cannot match his live performance at all.

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 2/19/05 at 9:06am

Magruder, that was a wonderful bio of Julia, who has been absolutely divine in just about everything she's done. Being too young to have seen the original FIDDLER, I only know it from the cast recording, and her "Far From The Home I Love" is simply beautiful. I do like the Laura Michelle Kelly version from the revival cast very much.

[erniesgirl96]

Posted: 2/19/05 at 9:43am

I agree with you, I think Andrea is much better in the part that Randy. Randy is a great actress, but I enjoy Andrea's performance much more. I also loved Laura Michelle Kelly in Fiddler too and I am glad she is doing so well in London with Mary Poppins.

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 2/19/05 at 9:45am

Am I the only person who liked Randy?

[WISHIHADATONY]

Posted: 2/19/05 at 9:49am

Queenpuppet, kindly reread my original post and you will see I was crystal clear on the fact that I was unable to judge Molina's performance as I had never seen it. I was quite clear in my original post that I was strictly discussing the "performances captured on recording." Of course it is ridiculous to try and judge anyone's performance by just hearing a recording.

However, it is amazing what Mostel was able to "give" to the recording vs. what Molina "gives" to the recording.

[Broadwaylady]

Posted: 2/19/05 at 9:54am

I saw, Thank God, the understudy in the new Fiddler. He was good. When I got the cast recording of Molina's voice, I was very disappointed. Not Yiddish enough. My favorite Tevye was Topol.

[WISHIHADATONY]

Posted: 2/19/05 at 10:20am

Broadwaylady, when comparing just the recordings side by side, I was genuinely stunned at the sheer brilliance that Mostel was able to bring to the OCR of Fiddler vs. the "vacant, lifeless and dull" performance Molina brings to the Revival Cast Recording. AGAIN, this is strictly discussing the cast recordings. I did not see Mr. Molina perform. However, I would not be surprised if Mr. Molina himself finds his "performance" on the recording of the Fiddler revival, personally embarassing.

What on earth made them cast Molina in this part? Did they think he was gonna be a big box office attraction because the show opened so closely on the heels of the release of SPIDERMAN 2?

P.S. I loved Topol in the movie and thought he brought magnificent earthy and even sensual qualities to his joyous and poignant performance. His Oscar nomination was richly deserved. I also saw Topol in Fiddler when he repeated his great onstage performance as Tevye here in the United States. He was fantastic. And I loved the fact that his Golde(I can't recall her name)was played by the woman who had played his oldest daughter in the film of FIDDLER.

Updated On: 2/19/05 at 10:20 AM

[broadwaybaby77]

Posted: 2/19/05 at 10:46am

errico fan, I liked randy graff, too.

I saw the revival in december with Alfred Molina, and I thought he was pretty good. I'm playing Hodel in a production of Fiddler right now, and our director told us to listen to each of the versions of "Far From the Home I Love" and the current revival was my personal favorite. I agree, though. Alfred does sound a little out of the moment, but when I actually saw the show, he was really tuned in and more emotional than he was on the cd.

just my two cents...

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 2/19/05 at 11:09am

Well, I'm glad that I'm not the only one.

[WISHIHADATONY]

Posted: 2/19/05 at 11:10am

broadwaybaby77, I am pleased you affirm my thoughts of the performances as captured on recording. I still can't believe that whomever produced the revival recording would "allow" it to be done with Tevye seeming not to give a performance.

[QueenMuppet]

Posted: 2/19/05 at 11:50am

'What on earth made them cast Molina in this part?'

What a statement! You haven't seen the man, so how can you make a statement like that? Alfred was absolutely wonderful in the role and just because you don't like him that much on the recording you immediately question why he was cast? NICE!

QM

[onceadancer2]

Posted: 2/19/05 at 11:52am

I have not seen the revival, but I have heard the new cast album. Molina is not bad, rather, it seems, he lacks a knowledge of the character's faith and foibles. Somehow he does not convey a sense of character and involvement through the voice. I'd like to bring up Shirley Booth in Tree Grows in Brooklyn. When you hear the voice, you know who this person is. Molina does not convey this. As a theatrical performance it is fine, just not inviting or involving. And speaking of the film Tevye's Daughters, based on the Sholom Aleichem stories. When the film was first released in 1939 or 1940, Maurice Schwartz, who played Tevye, was criticized as being too Jewish, which was roundly debated at such places as City U, the New School and the 92nd Street Y. What do we need. How about casting Mary Martin as Golde?

Miriam

Updated On: 2/19/05 at 11:52 AM

[WISHIHADATONY]

Posted: 2/19/05 at 12:03pm

Miriam, you beautiful captured the essence of my point. Perhaps Molina simply does not know how to or was not guided as how to give a "performance" on a recording.

I love the incredible Shirley Booth and wish more of today's generation would at least listen to what she was able to accomplish on an original cast recording. She was amazing and always had something heartbreaking about her right beneath the surface, right?

At least generations to come will know her from her delightful run at tv's HAZEL and her Oscar winning performance in COME BACK LITTLE SHEBA.

Of course, I also love Shirley Booth in the film, THE MATCHMAKER. Can you imagine how thrilling it would have been had Shirley Booth done the musical version of THE MATCHMAKER,,,,,,,,, HELLO DOLLY! ?

[QueenMuppet]

Posted: 2/19/05 at 12:12pm

Reading this whole thread again... it's pretty obvious that anyone who has actually had the pleasure of having seen Alfred as Tevye really got to love his portrayal whereas people who have just listened to him on the ORC were a bit underwhelmed.
Makes me very happy to have caught this man twice.

QM

[mallardo]

Posted: 2/19/05 at 12:23pm

I thought Molina was very fine but the production itself was a little cool and distancing for me - I hated having the orchestra on stage - and for others apparently. I think many who talk of Molina's lack of heat and "jewishness" are really talking about the production. For the same reason, Randy Graff didn't make the impact she normally does. Now there are two outsized personalities in the roles and people seem to be responding more to the show.

[Jon]

Posted: 2/19/05 at 12:44pm

Zero Mostel didn't "use" an accent. That' the way he really talked. He sounded like that in FORUM, playing a Roman slave.

As to Julia Migenes - she is fine in grand opera, but should avoid singing in English. Her work on the "almost" original cast album of RAGS, in which she once again stood in for Theresa Stratas, contains some awful diction. It's often impossible to decipher what she's singing.