Zero Mostel vs. Alfred Molina

[wishinguweresomehow]

Posted: 7/6/06 at 6:04pm

I recently bought the revival cast of Fiddler on the Roof, and was just wondering between the two men, who do you think played a better Tevye?

[wishinguweresomehow]

Posted: 7/6/06 at 7:06pm

*bump*

[Fiction Writer]

Posted: 7/6/06 at 7:09pm

I'm a stickler for originals. Zero all the way.

(I didn't see either.)

[WSS2]

Posted: 7/6/06 at 7:21pm

A ten for Zero.

[meggsison]

Posted: 7/6/06 at 9:34pm

Zero all the way, but Alfred is a cool guy. I met him at a coffeeshop once. We talked about The Da Vinci Code while waiting on line for five minutes.

[James2]

Posted: 7/6/06 at 9:38pm

I think Alfred Molina was great as Tevye. Zero probably played the character as a comic figure for a lot of it, but I think Alfred succeeded in making Tevye a real person.

[WickedGeek28]

Posted: 7/6/06 at 9:43pm

Alfred made him a man we all knew and a man that we cared for. I personally don't care for Zero Mostel's comic stylings.

Didn't he ad lib the entire show in the original show?

[H.Higgins]

Posted: 7/6/06 at 9:44pm

This is one of those situations where the original was beyond stellar and just managed to become synonymous with the role, like Rex Harrison as Henry Higgins and Carol Channing as Dolly. Zero Mostel will always be Tevye. That being said, Alfred Molina was brilliant in the role. His performance was one of the overlooked (and ignorantly criticized) gems of the last decade. I thought he brought a genuine touch to the role that other actors have failed to do with Tevye. He was not only funny, paternal, imposing, and loving as Tevye needs to be, but he was also REAL. Alfred was so believable and honest and that's what I loved most about his work in Fiddler.

[NathanLaneStalker]

Posted: 7/6/06 at 9:44pm

OOOO that's hard.......I'd say Zero!

BUT Harvey Fierstein was the best Tevye EVER!

[JohnBoy2]

Posted: 7/6/06 at 9:48pm

I saw both FIDDLERs, and all I can say about the revival, is that I found the entire thing, unfortunate. I adored the original cast, staging, etc. Zero was an event!

[H.Higgins]

Posted: 7/6/06 at 9:52pm

This revival was one of the greatest "events" I've had the fortune of seeing onstage.

The production was beautiful and genuine from top to bottom. I'm sorry, but all of the comments that it wasn't "Jewish enough" were rubbish. Who wants to go to the theatre and see over the top stereotypes when you can see real peopl, living real lives? We were in tears during Tradition simply because of the absolute naturality, honesty, and heartfelt nature of the cast and direction. This production was stunning.

[sanda]

Posted: 7/6/06 at 11:28pm

H.Higgins,

That's the best words I read about the Fiddler revival and Molina's Tevye. Kudos to you.

I was so moved by Molina's Tevye. It hurt me when I read the cold review later. And I was furious after finding out that people bashing Molina's Tevye yet praising Feinstein's mediocre performance. It is UNFAIR!

[ChrisLovesShows]

Posted: 7/6/06 at 11:31pm

I love Molina as an actor, but I do find his performance on the CD lacking. Now, I only have the CD to judge because I didn't get to see him live. I'm glad to see the various comments.

Let's not forget Topol who managed to make Tevye his own.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 7/6/06 at 11:35pm

I can't compare becuz i didnt see Zero. But i would say that against what i thought, I liked Harvey Fierstein a lot more than Molina in this role. Maybe because of his chemistry with Rosie O'Donnell, who stole the show with her comedic sense and her motherly, but strong character that i thought she played perfectly.

Updated On: 7/6/06 at 11:35 PM

[sanda]

Posted: 7/6/06 at 11:37pm

There is no way to judge Molina's performance through the recording. His way of delivering the line, the posture, the facial expression and his own interperation of the character, are what make his performance truly brilliant and heartbreaking.

[Pippin]

Posted: 7/7/06 at 10:50am

I also cannot compare Molina to anyone becuase that was my first time seeing a production of Fiddler, other than the film. Molina was fresh, with a very grounded approach to a character who you could do in an outlandish way if you wanted to. he went against that choice, and, IMO, was the glue that held that production together. to this day, the only two things I really remember from the production are the awe-inspiring set and Molina for his wonderfully layered and uncompromising performance.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 7/7/06 at 10:51am

H. Higgins, I agree with every word you said.

[jv92]

Posted: 7/7/06 at 11:03am

I prefer Zero Mostel. New interpretations are fine, but Molina just didn't do it for me. I really enjoyed Harvery Firestein when he stepped in though.

[FranklinShepard-Inc.]

Posted: 7/7/06 at 11:07am

I'm in for Zero, just for his very tevye-ish personality...
Personally I think, Molina was moving in his way, but, well, he's just not what I think of when I think of Tevye. Just my stereotypes

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 7/7/06 at 11:21am

When I think of Tevye I think of a man. A normal, everyday man - not a cardboard cartoon of a slapstick hologram of a man.

Not that I saw Mostel....

But how many of you guys ACTUALLY saw an entire performance of Zero Mostel?

Posted: 7/7/06 at 11:23am

H.Higgins on the Fiddler revival:

"The production was beautiful and genuine from top to bottom."

I've never been to Anatevka but I don't think it looks like a the deck of an upper-class Long Island home. I kept expecting waiters in white coats to pass through carrying trays of martinis and canapes when I saw the revival :)

There's no question that Mostel was the best Tevya...and ignore the "ad-libbing" remarks. Feirstein was also excellent. Too bad Rosie killed the show when she joined the cast.

[circusliz]

Posted: 7/7/06 at 12:09pm

Although I didn't see either production, I do know from research for my undergrad honors thesis that Mostel often stopped the show with improvised direct addresses to the audience. I know that direct address is written in to the character, but he would add more, and wouldn't always stay in character. Apparently he would add comments to the audience about current events and baseball scores (so I've heard).

Mostel also did this in A Funny Thing Happened..., but given the nature of that show (the characters know they are putting on a show), such comments actually added to the comedy. But it seems to me that breaking character in this way in Fiddler would ruin the experience of the show.

Based on this information, I would have to say that had I seen both performances, I would probably have preferred Molina's.

[JohnBoy2]

Posted: 7/7/06 at 12:25pm

When I saw FIDDLER, it was a magical night of theater. If Mostel did ad-libbing, none of it was out of character. He was brilliant; and, although I've seen it many times since (and have been in lots of productions of it), no one compares to him.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 7/7/06 at 12:48pm

Maybe not out of character, but not even out of context?