★★★★ Fiddler on the Roof
Fiddler on the Roof has undergone an unusual journey over the last 20 years or so. The Jerry Bock-Sheldon Harnick-Joseph Stein musical—or some might say the Jerry Bock-Sheldon Harnick-Joseph Stein-Jerome Robbins-Hal Prince musical—received instant and deserved acclaim upon its initial production back in 1964. After a record-breaking run, the show toured and was continually revived to the extent that it seemed to be on now and always. While these productions appeared under many different auspices, they all licensed the original Robbins staging and usually the original designs. So it always seemed like the same old and familiar Fiddler, in the best sense of the phrase.
For forty years, anyway. Following that, new productions tended to stray from the Robbins staging although often retaining some of the choreography. Robbins, who died in 1998, did not actually restage the show; he had several well-trained assistants who did the work, while he supervised from afar and collected royalties. Bock and Stein died within a month of each other in 2010, while Harnick is still very much with us.
Since the turn of the century, Fiddler has been “rethought” by contemporary directors seemingly attempting to refine production ideas that might have become stale through repetition. Stale, yes; but the various new-style productions have generally lacked the excitement that the original generated. To the extent that many of us who have seen Fiddler again and again over the years began to think: Sure I like Fiddler, but do I really need to see it again?
The magic of the Yiddish-language production, now enjoying a successful off-Broadway run at Stage 42, came almost as a shock. Here we had a small-scale, earnest production in an near-unknown language; even so, the values of the material came blazing through, demonstrating the show’s enduring strength. Which answers that question above with, “Yes, we do need to see it again.”
London, too, has a new and rejuvenated Fiddler on the boards, which like the current New York staging delivers strong emotional impact. Here, Trevor Nunn has reexamined the musical for a production that premiered in March at the Menier Chocolate Factory and is now in the fourth month of an extended run at the Playhouse.
“In our little village of Anatevka…” is one of the first things Tevye says while introducing the opening number, “Tradition,” and the director has taken this to heart. Nunn and set designer Robert Jones have transformed the Playhouse—or at least its stalls (that’s British for the orchestra section)—into a little village of Anatevka. (I suppose the entire theater was treated in this manner at the smaller Menier.) The auditorium walls are lined with rough-hewn fencing, topped by birch branches. The set extends out past the actual stage; patrons in the boxes appear to be built into the action. The seating is crammed onto the reconfigured floor in a decidedly uneven manner, although not nearly so reconfigured as the Playhouse was when I last visited it for The Jungle.
Thus we get a deeply atmospheric Fiddler. The audience is immediately drawn into the highly emotional material, and attention never wavers. The cast is led by Andy Nyman, a rather younger and healthier Tevye than we are accustomed to; he does not quite look like he’s been toting milk pails and pulling wagons for 20 years. Even so, he is a new-style Tevye no longer constrained by memories of Mostel, Bernardi, Topol, and others; when he dreams of being a rich man, he barely daidle-daidle-dees while altogether ignoring the barnyard sounds which have factored into Tevyes past. Nyman, by the way, will be represented on Broadway at the Cort in September, as co-author and director of Derren Brown: Secret.
This production also starred Judy Kuhn, who likely made a special Golde. She left earlier this month, and was replaced by Maria Friedman. I’d gladly travel to see any Kuhn performance, but I’m just as happy for the opportunity to watch Friedman, who has three Oliviers thus far (including awards for Passion and Ragtime). Her excellent Golde is more rounded than others I have seen; while she fulfils the need to be the termagent at Tevye’s side, she also demonstrates an inner level of warmth. Her delivery of “Do You Love Me?” might be the finest I recall, in that we “see” her surprised realization as the song proceeds that maybe she does love Tevye. Unthinkable! Absurd!
Entering the cast with Friedman is a new Yente, Anita Dobson (a popular favorite from the TV series EastEnders). Standing out among the rest are Harriet Bunton as Hodel, Nicola Brown as Chava, Joshua Gannon as Motel, and Stewart Clarke as Perchik.
Nunn makes fine use of the auditorium, with the cast continually streaming through the aisles. The choreography is mostly by Matt Cole, with two numbers (“To Life” and the wedding sequence with its irreplaceable “Bottle Dance”) using the original Robbins choreography.
This Fiddler is somewhat different from other Fiddlers, yes, and Nunn has made small textual changes that might be noticeable to those highly familiar with the piece (although nowhere near as drastic as the several alterations of the author’s intentions in the current Broadway Oklahoma!). But it appears to be a popular hit in London, filling the house with people who walk away loving Fiddler on the Roof. And I expect that would thrill the authors.
★★★★ The Light in the Piazza
Adam Guettel’s The Light in the Piazza forged new ground for the American musical when it was produced by Lincoln Center Theater in 2005. Ignoring the then-current trend for raucous musical comedies like The Producers, Hairspray, Avenue Q, and Spamalot, it was an uncompromising and intelligent musical drama bolstered by a romantically rhapsodic score. Something of a hard sell at first, appreciative reviews and strong word-of-mouth—plus six Tony Awards—propelled the show to a successful Broadway run and national tour.
The musical now makes its London premiere with a limited, 20-performance engagement at London’s Southbank Centre. Opera’s Renée Fleming and Disney’s Dove Cameron serve as the marquee lures. From those first cascading harp ripples, it is clear: Piazza retains its uniqueness even in the day of Hamilton, Fun Home, and Dear Evan Hansen.
The staging at the Southbank’s 2,900-seat Royal Festival Hall is something more than a staged reading but less than a full production. It is comparable to what we would see at Encores! nowadays, although with a significantly more substantial unit set. (The Encores! orchestra takes up more than half of the City Center stage area, which is not an issue at the vast Festival Hall.)
And what an orchestra! Southbank gives us 40 pieces, including 30 strings. They have had the foresight to import as music director Kimberly Grigsby, a Guettel specialist whose credits range from The Full Monty to Spring Awakening to Spider-Man. Under Grigsby’s baton, the Orchestra of Opera North and those 16 violins offer an extraordinarily lush reading of Guettel’s score.
We also have the chance to appreciate, once more, the craftsmanship of Guettel’s music and lyrics and the book by Craig Lucas. This production is staged by Daniel Evans, who earned a Best Actor Tony nomination in 2008 for Sunday in the Park with George. The scenery comes from Robert Jones, with evocative period costumes (including some lovely gowns) by Brigitte Reiffenstuel and effective lighting by Mark Henderson.
Fleming, who brings a wonderful presence and her acclaimed voice to the role, is quite good as Margaret, the American in Florence. Midway through the London run, she seems to be gaining confidence as a theater actress although she does not as yet dominate the proceedings. Cameron might be a Disney star, but it turns out that she is highly effective as the physically grown but developmentally damaged Clara; she sings the role well, too. Three-time Olivier-winner Alex Jennings contributes a crafty and charming performance as Signor Naccarelli.
The find of the evening is Rob Houchen, as the lovestruck Fabrizzio. A British actor whose few stage credits include (what else?) Les Misérables, he steps out here and sings with what can only be described as impassioned fervor. Houchen also brings conviction to a major plot point—that Fabrizzio is considerably younger than Clara—that has not come across in earlier productions. The excellent Matthew Morrison and Steven Pasquale portrayed Fabrizzio in the initial productions, but for all their qualities neither gave the impression of being barely 20 years old.
Following London, The Light in the Piazza will move on to stints at LA Opera (October 12-20, with Fleming and Cameron) and Chicago Lyric Opera (December 14-29, with Fleming). At least some American audiences will have the opportunity to “return to Firenze” with Adam Guettel.
Fiddler on the Roof opened March 27, 2019, at the Playhouse Theatre (London) and runs through November 2. Tickets and information: fiddlerwestend.com
The Light in the Piazza opened June 18, 2019 at Royal Festival Hall (London) and runs through July 5. Tickets and information: lightinthepiazzathemusical.com
