Wherever the late Jerome Robbins is, he should be smiling down on the Wick Theatre.
The Boca Raton stage company has mounted that perennial favorite, Fiddler on the Roof and, as the program acknowledges, Norb Joerder has reproduced Robbins’ original direction and Robert Abdoo has reproduced his original choreography. Many have tried to improve on Robbins’ deft, heartfelt work for the 1964 Broadway show, but to my knowledge none has succeeded. So what the Wick production lacks in originality, it more than makes up in authenticity and theatricality.
Based on Sholom Aleichem’s folk tales of Tevye the dairyman, his five rebellious daughters and the Jewish community of Anatevka, Russia, circa 1905, Fiddler is one of the great musicals of Broadway’s so-called golden age. It is hard to fathom from today’s perspective, but before Fiddler, commercial musicals with Jewish themes or characters were exceedingly rare. This show not only opened those floodgates, but proved to be surprisingly universal in productions around the globe.
Composer Jerry Bock and lyricist Sheldon Harnick felt certain they were venturing into risky territory, writing this show for what would be a limited audience. Now, 60 years later, we greet their score as old friends, a string of hits such as “Matchmaker, Matchmaker,” “To Life” and “Sunrise, Sunset.”
Leading the Wick cast is Bruce Sabath, whose approach to Tevye is naturalistic, in contrast to the usual larger-than-life portrayals. It is an interesting performance choice, which makes the show more of an ensemble piece rather than a star vehicle, strengthening the musical’s theme of community. Book writer Joseph Stein gave Tevye many a Borscht Belt punchline, but Sabath downplays such broad comic tendencies effectively.
Sabath was an original cast member – and occasional Tevye fill-in – in the recent off-Broadway Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish. Here we get glimpses of that performance as he delivers a few lines in dialect in his bravura rendition of “If I Were a Rich Man” and the moving “Chava” sequence.
With Tevye not towering over the production, that allows Patti Gardner as his wife Golde to become more prominent. She mines the character’s exasperation with expert timing, yet makes her discovery of enduring affection for Tevye (“Do You Love Me?”) quite touching.
The spine of the show’s narrative is how Tevye’s three eldest daughters challenge the established traditions of betrothment. Torie D’Alessandro, Mallory Newbrough and Caila Katz breathe fresh life into their emotional journey, pairing with Michael Scott Ross, Alex Martinez and Cameron Edris respectively.
Ann M. Bruskiewitz’s costumes stick close to the original designs and some of Kacey D. Koploff’s stage-wide projections evoke the flavor of Marc Chagall.
In South Florida, we seem never to be far from a revival of Fiddler, but nor does there appear to be a lack of audience for the show. So as long as you are not looking for a new take on the material, the Wick production should certainly satisfy your Fiddler craving.
FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, Wick Theatre, 7901 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton. Through Sunday, Feb. 11. $79-$109. 561-995-2333.