Based on Sholem Aleichem Stories by special permission of Arnold Perl
Book by Joseph Stein, Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick & Music by Jerry Bock
Cain Park Evans Amphitheatre, Cleveland Ohio, 2003
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EXCERPTS FROM FIDDLER REVIEWS
"fresh, endearing"
"Cain Park's production of Fiddler on the Roof, ... offers everything that makes a musical worthwhile. Exuberant and moving songs, powerfully sung by an outstanding cast. Lively, bravura choreography, well planned and danced. Appealing lead actors. A strong chorus and orchestra. Effective and imaginative designs. And that rarest of qualities in a song-and-dance show, a serious, thought-provoking subject that's treated with intelligence, humor, passion and joy"
"On top of all that, director Fred Sternfeld manages the enormous Fiddler company of about 45 people as if he were God himself, keeping things physically moving in smooth and visually interesting ways while satisfyingly developing the script's emotional complexities. The effect is like watching an elaborate flower garden bloom through time-lapse photography: Color, pattern, texture and movement emerge in rich, affecting vistas"
"Though their show is a celebration, Sternfeld and his company have concocted no sugary kiddie treat. This Fiddler has the kind of substance that feeds the soul, be it young or old" "Bring the kids. You couldn't ask for a better way to introduce them to musical theater"
Carolyn Jack, The Plain Dealer, 2003
“fabulous” “rousing” “deliciously tender”
“performed with passion, intelligence, and professional precision”
“such productions must be treasured”
“enormously gifted 42-person cast”
“Tom Fulton … imbues this Jewish peasant… with a joy for life and a devotion to family that fairly oozes from every pore”
“the smaller roles are handled with panache”
“in any show this heavily populated and complex, the ultimate praise must go to the director. By focusing on the pulsing humanity of Aleichem’s fragile yet feisty Jewish community, Fred Sternfeld helps this Fiddler soar where other, more frothy interpretations fall flat. He uses every inch of the massive outdoor space to stage eye-popping numbers, such as the swirling dream dance dominated by a 10-foot-tall apparition and the solemn ‘Sabbath Prayer.’ And Sternfeld’s crowd management is ideal, showing admirable attention to the smallest detail without drawing attention to itself”
“vibrant, joyous”
"a glorious theatrical ride"
Christine Howey, Cleveland Scene, 2003
view complete review on Cleveland Scene's Website
"sparkling"
"It was unseasonably chilly in Cain Park's outdoor amphithteater for the opening night of Fiddler on the Roof. But the lucky audience got to toast its tootsies and other appendages in the well-stoked glow radiating from the stage"
"Director Fred Sternfeld has put together a robust revival"
"talented cast"
"What really keeps the proceedings cooking, however, is Sternfeld's skill in bringing humanity and zest to the musical form, including even the largest-scaled production numbers" "Over the years, the detail-driven director has consistently proved that no one is better at enlivening show-stoppers. While never neglecting the glitz, he somehow always manages to deepen them with a distinctive brand of uber-exuberant reality"
"As a prime example, the show immediately lifts off with the entire shtetl population ... proclaiming their Hebraic ' Tradition ' in a sensuous, sinuous eruption of song and dance. A bit later, 'To Life' turns a simple toast into a seismic celebration of human spirit that optomistically unites Jews and gentile, oppressed and oppressor. ' The Dream,' ... phantasmagoria that bubbles with vibrant invention and homely humor"
"Sean Szaller is warmly appealing and voiced as a nebbish tailer who matures into a manly suitor ... Colin Cook demonstrates an impressive maturity and strength ... Arlo Hill stands out as a sympathetic gentile ... as Tevye's daughters, Emma Wahl, C.J. Bonde, Hannah DelMonte, Jennifer Zappola and Kari Kandel comprise a totally beguiling quintet, with the latter three endowing the beautifully staged 'Matchmaker' with a particular sparkle"
"Experienced support in the populous cast comes from, among many, Elaine Rembrandt as the matchmaker Yente, Donald Krosin as a rabbi, Brian Etchell as his son, Noah Budin as a bumbling butcher, and especially Jeannie Tyler as a hysterical dream harridan"
"Tom Fulton ... genuinely touching moments ... had the audience munching out of his mitt and begging for more"
"superior dance direction of the estimable Eric van Baars"
"the overall strength and youthful enthusiasm of the production, add up to undeniably entertaining fiddling around"
James Damico, The Free Times, 2003
"Just when you think you've witnessed Fiddler on the Roof enough times, out of the cavernous amphitheater at Cain Park comes a production of the 1964 Harnick and Bock musical that makes you somehow feel renewed"
"Yes, there is a reason to revive great Broadway musicals, and the reason at Cain Park unfolds under the directing genius of Fred Sternfeld and the amazing talents of Tom Fulton. Mr. Fulton bring the lovable Tevye, the Dairyman, back to life"
"Over 40 perfomers fill the enormous stage, everyone a talent, everyone deeply involved in making this maybe the best Fiddler ever"
"From the explosive first song 'Tradition,' the song involving the whole cast, a song that tells the whys and wherefores of life in the tiny village of Anatevka, you know the night will be a night of extraordinary musical comedy."
"the strict rituals of Hasidic Jews ... rigid ways of dress and rules of behavior, are all drawn upon to create a living picture of Old World Jewish life."
"Tom Fulton becomes a lively, pious and conflicted man whose ups and downs fill every scene. He's a composite of all the best Tevyes. His conversations with God are priceless. Kari Kandel, Jennifer Zappola and Hannah DelMonte are all three exceptional as the daughters who give Tevye most of his problems."
"See this show, it will amaze you"
Herb Hammer, Chagrin Valley Times, 2003
“Cain Park’s rendition, based on the strong staging by Fred Sternfeld, proficient musical direction by Larry Hartzell, wonderful reproduction of the original choreography by Eric van Baars, and Jeff Herrmann’s fine scenic and lighting designs, is one of the better versions"
"Tom Fulton makes Tevye his own. This is not a Zero Mostel or Topol imitation. His Tevye is strong, yet sensitive. He plays for drama, and gets both laughs and emotional responses. His voice is strong, his acting right on-key"
"Sean Szaller is delightful as Motel the Tailor. Vocally and acting-wise he matches with Kari Kandel, who portrays Tzeitel, the eldest daughter. Their "Miracle of Miracles" enchants"
"Jennifer Zappola gives a well-developed and musically solid portrayal as Hodel"
"Hannah DelMonte finely engenders Chava, another of Tevye’s daughters, with the right emotional highs and lows"
"Elaine Rembrandt has some nice moments as Yente, the Matchmaker”
“The dancing is well-tuned”
“The production is blessed with violinist Michael Winer. His playing enhanced the production. The mini-concert he performed at intermission was outstanding”
“Wisely, director Sternfeld eliminated the often poorly done accents, and was very sensitive to the religious traditions that help make for an authentic portrayal”
“The show’s highlights include the beautifully staged ‘Sabbath Prayer,’ the creatively developed ‘The Dream,’ and ‘Tradition,’ the opening number which lays the foundation for the play"
Roy Berko, Times Newspapers, 2003
“This ‘Fiddler’ is fabulous”
“Grounded in the conflict between tradition and change, the old and the new, and parents and children, these themes are the very foundation of all human experience. Director Fred Sternfeld expertly mines these universal tensions in a rich, multilayered production of Fiddler"
"The star of the show, in addition to the burly Tom Fulton as the mercurial and compassionate Tevye, is the hardworking cast and a superlative design team”
“The highpoints are many, starting with Jeff Herrmann's ramshackle set of deconstructed walls that resemble the exterior of a dilapidated shtetl (Jewish village). These moveable walls transform, in the wink of an eye, into the interior of Tevye's house, the local pub, the village square, Motel's tailor shop and a railroad station”
"Fulton clearly revels in the part of Tevye” " Where Fulton shines is in expressing the pathos as well as the humor of an essentially comic character” “Tevye's running dialogue with God, as each child challenges tradition, the papa's authority and the very core of his beliefs, is deeply felt and conveyed by this talented actor and vocalist”
“Starting with the very first ensemble number, ‘Tradition,’ the entire company moves as one. Every crowd scene is pure perfection”
“Watch how the company, stricken with fear, reacts like a tidal wave to the appearance of the ghostly ancestors: Jeannie Tyler as the rickety Grandma Tzeitel and the excellent Sheri Gross as the formidable Fruma-Sarah swathed in costumer Charlotte Yetman's flowing white shrouds and mile-long pearls. Jeff Herrmann's devil red lighting heightens the terror”
“The tableau of the family gathered around the Sabbath table in ‘Sabbath Prayer,’ and echoed by the cast along both sides of the amphitheater, stays etched in memory”
“Larry Hartzell's spirited music direction sets the tone for the terrific score and clever lyrics; an enduring hit parade of songs that are universally known and loved”
"Eric van Baars' choreography ... is another highlight"
“The women who play Tzeitel (Kari Kandel), Hodel (Jennifer Zappola), and Chava (Hannah DelMonte) are superb. They are lovely to look at, they sing well (especially Hodel), and they move together like clockwork in 'Matchmaker, Matchmaker.' Tzeitel's stooped waddle, impersonating the matchmaker, is priceless”
“Other notable performances include Elaine Rembrandt as the stereotypical matchmaker, Yente, and Colin Cook as the radical student, Perchik, who draws a laugh when he says girls are people” “Donald N. Krosin typifies the gentle rabbi who has a blessing for everyone, including the czar and Motel's new sewing machine. Noah Budin as Lazar Wolf, the Butcher, turns in another fine comic performance” “Sean Szaller is outstanding as Motel, the Tailor, whose initial lack of backbone gives way to becoming a man and standing up to the father of the girl he loves. Arlo Hill is credible as the Gentile Russian soldier, Fyedka, who weds Chava”
“How wonderful to see the many young children at the show and so quiet you could hear a pin drop”
“The standing ovation opening night was meant not only for the 42 performers onstage, but for all those behind the scenes and in the orchestra pit who demonstrated that when live theatre is this good, there is no experience quite like it”
Fran Heller, Cleveland Jewish News, 2003
"Tom Fulton is perfect as Tevye in Cain Park's production of classic musical" "It takes a gifted actor to flesh out the darkest, most painful elements of the Fiddler on the Roof story. Veteran actor Tom Fulton does just that at Cain Park's production of this classic musical. Rather than offering a jolly Tevye, Fulton's lead character is much more pensive and wryly humorous than one would normally see. Fulton is not afraid to show Tevye's anger and fear, to show how torn he is between upholding his religious tradition and granting his daughters' happiness. In Fulton's greatest moments of severity, Tevye's love of his faith, people and village ring most true. This approach, complete with wonderful emotional layering, works well in this 1905 story about the Russian pogroms before the revolutionary period"
" Other local productions have glossed over the anti-Semitism and Tevye's reaction to it in his village of Anatevka. This one doesn't. A violent scene where the constable and his men break up Tevye's daughter Tzeitel's wedding celebration had me in tears"
"Some see the milkman Tevye as innocently simplistic, but Fulton's is more lovingly sarcastic as he chats with God. Fulton doesn't need to do a belly dance to get laughs, in the famous 'If I Were a Rich Man.' His mischievous facial expressions say it all. His face couldn't be funnier than when he's responding to his kibitzing wife, the harsh Golde (Paula Duesing). Fulton and Duesing, who masterfully abused each other as George and Martha in Actors' Summit's production of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? last year, have teamed up again to great effect. Beneath their sarcasm, we feel the warmth and love of a couple who fit like hand and glove. Fulton not only has a great, booming speaking voice, he also has a powerful singing voice. But when Tevye whispers, we listen. The actor received a well-deserved standing ovation at Thursday's performance. This tour de force is bound to be remembered for a long time"
"Under the able direction of Fred Sternfeld, there's not a weak link in this show. The musical features a cast that sings and dances its heart out, a wonderful 14-piece orchestra and a great, slipshod-looking set, depicting houses built with boards at uneven angles"
"One of the finest ensemble numbers is 'To Life', where the orchestra and male members of the cast let loose in a rowdy drinking celebration"
"Sean Szaller also shines as Motel in 'Miracle of Miracles', where he revels in the wonders of his love of Tzeitel"
"A special mention also goes out to fiddler Michael Winer, who studies at Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory. At times, he plays directly to Tevye, and his amplified violin echoes in a very cool way after Tevye's big bar scene. Winer also entertains the audience during intermission by playing his fiddle on the roof"
"Eric van Baars ... offers lively dancing in this production. The most graceful features Hannah DelMonte playing Chava in the 'Chava Sequence'."
" If you want to see this beloved musical done very well, be sure to catch Cain Park's production of Fiddler on the Roof"
Kerry Clawson, Akron Beacon Journal