Tradition maintained in Earl of March’s Fiddler on the Roof
What is tradition? Ask Tevye, and it’s the glue that holds communities and families together. Ask a Bolshevik like Perchik, and it’s the cause of relentless oppression and monstrous regimes. Like the fiddler himself, the real answer lies somewhere between the two, and Earl of March kept its balance admirably with its exquisite production of Fiddler on the Roof.
The Fiddler on the Roof tradition began in 1964 with the first Broadway run ever to pass 3,000 performances. Set in Russia in 1905, the musical depicts the struggle between Tevye’s Orthodox Jewish beliefs and his daughters’ desires to marry for love. As each daughter falls for a less-than orthodox husband — the first for an impoverished tailor, the second for a Bolshevik revolutionary, and the last for a repentant Russian soldier — Tevye bends his old ways until they can bend no more. While this internal conflict rages, the village of Anatevka that he and his family call home is beset by a pogrom and Tevye must choose to fight for his home or submit to the law.
Earl of March’s production was grounded in the hard work of the village chorus. Through incessant good-natured gossip and choreography that filled the stage with elegant shapes and formations, the chorus provided the sense of community required to make the show touching and believable.
As Tevye and his wife Golde, respectively, Christian Garnons-Williams and Jackie Kormylo, carried the spirit of the show with wry, matter-of-fact humour. Kormylo distinguished herself with vitality and maternal ire, which, despite terrifying her husband, demonstrated deep compassion and affection for her family. Meanwhile, Garnons-Williams’ sonorous bass-baritone had enough emotion for sentimental numbers like Do You Love Me, and intensity to spare for his fits of outrage. But even with a voice that could move mountains, he still managed to project a surprising frailty in his portrayal of Tevye. The heart-wrenching image of such a weary old man dragging his heavy milk cart across the stage, like Sisyphus pushing his boulder, embodied the plight of the people of Anatevka.
Emily Poulsen, playing Tevye’s second daughter Hodel, sang with a resonant, expressive voice that broke hearts in her swan song Far From the Home I Love. In turn, Colin Campbell’s portrayal of Motel mended them again through jubilant song and a lovable shyness that could turn even Tevye’s fury to fondness. Other highlights in an extraordinary supporting cast included Vicky Murat as Fruma-Sarah, whose piercing shrieks terrified the rest of the company into raising their sometimes-flagging energy level, and Spencer Kahler, who danced the impressive bottle dance at Motel’s wedding — “for a small fee, of course”.
Ethan Balakrishnan provided the requisite fiddling, supported by the professional-calibre Earl of March Pit Band. With a high proportion of strings, the pit band was impeccably balanced, lending it a full, rich sound that underscored, not overpowered, the onstage action. The versatile set consisted of house fronts with painted interiors, which were turned and rearranged to create the village streets, the tailor’s shop, the bar, and just about every other setting in the play.
In just three seemingly short hours in a little village in Russia, Fiddler on the Roof took us through the best of life’s milestones and the worst of its sufferings. Replete with exultation and dignity, Earl of March Secondary School’s production was a celebration: a toast to life, and all its laughter and tears.
ABOUT THE REVIEWS
The production at Earl of March Secondary School was reviewed by 30 critics representing eight schools. The critic discussions were mentored by teacher Cindy Zwolak of Sacred Heart High School and student reviews were edited and selected for publication by Renee Campeau of Lester B. Pearson Catholic High School, who could see only the reviews, not the names or schools of the reviewers.
Next review: Immaculata High School’s production of The Giver.
ABOUT THE CAPPIES
The Citizen and 38 high schools are participating in the Cappies, a Washington, D.C.-based program that uses high school critics to review high school theatre. The program is a unique partnership between the Citizen, the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and the Ottawa Catholic School Board. Three schools from other boards in the region and four private schools have also joined. The four winners of the lead acting categories will receive a bursary provided by the national law firm Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP. Follow the Cappies on Twitter @Ottawa-Cappies.