‘Fiddler’ plays on
Beloved musical blends timely message with tradition
Tradition! Belted out by the cast, the word provides the first lyric in “Fiddler on the Roof.” Tradition is the cornerstone of the epic 1964 Broadway blockbuster.
But for Israeli actor Yehezkel Lazarov, who plays the lead role of Tevye in “Fiddler on the Roof” (Tuesday to March 8 at the Emerson Colonial Theatre), another word must be considered in the show’s prologue.
“It’s balance and tradition,” Lazarov said. “You hear both these words, together, against each other. And Tevye, in all of his monologues, returns to the sentence, ‘On the other hand.’ This is balance, this is timeless. This is the first thing we can relate to (in the show).”
For Lazarov, a legendary actor, director and writer in Israel, “Fiddler on the Roof” offers a universal look at family, love and, of course, tradition. Created by Tony-winner Joseph Stein and Pulitzer Prizewinners Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick, the show tells the story of Tevye, a poor milkman determined to find good husbands for his five daughters in a Jewish community in a Russian village in 1905. Full of old wisdom, modern aspirations and signature songs, the show won an astounding nine Tonys during its ’60s run.
“The themes, compassion, heart, celebration, falling in love and conflicts that arise when someone does falls in love with someone their family thinks is the wrong person, these are themes everyone can relate to,” Lazarov said.
But the actor points to another universal theme, a constant that can seem more pressing during particular moments in history, one that feels especially acute now: refugee crises spanning the globe.
“(‘Fiddler’) is a story of leaving,” he said. “And we (as a cast) know that as we are standing on stage, singing ‘Anatevka’ while we are forced to leave our home as Jewish people in the play, there are so many people from so many countries in the middle of the ocean trying to find a home. This is a very painful point. We don’t sing this song just because it is part of the show. It has to do with something much bigger, much more relevant, something that doesn’t look like it will stop.”
Lazarov says the musical examines many painful ideas, but as an actor — in the emotions and history and turmoil — he finds so much pleasure.
A star in his home country, Lazarov had devoted the last two years to the U.S. run of “Fiddler.” As the production tours the States, he has made room on the road for his wife and children — the family travels everywhere together. Having recently signed on for a second tour, he says he could do “five seasons more.”
“I enjoy the shows much, much more than I did in the beginning,” he said with a laugh. “I have just done show 460 and I enjoyed it more than any of the first 300. I am a person that loves to dive into little details very slowly.”
It’s a good thing Lazarov loves tradition. His fans and the show’s producers may want him back for another 300 shows.