Noosa Arts Theatre is currently staging the play “The Fiddler on the roof.” Mark Rodriquez went to the full dress rehearsal. Here he shares his impressions of the night with Garry Tempest. For performance dates and tickets phone 5449 9343 Monday to Saturday 9am to noon, counter sales Monday to Saturday 9am to noon or online.
Runs 3′45″
Review: “Fiddler On The Roof” (Noosa Arts Theatre)
September 2nd, 2010 · 1 Comment · Community, Interviews, Podcasts
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Fiddler on the Roof Review
by Frank Wilkie
Groin-tearing Cossack dancing, strong singing and a terrifying spectre of an undead mother-in-law make Noosa Arts’ production of Fiddler on the Roof possibly the best musical ever staged at this community’s theatrical heart.
Joe Jurisevic, who recently traced his family heritage to Slovenia and Poland, lent an authenticity to the lead role of Jewish milkman Tevye with opening night theatre-goers claiming he was born to play the part.
As the father of five daughters, who attempts to maintain religious and family traditions amid the strife and change of pre-revolution Czarist Russia, he was well-supported by 32 other enthusiastic cast members. Among them young actors Summer Bowen and Sally-Ann Bates as daughters Tzeitel and Hodel and Ben Adams as Perchik lifted audiences with their energy and stage presence. Yvonne Woodlock was terrifying as a long-dead mother-in-law in an imaginative nightmare scene and the roles of matchmaker Yente (Helen Ainsworth), Rabbi (John Woodlock), Motel (William Wallace) and Lazar Wolfe (Terry Parkin) were crowd pleasers.
The simple ingenuity of the set has also contributed to the show’s virtual sell-out status.
Director David Williams has directed this show five times previously. Audiences of his sixth production are the beneficiaries of what he has learned about moving a large cast about a relatively small stage.
When Fiddler on the Roof opened in Broadway in 1964, it became the first musical in history to pass the 3,000 performance mark and held the record for the longest running Broadway musical for 10 years.
At two hours 40 minutes and $30 for adults, the show offers value for regular lovers of musical theatre. Fiddler continues until September 18. Bookings on 5449 9343.