Stage: Fiddler on the Roof
Craig Revel Horwood directs and choreographs a new touring production of the classic musical at The Hawth
Never let anyone deceive you into thinking that a musical is a bit of theatrical fluff. Look beyond the fun songs penned by Rodgers and Hammerstein and nearly all of their hits had a dark underbelly. Fiddler On The Roof falls into the same category. Okay, ‘If I Were A Rich Man’ may well be one of the funniest songs in any show, it hardly ecapsulates the dark tale of persecuted Russian Jewish peasants that is the core of the work.
Fiddler On The Roof has become one of the most popular and beloved of all stage musicals and one of Broadway’s longest-running of all time with a marathon run of over 13 years and over 3,000 performances from its premiere in 1964. It won nine Tony Awards, had four Broadway revivals and was made into a film of the same name starring Topol.
Paul Michael Glaser is to play the lead role of Tevye, made famous by Topol, in the forthcoming tour of Fiddler On The Roof. Paul Michael Glaser was in the classic 1971 film version of the musical (in the role of the student and Bolshevik revolutionary Perchik who falls in love with Tevye’s second daughter).
This new production of Fiddler On The Roof is directed and choreographed by Craig Revel Horwood, Strictly Come Dancing judge and master of the musical stage. This exciting new production will open at The Mayflower Theatre, Southampton (5 – 14 September) prior to a UK and Ireland tour into spring 2014.
Craig’s new production will capture all the emotions of laughter and joy to tears and sadness and is filled to the brim with memorable and instantly recognisable songs including, of course, ‘If I Were a Rich Man’, ‘Matchmaker Matchmaker’, ‘Sunrise, Sunset’, ‘To Life’, ‘Tradition’ and many more.
Tevye, the local milkman in his village of Anatevka, has always stuck by his traditions but suddenly his headstrong daughters decide that they want to marry for love rather than accept whatever Yente the Matchmaker comes up with. Tevye loves his daughters but has to convince his wife, and the villagers, that their decisions are actually falling in with tradition. Even if it means conjuring up ghosts of dead wives and scaring his own wife to bits in order to get her to agree. Tradition is all well and good but, in the end, the world moves on, as do the villagers but maybe not for the reasons they would have liked. All this is set in 1905 against a background of prejudice, expulsions and pogroms.
Paul Michael Glaser is best known for playing David Starsky in the iconic Starsky And Hutch TV series opposite David Soul. He also made a brief cameo appearance in the 2004 film version of the same and he has many other TV credits to his name. On stage he has appeared in over 50 roles in regional, repertory, off-Broadway and Broadway theatre in the US. His film credits include Something’s Gotta Give alongside Diane Keaton. He is also a writer of poetry and children’s literature.
Executive producer John Stalker said: “We are thrilled to welcome Paul Michael Glaser to the iconic and starring role of Tevye in Fiddler On The Roof. It is a part he has longed to play for years and that he has chosen to realise his dream in this new production from Craig Revel Horwood for Music & Lyrics is both humbling and tremendously exciting. Musical theatre lovers the length and breadth of the UK and Ireland are in for a very special treat and we expect demand for tickets to be high.”
Fiddler On The Roof is based on Sholem Aleichem Stories. The book is by Joseph Stein, music by Jerry Bock and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick. It was produced on the New York stage by Harold Prince, directed and choreographed by Jerome Robbins. Mr Robbins’ original direction and choreography will be reproduced by Craig Revel Horwood.
Fiddler On The Roof, The Hawth Crawley, Tue 19–Sat 23 November Evenings at 7.30pm Matinees: Wed & Sat 2.30pm
Box office 01293 553636 www.tickets.hawth.co.uk www.fiddlerontheroof.co.uk
