Fiddler on the Roof

John Crandford Adams Playhouse, Hempstead, NY, October 31, 2015

When I have time, I like to check out plays at the leading colleges, conservatories, and performing arts schools in the region.  It gives me a chance to spot talents-to-watch before they are famous.  I first saw such players as Broadway’s Nikki James and Hollywood’s Ansel Elgort, for example, when they were, respectively, students in college and high school.

And I’m very glad I got to see Hofstra University’s production of Fiddler on the Roof this week, because the star, Michael Caizzi, commanded the stage from beginning to end with an authority that is rare to find among college players (or older players for that matter). He owned the role completely from his very first words. He knew how to be big and broad when appropriate (“To Life”) and unexpectedly quiet and vulnerable when needed (“Do You Love Me?”). He played the role with that rare kind of great gusto that is a joy to share. I enjoyed his performance tremendously. He has a good future ahead of him.

I was also impressed by the fact that the two most effective performers in this cast, Caizzi (Tevye) and Peter Charney (Perchik) are only juniors.  (If the college wanted to mount The Producers next year, they’d have co-stars who could pull it off right there.)  Nice contributions, too, from  Sheila Springer (Golde),  Sabrina Sutton (Tzeitel), Anna Watts (Chava), Caroline McFee (Hodel), William Ketter (Fyedka), and Daniel Artuso (Motel).

The whole production impressed me. The huge cast consisted entirely of college students, guided by three professionals: director Cindy Rosenthal; choreographer Stas Kmiec; and music director Andrew Abrams—all of whom, incidentally, are alumni of past productions of Fiddler starring the late, great Theodore Bikel.  They know this show inside out and were able to do justice of it. Not every moment was equally strong, but they did a better job than some professional productions I’ve seen (such as that at Bucks County Playhouse). And this was the most satisfying college production of any show I’ve seen in a couple of years.

The wonderfully varied, richly melodic score by Bock and Harnick remains one of the great glories of the musical theater. And from the first number—”Tradition,” introducing us zestfully to the people of the village and their life—we are caught up in show. And the book, by Joseph Stein, is just as strong. Director/choreographer Jerome Robbins’ original staging was so perfect, productions draw upon it to this day.