The Fiddler on the Roof opens in Sydney

  Sigrid Thornton & Anthony Warlow

The Fiddler on the Roof opened in Sydney last week with a glittering Red Carpet on Thursday night. Many celebrities and stars walked long the red carpet to enjoy the Premier night at the Capital Theatre in Sydney.

This is a new Australian production of The Fiddler on the Roof that first appeared as a stage musical 51 years ago. The book was written by Joseph Stein, lyrics written by Sheldon Harnick and music by Jerry Bock.

What a production The Fiddler on the Roof is. It is dramatic, funny and moving - a pure delight to see. The cast, staging and music are all wonderful. People from a wide variety of backgrounds, cultures, religions and age groups will appreciate the story of the Fiddler as it unfolds on stage.

The Fiddler on the Roof tells the story of a Jewish couple and there seven children living in Anatevka, a village in Russia. The themes of tradition and change are explored through the children finding love and marriage partners. It is about relationships between family, townspeople, friends, enemies, and God. The themes are just as relevant in todays modern society as they were back then.

Anthony Warlow

The Fiddler on the Roof has a wonderful cast led by the brilliant Anthony Warlow as Tevye.  He is on stage most of the time, and brings the infectious qualities of joy, resilience and drama to his renditions of the songs he sings.  He has appeared in many other musicals and received many theatre awards.

Sigrid Thornton, well known for her many TV and film roles, plays his wife Golde. She is the ideal choice for this role that requires warmth and humour.

Mark Mitchell, best known from the TV show "The Comedy Company" plays Lazar Wolfe, the butcher. He is the beaut comic personality that asks to marry one of Tevye  and Golde's children.

Song writer, singer and recording artist Lior brings his brilliant voice to the role of Motel.

A mention should be made of all the other cast members and ensemble who help bring The Fiddler on the Roof to life. It is obvious that this production is a team effort by all on stage.

The Fiddler on the Roof is a musical with many well known songs in it, including "Tradition", "Matchmaker, Matchmaker" and "If I were a Rich Man". The music is played by a 10 person orchestra of strings, wind, brass and percussion under the masterful direction of Kellie Dickerson and Davis Piper.

Of course, a musical on a grand scale such as The Fiddler on the Roof does not just happen by itself. There is a huge creative team that has worked behind the scenes. The Director, Roger Hodgman, has added his own touches life to the original musical. Dana Jolly has choreographed some wonderful dance segments that include traditional Jewish dances. (Though the wedding dance reminds me more of a country hoe-down from a musical like Oklahoma.)

The sets of The Fiddler on the Roof are designed by Richard Roberts. The simple design is ingenious in the way that it transforms. The outline of the village houses fill the back and side walls of the stage. The houses are differentiated from the sky by the horizontal and vertical boards. Different house outlines are spun around to reveal their interiors.  Paul Jackson effectively lights up the set to focus on an individual singer, a duet, or whole cast scene. There is distinct lighting for the day and night scenes.

Michael Waters has mastered the sound design so that all the speaking, singing and music is clear and blends together.  Leith McPherson has done a good job as dialect coach to bring a touch of accents tom the voices without going over the top to make it too hard to understand what is being said or sung. It is a bit sad that no mention of the Costume Designer is made in the Programme. Someone has gone to a lot of trouble to make the traditional costumes of the cast members look so good on stage.

Make sure you get along to see The Fiddler on the Roof while it is playing its limited season at the Capital Theatre in Sydney.

SYDNEY PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Sun 3:00pm; Tues 8.00pm; Wed 8.00pm & 1.00pm; Thurs 8:00pm; Fri  8:00pm Sat 2.00pm &

8:00pm

Website: http://fiddlerontherooftour.com/
Tickets: http://www.ticketmaster.com.au/fiddler-on-the-roof