{"id":18009,"date":"2016-04-01T00:19:06","date_gmt":"2016-04-01T07:19:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/?p=18009"},"modified":"2016-03-31T16:55:01","modified_gmt":"2016-03-31T23:55:01","slug":"royal-city-welcomes-tevye","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/2016\/04\/01\/royal-city-welcomes-tevye\/","title":{"rendered":"Royal City welcomes Tevye"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jewish community members in Royal City Musical Theatre\u2019s production of Fiddler on the Roof<\/em>, left to right: Erin Palm, Warren Kimmel and Zach Wolfman, with Michael Wilkinson in front. The show runs April 7-23 at Massey Theatre. (photo by Tim Matheson)<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

This year\u2019s Royal City Musical Theatre production is Fiddler on the Roof<\/em>. Playing the legendary lead character of Tevye the Milkman is Jewish community member Warren Kimmel.<\/p>\n

Addressing the community, Kimmel acknowledged that Fiddler<\/em> is \u201cone of those pieces of art that have just become part of the culture almost by osmosis.\u201d But, he added, \u201cFiddler on the Roof<\/em> is an intensely Jewish musical and, although musical theatre is hugely populated by Jewish composers and performers, Fiddler<\/em> is perhaps the only mainstream musical that deals directly with the Jewish experience. So, although your children might know \u2018If I Were a Rich Man\u2019 by cultural absorption, I would urge you to bring them all to see this piece. It\u2019s a fundamental part of who we are and I think it\u2019s going to be a great production.\u201d<\/p>\n

Directing and choreographing the RCMT show is Valerie Easton and the musical director is James Bryson, who will lead a full orchestra. Kimmel will be joined by three other Jewish community members on stage: Michael Wilkinson (Fiddler), Zack Wolfman (Perchik) and Erin Palm (Fruma Sarah). They and the rest of the cast have a challenge in making their iconic characters their own.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have made the character my own by growing a real beard!\u201d said Kimmel, noting that it took three months to grow and has changed his life. \u201cSeriously though, the fact that the role is iconic has been a real issue for me because I actually grew up watching that movie and I think that it is not for no reason that Topol is world-famous from only one identifiable role. I think it\u2019s a brilliant movie and a landmark performance, so it has been quite difficult not to copy what he\u2019s doing. At the same time, I think what would be worse would be to try and do something different just for the sake of being different. So, what I\u2019ve tried to do, and I guess what I always try to do, is find the truth of the story for that character and play that. But they are big boots to fill, no doubt, and an even bigger beard!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s definitely hard when there is a fixed idea of how a character should be,\u201d Wolfman said. \u201cI am steering clear of the trap by approaching the role like I would any other. I look at the words on the page and the circumstances the character finds himself in. The show is iconic because the characters and story are well written, and it makes our jobs easier as actors because that information is all on the page for us to use\u2026. When I say the same words in the same order, it is the character, and I suppose it will become my own when it comes out of my mouth!\u201d<\/p>\n

For her part, Palm said she loves \u201cwhen an actor really takes risks and brings new life to the characters they play. I think I make Fruma Sarah my own by really trying to understand what she wants, in the most honest way possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fiddler on the Roof<\/em> was one of the first musicals Palm ever saw. \u201cIt made a huge impact on me,\u201d she said. So, for her, part of the fun of being in this production \u201ccomes out of years of being excited about the opportunity to do the show and then getting a chance to do it. I love the music and the story.\u201d<\/p>\n

Part of the challenge is to convey the time and place of the action. Based on Tevye and his Daughters<\/em> and other stories by Sholem Aleichem, Fiddler<\/em> is set in 1905 in Anatevka, a fictional Russian village. It centres around Tevye and his efforts to maintain Jewish traditions while trying to keep his wife and five daughters happy and safe.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing that we don\u2019t live in Anatevka and it is 2016,\u201d said Palm, \u201cit\u2019s relating to those social and economic differences and times that makes it a challenge \u2026 capturing the old world feeling in a way that is truthful and heartwarming, that\u2019s what sweeps you away to Anatevka, that\u2019s the charm of the show.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Wolfman, \u201cHaving the opportunity to play a character that is playing against the traditional values of the characters in the play is fun. Perchik has more modern sensibilities and, in a way, he acts as a proxy for the audience to see the differences in beliefs on stage. It is fun to play a character with a strong point of view who is willing to fight for what he believes in\u2026. The challenge for me has been finding the balance between the Perchik who is warm and loving, and the hard-nosed revolutionary. Of course, both sides exist within the character, so it\u2019s interesting to grapple with what comes out at what times. It\u2019s an ongoing question for me so, as my old acting professor Stephen Heatley would say, I\u2019m \u2018keeping the questions open and active.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

In a somewhat similar vein \u2013 trying to find balance within a character \u2013 Wilkinson said, \u201cIt\u2019s been very fun and exciting for me to find the way the Fiddler fits in as a metaphor in Tevye\u2019s mind but also has a personality and character of his own.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not only does Wilkinson have to figure that out, but he is also playing a Russian dancer in the song \u201cTo Life.\u201d He said that Easton \u201chas given us wonderful choreography and the Russian dancing is particularly fun, but also challenging \u2013 especially since most of us don\u2019t have training in Russian dance!\u201d<\/p>\n

Kimmel described Easton as \u201cone of the real jewels of this city\u2019s theatre community and we have worked together enough times now that I know I can allow her to guide me in my performance and that, if I trust her, she will make it a better one. That\u2019s meant to be the director\u2019s job, I guess, and it\u2019s what you always hope for as an actor, but it doesn\u2019t happen nearly as often as you would hope.\u201d<\/p>\n

Last year, Kimmel worked with both Easton and Bryson on RCMT\u2019s My Fair Lady<\/em>. \u201cBoth brilliant,\u201d he said. \u201cAlso, there are a few cast members from My Fair Lady<\/em> that have reappeared in Yiddish garb and large beards and it\u2019s always great to be on stage with people you know and trust. However, all the people I have close relationships with in the piece \u2013 my wife and five daughters \u2013 are all performers I\u2019ve never worked with before and that\u2019s quite exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n

It is also Wilkinson\u2019s second production with Easton, Bryson and RCMT. He was in the ensemble of Annie<\/em> in 2014. \u201cThe Vancouver theatre community isn\u2019t huge, so usually there are some familiar faces when a new production starts rehearsals. I\u2019ve met a bunch of new wonderful people in this production, as well as a few with whom I\u2019ve worked before.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wolfman was at the University of British Columbia with a couple of the other leads, including Jenika Schofield, and has acted before with several members of the cast. \u201cIn fact,\u201d he noted, \u201cJenika actually played my love interest in Titus: The Light and Delightful Musical Comedy<\/em> and now she\u2019s playing Hodel, who falls in love with Perchik. Crazy, right?!\u201d<\/p>\n

While this is his first time working with Easton and Bryson, Wolfman said, \u201cPatrick Ray, our piano player, accompanied a show I did in the past, and maybe saved my life musically more than once.\u201d<\/p>\n

Palm worked with Easton right after graduating from Capilano University. It was in an Arts Club on Tour production of the musical The Thing About Men<\/em>, where, she said, \u201cI played 13 different characters, that was a highlight of my career. I just love her as a director. She\u2019s just so present and physical in her directing skills. She\u2019s very giving, she\u2019s very much an actor\u2019s director\u2026. Also, I am a big fan of female directors. There are so few of them and so, when you get an opportunity to work with a director with such a clear vision who is a woman, I celebrate that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Palm also knows some of Fiddler<\/em>\u2019s cast from previous acting work, she took voice lessons for awhile with Sylvia Zaradic (Yente) and did a video with Natasha Zacher (Tzeitel) and others called Finding Face Time: A YouTube Musical!,<\/em> which is online.<\/p>\n

In the casting process, Palm was called back for two different roles: Tzeitel and Fruma. She said she is grateful to have been chosen \u201cas part of the vision of the show and cast as Fruma Sarah.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the casting is very well put together and I couldn\u2019t imagine the show being cast any other way,\u201d she said. \u201cWe really have worked together as a collective, the chorus is really strong. There are a lot of talented actors and singers in this show, lots of young and up-and-coming talent, too, who really bring something special, new and exciting to the roles they play.\u201d<\/p>\n

Initially, Wolfman wasn\u2019t sure for which role he would audition. During Oliver!<\/em> at Theatre Under the Stars last summer, he said, \u201c[M]any of the cast members in the show were buzzing about Fiddler on the Roof<\/em> auditions during the run. A fellow cast mate, Kat Palmer, said I should go out for Perchik if I got a chance, so the show fell on my radar. When I first auditioned, I was thinking about Motel and Fyedka as possible roles, but after re-reading the script, I definitely had my heart set on Perchik and that\u2019s what happened!\u201d<\/p>\n

When Wilkinson auditioned, he said, \u201cI had to sing a song in front of the directing team and take part in the group dance call. I didn\u2019t go in with a specific role in mind and was just hoping to be a part of the show in some capacity. It worked out well and I\u2019m having a great time being a part of the production.\u201d<\/p>\n

As for the patriarch of the show, Kimmel said, \u201cI originally auditioned for the role of Yente the Matchmaker but I lost that role, unfortunately, and had to settle for Tevye. No, in reality, I think Tevye has always been one of the roles that I felt I would have to do at some point or other, being Jewish for a start, and just loving this play since I was a child. So, I asked Val if I could audition. Honestly, I thought I was a bit young for the role and I still feel I struggle with the [emotional] weight of Tevye\u2026. Also, there are a few performers in town that have been very successful playing the role and I was pretty sure they would be offered it, but it seems my audition \u2013 together with a large cheque made out to Val \u2013 clinched it for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

RCMT\u2019s Fiddler on the Roof<\/em> takes place at Massey Theatre, 735 Eighth Ave., in New Westminster, Wednesday-Sunday, April 7-23. Ticket are $47 ($38 seniors\/students, $29 children 13 and under) from ticketsnw.ca and 604-521-5050.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Jewish community members in Royal City Musical Theatre\u2019s production of Fiddler on the Roof, left to right: Erin Palm, Warren Kimmel and Zach Wolfman, with Michael Wilkinson in front. The show runs April 7-23 at Massey Theatre. (photo by Tim Matheson) This year\u2019s Royal City Musical Theatre production is Fiddler on the Roof. Playing the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":17999,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[785],"tags":[5588,5584,5586,5589,5590,5585,1699,5587],"class_list":["post-18009","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-performing-arts","tag-erin-palm","tag-fiddler","tag-michael-wilkinson","tag-rcmt","tag-royal-city","tag-tevye","tag-warren-kimmel","tag-zack-wolfman"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":8}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18009","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18009"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18009\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17999"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18009"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18009"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18009"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}