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‘Fiddler’ a great night of theater
By Lynn Taylor Rick, Journal Staff WriterLooking as if he’s having the time of his life, Eric Johnson pours himself into one of musical theater’s most beloved characters in the Black Hills Playhouse’s production of “Fiddler on the Roof.”
The show opened Thursday at the Black Hills Playhouse in Custer State Park and runs through July 30.
For audiences familiar and unfamiliar with “Fiddler,” the production will be a welcome treat. It all starts with Johnson, who may have been born to play Tevye, the poor dairyman. The well-known actor/director looks every bit the part of the beleaguered Jewish father, struggling to serve tradition, God and the happiness of his household. Although Tevye is all rough edges on the outside, he’s warm and fuzzy inside.
This isn’t Johnson’s first time playing Tevye, and it’s obvious. He completely comfortable in the role, relaxed and having a ball. His timing is hilarious, his facial expressions perfect.
Directed by playhouse artistic director Jan Swank, “Fiddler” tells the classic tale of Tevye and Golde, played wonderfully by Carol Wasson. The traditional Jewish parents reside in the Russian village of Anatevka in a time just before to the Russian revolution.
As the parents struggle to maintain their Jewish traditions despite their headstrong daughters, they try to ignore the approaching pogroms. Tim Case’s set of the beloved Anatevka are rich and layered, with the brown tones of the impoverished village life set against the beautiful hues of a multi-colored sky. Though the families in Anatevka are cash poor, they are rich in tradition, neighbors, family and faith. The costumes, designed by Wendy Stark, are charming and subtly colorful, and Justin Speck’s choreography is classic and cute. The cast shows off rich vocals, through some of the most popular Broadway tunes of all time, from “Tradition” to “If I Were a Rich Man.” If you don’t leave the theater humming “Rich Man,” I suggest you get your hearing checked.
Tevye’s dream sequence, though a little bumpy on its first night, was a hit with the audience. Complete with a haunting and graveyard backdrop, the scene is filled with potential and fun.
Sure, there are few slumps here and there, including a couple of slightly weak solos. But the cast of “Fiddler” doesn’t let those drag things down. The energy level and timing keep clipping along and you soon forget the blips and get caught up in the familiarity of this work. This “Fiddler” is a great night at the theater.
