Guilty Pleasures – Fiddler on the Roof
It’s theater time again!
For those of you in Michigan, Young People’s Theater is putting on their production of Fiddler on the Roof this weekend. Tickets are available through the Michigan Union box office, http://www.mutotix, or calling 734-763-TKTS.
Up until now, it’s always been my one daughter that’s been in musicals. This time around my son (aka Mini-Me-in-so-many-different-ways-it’s-freaking-scary) is making his stage debut. We’ve been trying to get him involved in theater for quite some time for all the usual reasons:
– We’re fiendish Svengalis.
– We’re vicariously living through them to ease the pain of our failed attempts at stage glory.
– We think he’s going to be the next Hugh Jackman and are looking forward to pillaging his child actor’s money.
Seriously, he’s a natural-born ham, can sing, and loves making people laugh – often with borderline inappropriate humor. Sound familiar? But he’s also pretty shy and suffers from nasty stage fright. I, too suffered, from the same for quite a long time. I don’t know if it was the way I was raised or something in my chemistry, but I was always very reluctant to express myself in public. Taking the leap and doing theater was a life-changer – it made me less shy to new people and gave me the courage to share my talents with others. I think it also gave me the confidence to start this blog as well. The problem was that I didn’t do any of this until a few years ago. So, I wanted to get him started in this at a younger age so that he can really enjoy life. Plus I really do want the Jackman money.
I had never seen Fiddler before, but I knew many of the songs. “Matchmaker, Matchmaker” and “Tradition” are a lot of fun, but this song has always been special to me and my family.
One of my most vivid memories as a kid was going to my cousin’s wedding. I was young, bored, and was wearing a tie so I was pretty fidgety. I just wanted to get done with this and hit the buffet. Then, out of nowhere, my uncle (the bride’s father) got up and sang “Sunrise, Sunset.” He was a well-known surgeon in Indiana so it wasn’t like he was a professional singer. He was also my dad’s oldest brother, so he always struck me as the strict patriarch type. To hear him sing it – and nail the performance – was amazing on so many levels. When that cousin’s daughter got married a few years ago, much to the surprise of everyone there, they played the audio of my uncle singing the song. Not a dry eye in sight.
So let’s raise a toast to all the kids, parents, and crew on this awesome production of a classic musical. To family, to friends, to the magic of theater, and …
Break a leg!
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11 comments on “Guilty Pleasures – Fiddler on the Roof”
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wine century
Doppel Member, Baby!
Shameful admission: I have never, in all my days, seen Fiddler on the Roof. I know.
Tix still available…
Fiddler is one of my favs. I’ve seen it a million times both on stage and film. Don’t tell anyone but I even have the soundtrack on CD. I listened to it yesterday on my way to work.
L’Chaim!
Blast it with pride, with the windows rolled down!! We’ve become very familiar with that CD as well as they used it to learn the songs. The Dream makes much more sense on stage…. the kids did a great job wtih it
Hey, so… this doesn’t have anything to do with Fiddler, but I saw it the other day and it really cracked my shit up.
I gotta get in a production of that one..
You don’t have to be in Camelot just to wear tights.
One of my favs! I saw it performed in SF when I was in middle school and it ignited a life long love of theater!
Thanks!
Love this blog! It’s pretty much exactly what I want to read about everyday. Also, once upon a time I played Tzeitel in FOTR. Ah, glory days. I am probably going to need to see this.
Thanks for stopping by and for the kind words! Today’s 2pm show is last one. They may have some available, but you’ll have to go to the theater…