“Fiddler on the Roof” is a perennially popular musical that opened on Broadway in 1964. The first musical in U.S. history to surpass 3,000 performances, it won nine Tony awards and went on to hit performances in London and elsewhere. A successful movie version followed in 1971, and the show has enjoyed enduring popularity.
Set in pre-revolutionary Russia in 1905, the story concerns life in a small Jewish village as its inhabitants cope with persecution by the Tsar and Orthodox Christians. Its enduring theme is the conflict between tradition and a hostile society.
This month the local theatre group South Valley Civic Theatre is presenting 11 performances of it over four weekends at the Morgan Hill Community Playhouse (17090 Monterey St.). The show should have an authentic feel because Rabbi Debbie Israel of Morgan Hill’s Congregation Emeth is acting as a consultant on the show, helping with accuracy of prayers and accents. In addition, the Congregation has made available several Jewish ritual items to increase the show’s realism.
Because some 90 percent of the ancestors of today’s American Jews came from small villages similar to Anatekva, the fictional town where the play is set, this could be a unique opportunity for South Valley residents to learn about a culture different from our own.
Congregation Emeth and SVCT have worked together to offer a special matinee performance at 2:30 p.m. Sunday. This singular special event, “A Jewish Cultural Experience,” will include the live production of “Fiddler” as well as an explanation of the historical and cultural background behind the story and its characters.
The lobby will contain multimedia displays portraying the cultural and religious life of the “shtetls,” the small towns where European Jews lived in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The displays will highlight how religion and tradition created commonalities in spite of geographic differences. Information will be presented about such important aspects as:
• Language (Yiddish)
• Foods
• Family and community
• Religious observances
• Conditions that led to the demise of these communities through immigration to the United States.
An extended intermission will allow the audience a chance to sample Ashkenazi (German-Eastern European) cuisine such as potato latkes, mandelbrot, babka, herring in sour cream, knishes and kasha varnishkes.
After the performance, there will be an opportunity to engage in a short discussion with the cast.
Although “Fiddler on the Roof” has been one of the most popular musicals in history, these cultural and educational components should enhance even further the audience’s understanding and enjoyment of the performance.
Additional details and tickets for the special matinee performance Sunday are available at www.emeth.net/fiddler. Proceeds will benefit Congregation Emeth’s education programs. Tickets for the other performances of the play by South Valley Community Theatre are available from Booksmart (80 E. Second St.), at the door or at www.brownpapertickets.com.
Chuck Flagg is a retired teacher with a passion for religion. Reach him at cf****@sv**********.com.
