A Grand Production Of 'Fiddler On The Roof' At The Paramount

By Melody Udell in Arts & Entertainment on Mar 19, 2013 7:00PM

The Paramount Theatre's larger-than-life production of Fiddler on the Roof. Photo by Liz Lauren courtesy the Paramount.

There’s no denying that Fiddler on the Roof was a good choice for the Paramount, the grand mega-theater nestled in the far western ‘burbs. In recent years, the Paramount has been attracting big-name talent and top-quality production teams, and this Broadway-caliber staging of one of the world’s most popular musicals is no exception.

Peter Kevoian, playing the seminal role of Tevye, is a rich and defined actor, easily transitioning from his character’s zany one-liners to moments of true heartbreak. (Those who saw the show earlier in the run saw David Girolmo as Tevye. He stepped into the role last-minute — to much praise — as Kevoian was recovering from illness.) Clearly the anchor of the show, Tevye the dairyman struggles to provide for his wife and five daughters — three of which are of marrying age. And as the entire Jewish community in the early 20th-century Russian village of Anatevka will tell you, the strongly held tradition of marriage lies with the decision of the papa. The problem is, Tevye’s lovelorn daughters want to arrange their own marriages to suitors of their choosing — a preposterous idea to their stalwart father. But as the Russian army becomes more invasive and pograms — violent attacks against Jews — become more common, Tevye starts to realize the only way to beat change is to embrace it.

Supporting the fully engrossing Tevye is a host of quality performers. Iris Lieberman is the stern, no-nonsense matriarch Golda, who is exasperated with the efforts of the town matchmaker, hilariously played by Renee Matthews. The three daughters (Kelley Abell as Tzeitel, Jazmin Gorsline as Hodel and Brooke Singer as Chava) are strong performers — especially Singer, who makes our hearts ache as she pleads her case to marry outside the Jewish faith. The moment is made all too real when the walls of Anatevka literally close off around her. It’s here that Kevin Depinet’s solid set works best, simultaneously showing us a community resistant to change and the fragility of the world around it.

Fiddler has its fair share of splashy numbers — most notably the immensely entertaining “To Life” — while also showing a more subtle side. The Jewish wedding ceremony “Sunrise, Sunset” is especially soulful. “Tevye’s Dream,” a fabricated nightmare that sways his wife’s opinion of their daughter’s betrothed, seems to have a little added zest — you could call it a sort of spooky Jewish matchmaking dream.

Despite — or perhaps because of — the show’s familiar story and characters, Fiddler on the Roof is worthy of frequent revisiting. And with less than a week left in the show’s run at the Paramount, catching this production is well-worth the trek to Aurora.

Fiddler On The Roof runs through March 24 at the Paramount Theatre, 23 East Galena Blvd, Aurora.