“Tradition” opened the show of Thursday night’s Longmont Theatre Company’s rendition of “Fiddler on the Roof.” However, the show brought a new level of performance to Longmont’s local theatre group.
“Fiddler on the Roof” is a musical set in the Pale of Settlement of Imperial Russia around 1905. The story is based on the main character Tevye’s, played by David Willner, life. He has three daughters, three of whom are of marrying age. Tevye attempts to maintain his Jewish traditions in a time when the world is changing around him.
The play was directed by Tracy Warren who was a performer, director and choreographer at the BDT Stage. She also spent ten years as the director of musicals at Fairview High School. Her theatre career also includes performances on Broadway, in National tours and in regional theatres across the country. She also was the voice of Tuptim in the Warner Brothers animated feature, “The King and I.”
After the LTC had determined the cast, the director had to drop out of the performance, leaving the company without someone to guide the play. Warren was asked to step in at the last minute. She had just finished playing the role of the fiddler in another local performance and was willing to give it a try.
“I don’t know if I would put myself up for “Fiddler” as a director,” Warren said adding that she isn’t Jewish. “I jumped on a fast-moving train. I jumped on when it was already in motion.”
Not being of the Jewish faith was a challenge for Warren as she did not have a deep understanding of the religion. She saw it as an opportunity to challenge herself.
Warren brought in experts to help with the relationships and culture in the play. She wanted to ensure that she got the cultural truths right especially within the time period.
“For me as a director, I almost always come from relationships first. The thing that was most important to me was the relationship that Tevye has with his daughters and with his town and the role that the tradition plays,” Warren said.
To accomplish this, Warren said she had to be open-minded to the input of the experts and the two Jewish cast members offered.
The set design, done by Derek Walker, was elaborate. In past productions, the set has been simple, flat designs. For “Fiddler on the Roof,” the sets included 3-D versions of Tevye’s house and other buildings in the village.
The show runs from May 10-25 on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at longmonttheatre.org
