Fiddling with life

Fiddler on the Roof is set in a Jewish community, in the village of Antevka, in Tsarist Russia. Tevye is a poor milkman who has a personal relationship with God in whom he confides all. He strives, very hard, to keep up the traditions of his faith, race and culture. But trying to marry off the eldest three of his five daughters, plus the changing times, threatens to breakdown the traditional values he believes keep the balance of life.

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Be ready to laugh. Enjoy the quips of Teyve as he converses with God. Have fun as he talks to himself as he analyzes the things happening to him and to his world.

Be ready to shed some tears as you witness how humans can bear to hurt other human beings. Cry for things and people who bring suffering.

I had a wonderful time watching Miguel Faustmann (as an alternate) as he, in my opinion, did great justice to his role as Teyve. I felt I was really in a Jewish community as he, together with the other casts, sang and danced to the sounds of music we normally associate to this chosen people of God. Joy Virata sang beautifully though there were times that I thought her voice was rougher than it should be. The daughters have pretty voices. I commend the dancers for the balancing act with bottles (I heard there was no trick. It was for real!). Kudos for the effects in the Dream. It was believable, especially the flying thing (so as not to be a spoiler for those who don’t know the story!). And of course, wonderful music from MSO!

I love the songs. Listen to them well for they are also about our own struggles in life and the questions we want to ask God.

I have to be frank, though. Something was definitely off in the second act. Maybe, it was the timing. Maybe, there was less power in the rendering of the songs. I can’t quite place it but I know something is quite amiss. I know the ending is meant to be sad but its impact must remain strong.

I do hope that it was better during the opening night (I watched the dress rehearsal the other night. Thanks to the free ticket I got from an MSO member!).

All in all, worth watching!

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(Please do not read if you are planning to watch the play and don’t want spoilers!)

Culture and tradition do keep things in place. There is sense of assurance that all is well. Sometimes though, we become prisoners of traditions that have lost their meaning. I am glad that we can be free from traditions that could smother us to death.

There is wisdom in the old practice of parents’ choosing the person to wed their children. It takes away the confusion and the troubles that a single person may encounter in finding his/her life partner. But I am happy that I live in an era when we can choose to marry the person we love (and also consider the practical side).

We may judge Teyve for not accepting Chava’s (third daughter) marriage with Fyedka (a Russian youth). She has chosen a man with a different faith, not race, but faith. For a marriage to succeed, its very foundation must be on the same belief, shared by the two persons who are to become one. Otherwise, troubles will visit their union.

And no, emphatically no, I don’t agree with Yente’s quote. No, it is not better to marry the worst man than not too marry at all. We are given the choice. To borrow a part of a song, no, I don’t want to make my own bed of nails.