Fiddler on the Roof at The Ruth

I don't think there is a better way to spend an evening than sitting in the audience eagerly anticipating every song in a favorite classic musical!  I had the opportunity to do that last night with The Ruth's wonderful production of Fiddler on the Roof and it made me so happy.  I have seen this well-known story of how a poor Jewish dairyman named Tevye (Ben Henderson) and his wife Golde (Claire Kenney) cling to their traditions in the small village of Anatevka in Tsarist Russia until their daughters, Tzeitel (Susannah Castelton), Hodel (Sydney Dameron), and Chava (Maria Stephens), push against them when it is time to find a match many times but this production features a few new touches to keep it feeling fresh without abandoning the *ahem* traditions that audiences love to see.  This is especially true of the choreography because there are definitely recognizable elements from the original choreography by Jerome Robbins but Ben Roeling adds his own touch.  I loved all of the subtle changes in the patterns formed by the different groups in "Tradition," when the villagers and soldiers integrate their separate dances into one joyful celebration in "To Life," and the exuberant leaps and spins after the bottle dance in "The Wedding Dance."  I also loved the ballet sequence performed by Stephens in "Chavaleh (Little Bird)."  There are many nuances in the performances that made me laugh, especially when Timothy Quesenberry (as Motel) has several spontaneous outbursts during "Miracle of Miracles" and then when Bronson Dameron (as Perchik) mimics him in "Now I Have Everything," and made me cry, such as when Henderson can't hide his emotions before turning his back on Chava and when a sobbing Stephens tries to hold on to Tevye's cart as he walks away (this gave me goosebumps).  I was also struck by the highly charged interaction between Parley Lambert (as Fyedka) and Stephens after the soldiers disrupt the wedding and by Kenney lying prostrate on the ground after learning about Chava.  The set is one of the most striking I've seen for this show and features wooden slats that allow the dramatic lighting to spill through with balconies on either side of the stage accessed by staircases and ladders.  These balconies allow for some distinctive staging choices and I loved seeing groups above Tevye and his family during "Sabbath Prayer," Perchik looking down on Hodel during "Sunrise, Sunset," Hodel looking up at Perchik on one balcony and Golde and her sisters on the other in "Far From the Home I Love," and the Constable (Jacob Garrison) and soldiers looking down on the villagers as they leave Anatevka.  This is such a special show to me because I have so many memories of watching the movie at my Grandma Anderson's house, seeing various productions over the years, and even performing the role of Fruma-Sarah and this version made me feel so nostalgic!  It will definitely put a smile on your face so get a ticket (go here) before they are gone!  It runs in the Smith Grand Theater through March 21.