Merrill High School (MHS) Theatre Jays will present the musical, Fiddler on the Roof, this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday in the auditorium at MHS, with four show times available.
It’s been more than 30 years since students last brought the show to life in Merrill, but now in 2023, student actors are sharing the story of Tevye, a simple dairyman in what is roughly modern day Ukraine, along with his wife, Golde, who keeps him on his toes. The couple has five daughters, a fact Tevye likes to share with everyone he meets.
“A Fiddler on the Roof … sounds crazy no, but in our little village of Anatevka, you might say every one of us is a Fiddler on the Roof, trying to scratch out a pleasant, simple tune, while trying to not break their necks.” So says Tevye as he opens the show with a metaphor that can be applied to so many things in life.
The storyline in this dramatic musical focuses on the couple’s eldest three daughters, the traditional use of a matchmaker in another time and place in history, and love. Together with the joys of living a simpler life and traditions that hold that simpler life together, are interwoven the themes of growing up and growing older, and growing through life in general.
Deeper still is the story of what was happening to the Jewish community all over the world as the Russians persecuted them all across Asia in what would be a harsh foreshadowing of the future.
How and who will the daughters fall in love with and what must Tevye do to keep their traditions alive, all while under the ever-watchful eyes of the Russian soldiers of the shtetl where they live?
Overarching the whole story, is the theme of light. Tevye is a light bearer and must foster that light through and in his people, his friends, and his daughters and must keep it burning even in the darkest of times.
Under the direction of Richard Linder Burbach, young community actors meet the challenge to take on serious themes and serious characters in this rendition of Fiddler on the Roof.
The Theatre Jays hope their audience will draw parallels from the story they act out on the stage in words and song and apply those themes to their own lives. In our modern world, what can we take from what we see in this story and how can we apply it to our own lives? Can we be someone’s light, through even their darkest of times? Can we hold fast to the traditions of our lives while allowing them to evolve in our ever-changing world?
The Theatre Jays program are seeking donations to support ongoing production costs, educational opportunities, and upgrades to local theatre technology. Donations can be made via: qrco.de/bc4ZhJ
Tickets are on sale at www.showtix4u.com/events/TheatreJays and will be on sale until two hours before the beginning of the productions. Tickets are for sale at the door.
