Pier One Theatre’s production of “Fiddler on the Roof” opens tonight, Thursday, Oct. 10, at 7 p.m. at the Homer High School Mariner Theatre. It is the first of seven shows that will run for two weekends with both evening and matinee performances. The production is directed by Jennifer Norton and Mark Robinson.
There are 72 cast members of all ages and approximately 10 musicians performing in “Fiddler.” Norton said this is the largest Pier One show she has directed. More than 120 people auditioned for the production in late spring. Rehearsals for some of the soloists started in July. Aug. 18 was the first full cast rehearsal.
The story is centered on Tevye, who lives with his wife, Golda, and five daughters in the community of Anatevka. They are a traditional Jewish family and three of the daughters are of the age to be married. They are very devout followers of their faith but Tevye’s conversations with God often have a humorous tone to them, Norton said. Tevye is the lead character and essentially the narrator of the story, Norton said. In the Homer production Tevye is played by Kyle Schneider. Golda is played by Gretchen McCullough and Maura Jones, in different performances. Jones also provided choreography for the performance.
Yenta, the matchmaker, presents a match for the oldest daughter, Tzeitel, but she’s already in love with Motel, the tailor.
“So through his daughters and their own paths of falling in love, Tevye has to really consider his traditions and what’s important to hold on to and what it’s OK to let go,” Norton explained.
An additional storyline to the production is the role of czarist Russia in 1905 and the antisemitism that has the Jewish families evicted from their historic homelands and that eventually has an impact on the village of Anatevka.
This is the fourth production of this musical in Homer. It was first performed in 1980 and directed by Lance Peterson and Bob Richardson. In 1993, it was directed by Peterson and Mark Robinson. There was a Homer High School production of the show also directed by Peterson and Robinson.
Seventh grader Sophie Williams, a villager, is performing in her first Pier One production. She said her favorite part of the show is seeing how everything has finally come together. She said they started by just singing the songs, then added the dancing and finally the costumes.
“Working with the pit orchestra is really fun, too,” she said. Williams says she participates in choir at school but “we never get to do anything like this,” she said, “it’s a lot of fun.”
The show is approximately three hours long including an intermission. Tickets are $25 for general admission and $10 for youth.
