In celebration of the 60th anniversary of Paducah's Market House Theatre and the musical Fiddler on the Roof, the local theatre is presenting a production of the classic show famous for its rich storytelling and music. Morning Edition host Daniel Hurt speaks to Michael Cochran, director, and Chris Black, who is playing Tevye for the second time (the first was during Market House Theatre's 1991 production of the same show).
Set in the Jewish village of Anatevka, Fiddler on the Roof follows Tevye as he tries to maintain his religious and cultural traditions amidst the changing world around him. The musical explores family, tradition, and resiliency, making it a perfect choice for audiences of all ages.
The Cast & Crew
The cast features a talented ensemble of actors, including Black as Tevye, Melanie Russell as his wife Golde, and Grace Craft, Jessie Elliott, Dagny Page, Anna Johnston, and Anya Swenson as their daughters Tzeitel, Hodel, Chava, Shprintze, and Bielke respectively. The production also showcases April Cochran as Yente, the matchmaker; Alex Bohannon as Motel, the tailor; CoryOn Brooks as Perchik, the student; Alex Horbovetz as Fyedka, a Russian student; Tom Dolan as Lazar Wolf, the butcher; Anna Tamaoka as Fruma-Sarah; and Kim Patterson as Grandma Tzeitel.
The creative team behind the production includes scenic and lighting design by Tom Hansen, costume design by Eddy Barrows, stage management by Alexandra Brue, and technical direction by Jerome Veit. The attention to detail in every aspect of the production ensures a visually stunning and emotionally impactful performance — one that Black was eager to return to.
"I was fortunate enough for the first time that Market House Theatre produced Fiddler on the Roof in 1991, I was able to play Tevye in that show as well," Black says. "I was very active in the theater up through 1999. Then, with a second child arriving, my evenings were captured with different responsibilities. So, one thing leading to another, it's been 25 years since I've been in a mainstage production. This play being chosen by the theatre created an opportunity for me to rejoin a community that I've loved for a long time."
Black says that the Market House Theatre is essential to Paducah. "Access to community theatre is one of the greatest beauties, and the Market House Theatre produces things so beautifully that it's just a wonderful opportunity to experience the joy of theatre again."
The coinciding 60-year anniversaries of the musical and the theatre also make this production particularly special. "Those two things kind of made it natural to fit into the season," Cochran explains. "And with what's going on with all the things in our culture right now, the challenges we see in our lives and the things going on in the world."
How Fiddler in the Roof Speaks To Modern Society
Cochran points to the production being timely, considering the current war in Ukraine following the Russian invasion. “The play is set in 1905 in Anatevka, which is a little place in Ukraine. And at that point, it was Russia. And there's a war on in Ukraine, so things kind of come back together to make this a relevant production. And there are a lot of productions across the country right now of Fiddler on the Roof.” He says he decided to start the play a little differently than as is tradition.
“We all have chosen to set the play a little bit differently than the traditional production of it. We open in the present day, in a kind of deconstructed train station, with a man walking on stage, looking at this place that holds some memories and brings the traditions of our ancestors and that within us to this present day. So the challenge is in the show where you have Tevye and his family, and they have how things have always been done. And in their culture, there are huge changes taking place,” Cochran said. “The matchmaker always made matches, nobody questioned that. But now people are trying to think for themselves and doing their own relationships. And Teyve is just a great written character for the struggle with how we face a changing world, how traditions are formed, and how they evolve over time.”
Black said playing Tevye has had an impact on him, and he has run the whole gamut of emotions considering the character’s story and background. "Tevye is a richly written character whose range of emotions is complete, and personally, I have two daughters, and Tevye is the father of five daughters. And so I can begin to relate to Teyve as living that play’s language and character development broadly through the entire show, just allowing for joy to misery, to his consternation, all to have a piece of life throughout the show," Black explains.
The Music
Fiddler on the Roof is a long-loved musical, so even audience members not well-versed in the musical theatre canon will likely recognize at least a few numbers in the show, particularly songs like "Sunrise, Sunset." "One of my favorite songs in the show is one that Chris does with "Do You Love Me" after his daughters have done their own thing," Cochran says. "He suddenly, after 25 years, looks at his wife and asks, 'Do you love me?' Love is a concept that really is foreign to them. It's a wonderful ballad."
The Market House Theatre presents Fiddler on the Roof on Saturday, June 15, at 7:15 pm; Saturday, June 16, at 2:30 pm; Thursday, June 20, at 7:15 pm; Friday, June 21, at 7:15 pm; Saturday, June 22, at 2 pm, and again on June 22 at 7:15 pm. Ticket information and more can be found on Market House Theatre's website.