Anti-Semitism has been an issue of the world for millenniums, and as one character here describes the life of a Jew, "Our fore-fathers have been kicked out of many places." "Maybe that's why we always wear our hats", Topol's Tevye gently replies, a touch of irony hidden behind his wisecrack. Tevye is a poor man, but he is a man of the world who understands humanity, both Jewish and Gentile, and he has no issue of socializing on occasion with the Gentile Russians he is surrounded by. He longs to help keep the peace, and for good reason: He has eight daughters who must find good husbands, and a tough wife who keeps him in line. It's all about "Tradition!", though, and Tevye is having a difficult time in accepting the changing times, especially the independence his three oldest daughters throw his way as his ideals of traditional matchmaking are thrown out of the window.
Wife Golde (Norma Crane) surprises him with the news that Yente the Matchmaker (Molly Picon) has come up with a match for their oldest daughter, Tzeitel. It's Lazar Wolfe, the widowed butcher, a man Tevye despises, but after downing a few shots thanks to the rich Lazar, Tevye is convinced that he'll be perfect for the namesake of Golde's beloved grandmother. What he doesn't count on is the fact that Tzeitel and the two daughters next in line all have their own ideas as to what makes a perfect match, and after the rousing "To Life!", Tevye learns the truth when he breaks the news to the love-lorn Tzeitel. Leonard Frey, who had a small role in the original Broadway production, takes over the role of the tailor Motel Kamzoil and sings the beautiful love song "Miracle of Miracles", showing a lot of heart and life in this presumably straight-laced young man.
From there, the two other daughters show their own rebellion, and Tevye's frustration grows. Topol is outstanding as Tevye's traditions are threatened but he finds conflict in his own heart because of his great love for his daughters. He must then confront his own past with Golde, an arranged marriage which introduced them on their own wedding day. While Golde is a bit hard on the surface, you know she is filled with love, at first obvious for her daughters, and even more begrudgingly later for the husband she was seemingly forced to spend the rest of her life dedicated to serving him. "Barking at the servants day and night!", Tevye sings in the show-stopping "If I Were a Rich Man", describing his seemingly harpy wife who has more dimensions than meets the eye.
Molly Picon is adorable as Yente the Matchmaker, and as in everything she ever did on screen, she makes you just want to hug her, even if she is a bit of an unromantic in the way she manipulates every young person's love life. The shot of her at a wedding during the profound "Sunrise, Sunset" is truly revealing as she too can't deny the power of young love, even if it potentially means the end of her life-long profession. Then, there's "Tevye's Dream", the fantasy sequence where Tevye must convince Golde that Lazar Wolfe is not the right match for their daughter. Extremely lavish and slightly camp (especially with the vision of Lazar's late wife Fruma Sarah), it is both a comical and scary nightmare, like something out of a British Hammer horror film.
The long Broadway run featured many Tevye's (most famously the original, Zero Mostel), and Topol, who headlined the British production, is outstanding in every sense. It has been revived many times on Broadway, most recently as 2003 (for a two-year run), and will soon celebrate its 50th Anniversary. The wonderfully sentimental and witty lyrics of Sheldon Harnick (still around as of this writing at the spry age of 90!) and the gorgeous score by Jerry Bock surround a brilliant book, and the production values on this movie are simply breathtaking. Director Norman Jewison and his crew provide many details into the traditions of the Russian Jews of this era that are simple for us Gentiles to catch onto, and you may find yourself engulfed in the culture of these passionate people who would find even more serious struggles in the decades to come. Books on this history of this show and movie give more detail as to the meanings of certain words and phrases, and open the eyes of us who want to reach beyond our own lives and embrace the different cultures of the world. To Life, indeed!
Wife Golde (Norma Crane) surprises him with the news that Yente the Matchmaker (Molly Picon) has come up with a match for their oldest daughter, Tzeitel. It's Lazar Wolfe, the widowed butcher, a man Tevye despises, but after downing a few shots thanks to the rich Lazar, Tevye is convinced that he'll be perfect for the namesake of Golde's beloved grandmother. What he doesn't count on is the fact that Tzeitel and the two daughters next in line all have their own ideas as to what makes a perfect match, and after the rousing "To Life!", Tevye learns the truth when he breaks the news to the love-lorn Tzeitel. Leonard Frey, who had a small role in the original Broadway production, takes over the role of the tailor Motel Kamzoil and sings the beautiful love song "Miracle of Miracles", showing a lot of heart and life in this presumably straight-laced young man.
From there, the two other daughters show their own rebellion, and Tevye's frustration grows. Topol is outstanding as Tevye's traditions are threatened but he finds conflict in his own heart because of his great love for his daughters. He must then confront his own past with Golde, an arranged marriage which introduced them on their own wedding day. While Golde is a bit hard on the surface, you know she is filled with love, at first obvious for her daughters, and even more begrudgingly later for the husband she was seemingly forced to spend the rest of her life dedicated to serving him. "Barking at the servants day and night!", Tevye sings in the show-stopping "If I Were a Rich Man", describing his seemingly harpy wife who has more dimensions than meets the eye.
Molly Picon is adorable as Yente the Matchmaker, and as in everything she ever did on screen, she makes you just want to hug her, even if she is a bit of an unromantic in the way she manipulates every young person's love life. The shot of her at a wedding during the profound "Sunrise, Sunset" is truly revealing as she too can't deny the power of young love, even if it potentially means the end of her life-long profession. Then, there's "Tevye's Dream", the fantasy sequence where Tevye must convince Golde that Lazar Wolfe is not the right match for their daughter. Extremely lavish and slightly camp (especially with the vision of Lazar's late wife Fruma Sarah), it is both a comical and scary nightmare, like something out of a British Hammer horror film.
The long Broadway run featured many Tevye's (most famously the original, Zero Mostel), and Topol, who headlined the British production, is outstanding in every sense. It has been revived many times on Broadway, most recently as 2003 (for a two-year run), and will soon celebrate its 50th Anniversary. The wonderfully sentimental and witty lyrics of Sheldon Harnick (still around as of this writing at the spry age of 90!) and the gorgeous score by Jerry Bock surround a brilliant book, and the production values on this movie are simply breathtaking. Director Norman Jewison and his crew provide many details into the traditions of the Russian Jews of this era that are simple for us Gentiles to catch onto, and you may find yourself engulfed in the culture of these passionate people who would find even more serious struggles in the decades to come. Books on this history of this show and movie give more detail as to the meanings of certain words and phrases, and open the eyes of us who want to reach beyond our own lives and embrace the different cultures of the world. To Life, indeed!