Tradition!
Cheryl Schweizer/Columbia Basin Herald The milkman Tevye (Tim Cloyd, right) and the villagers of Anatevka explain traditions in the Basin Community Theatre production of ‘Fiddler on the Roof.’ The production opens April 5.
Cheryl Schweizer/Columbia Basin Herald Sisters (from left) Chava (Katie Irvin), Tzeitel (Holly Peterson) and Hodel (Maddi Rogers) speculate what the matchmaker has in store for them ‘Fiddler on the Roof.’
MOSES LAKE — The tale of a beleaguered dad, his daughters and times a-changin’ will come to the stage early next month in the Basin Community Theatre production of “Fiddler on the Roof.” The curtain goes up at 7:10 p.m. April 5 at the Moses Lake High School theater, 803 E. Sharon Ave.
Performances are scheduled for 7:10 p.m. April 5 through 8, with a matinée at 1:10 p.m. April 8. “Fiddler on the Roof” has been on the company’s to-do list. “We have actually been wanting to do ‘Fiddler’ for the last two or three years,” said producer Marion Wyman.
“Fiddler” follows the ups and downs of Tevye (Tim Cloyd in the BCT production), an observant Jewish milkman who lives in Czarist Russia with his wife Golde (Becca Dalton) and five daughters. This being 1905, it’s his responsibility to find husbands for his girls, and he and Golde have enlisted the help of the village matchmaker (Emily Duvall).
But the world is changing, and one indication is that his older daughters Tzeitel (Holly Petersen), Hodel (Maddi Rogers) and Chava (Katie Irvin) think they can make their own choices. Tzeitel already has a boyfriend (Clark Dalton). Hodel has a thing for the family's tutor (Toby Black). And Chava is hanging out with a boy who's not even Jewish (Sam Roeber).
Alas, Russia hasn’t changed enough. Jews are restricted to designated areas of settlement and locked out of many careers. And it's rumored the Czar's government is interested in the village and its land.
“We chose ‘Fiddler’ because it’s got a great message,” Wyman said. “Family, faith – love. The changing of times.”
Basin Community Theatre concentrates on musicals in its productions, which include “The Music Man,” “Les Miserables” and “Shrek.” What attracts them, Wyman said, is the music. “Beautiful music in this one.”
The MLHS theater gets a lot of use, Wyman said, and some of the high school kids in the cast are pretty busy in the spring. As a result spring vacation was the best scheduling choice, she said.
Rumors that the company would skip a year were unfounded, but auditions did have to be rescheduled due to a shortage of guys in a show that needs a lot of guys. The second time around the company got a bigger response, Wyman said.
Tickets can be purchased at the CBT website, www.basincommunitytheatre.org, or at the door. Tickets are $18 online, $20 at the door, $10 for people 65 years of age and older. Advance purchase is recommended; seat selection is better for people who buy online, Wyman said.
Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at education@columbiabasinherald.com.