On one of our first days of rehearsal, director Gary John LaRosa explained to us the importance of circularity in Fiddler on the Roof. The first and nearly last image of our show is that of the people of Anatevka joined together in a circle—first in celebration of “tradition,” and later in a heartfelt, communal farewell. In both cases, the circle represents family, solidarity, a spiritual connection that transcends all challenges and impediments. Even once they’re physically separated—once the papas, mammas, sons, daughters, rabbi, beggars, and monstrous, resurrected wives have scattered—the community of Anatevka will remain a community.
From the start of rehearsal here at BSC, as a Musical Theatre Apprentice, I was swept up in a whirlwind—quite literally, since the opening circle of “Tradition” was the first choreography I learned—but also emotionally. I had never before experienced the process of mounting such a massive, professional show in merely three weeks. Everything happened at an electric pace. And the special beauty of this process was that Gary John and all those involved expected the MTA’s to work with the same level of diligence and professionalism as the Broadway veterans of the cast—and I’d like to think we did. Through this process I was forced to challenge myself artistically, intellectually, and physically (though a Bottle Dancer I am not). I felt alive each day, getting swept up in rehearsal, and being surrounded by such a superb and supportive cast, who have become mentors, role models, and friends.
All evocative family dramas involve circles (think The Lion King—duh). But through the experience of Fiddler, the image of the circle has taken on a personal importance for me, in addition to its thematic relevance within the show. I think the idea of the circle—of the Fiddler family joined together (and certainly those few characters who are not choreographed into the circle are, in spirit, as much a part of it as everyone else)—will always remain with me. It is a reminder of my first professional theatre experience—an experience in which I was treated just as important a link in the circle and member of the family as everyone else.