Theatre Review
Fiddler on the Roof
Woodminster Theatre - Oakland, CA
Reviewed By = Mauricio Segura
Before I comment on the show, I have talk a little about the venue itself. It was my first time visiting as well, and I was extremely impressed with the place.
Woodminster is up in the Oakland hills behind the Mormon Temple in the Joaquin Miller Park. The theater dates back to the WW2 years (perhaps even before), and although the seats have probably been replaced a few times since then, they're not the most comfortable. Also, you'll be outdoors, and that obviously means, exposure to the elements. In other words, its advisable to bring something soft to sit on, and dress accordingly. There, those are the only drawbacks, if you could even call them drawbacks.
The setting itself is breathtaking. Above and behind the stage is a view that you have to just see to believe of the bay, with a cascade running down the hill beneath you. The park is full of trails and picnic grounds for you to have a full fledged picnic before the show. But make sure to save some of the food, because they let you bring it into the theater to enjoy during the performance. Where else can you do that? Oh, and then there's another thing they do that I have yet to see at any other theater, all kids, 16 and under (each child must be accompanied by a paying adult), get to enjoy the show for free!
As I sit here going over the evening in my mind, I find I have a dilemma. Let me explain. The hardest reviews to write, are the one's that are either complete bombs or complete masterpieces. Because either way, it's so good or so bad, that you're not going to have much to pinpoint. It's so much easier when you have a half bad show with highlights, or a great show with drawbacks, because you can grab on to things that stand out and expand on them. Extremes make for short reviews, and I for one, am not into writing a short review. But in this case, I don't have much of a choice.
Woodminster's production of Fiddler on the Roof is one of this years theatrical masterpieces. I very rarely give a 5 Golden Bridge review for the reason I just stated in the previous paragraph. If I was to pick any negatives from the evening it would be the semi-uncomfortable seats, the cold air, the seven year old in Giants gear giving me a hard time over my A's cap (can't we all just get along?), and a few instances with the actors mic's turning off. But none of that had anything to do with the actual performance, which was absolutely wonderful.
Beginning with the sets, at first I found them quite vague. The painted backdrop of rolling hills and trees were fine, but the unsymmetrical homes threw me off a bit. However, once the show began and I saw how the homes were converted to indoor settings, I realized the ingenuity in it, and suddenly, in my mind, it all worked.
From the kids to the adults, all of the actors were at the top of their game. Their voices were superb! When you can actually feel the emotions being portrayed in a scene (Sunrise, Sunset / Chavaleh / Anatevka) you know the actors have a special gift. And this cast definitely has it! They compliment each other, as did the three sisters during “Matchmaker, Matchmaker”, or the entire cast in the marriage scene, and of coarse the funniest part of the performance, Tevye's Dream!
Speaking of Tevye, I've seen four different stage versions of FOTR in my reviewing career, including one major Broadway production starring Harvey Fierstein. But Bruce Winant who plays Tevye in this production completely blows them all out of the water. In fact, I will go on record stating that he is practically on par with Topal himself, who is the actor who portrayed Tevye in the 1971 Academy Award winning film adaption. Winant is flawless, his voice impeccable, his stage presence is undeniable, and I would say plenty more if I had my thesaurus handy and opened to the word, incredible!
Of coarse, no musical can be a success without a good orchestra backing it up. And conductor Richard Vetterli lead his team of musicians to pure perfection. I also can't leave out all of the people behind the scenes who helped to put all of this together. A true gem!
Its a shame that this is only playing two weekends,but you still have this coming weekend to catch this wonderful show. So get a nice picnic together, head out to the park for the day, and finish the evening with Fiddler on the Roof! Trust me, you'll thank me for it!
Title = Fiddler on the Roof
Genre = Musical
Genre = Musical
Theater/City = Woodminster Amphitheatre
Joaquin Miller Park
Joaquin Miller Road
Oakland, Ca
Contact Phone = (510) 531-9597
Production Dates = Now through July 22, 2012
Ticket Prices = $25 - $60
Click Here For More Info & Tickets - - - > http://www.woodminster.com/Webpages/Ticketbuying/ticketsgen.html
Click Here For More Info & Tickets - - - > http://www.woodminster.com/Webpages/Ticketbuying/ticketsgen.html
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