Revival Of Fiddler On The Roof: Film Analysis

Disney has made its mark with several musicals in the past few decades and most recently Frozen has made an entrance to Broadway. The past few years have seen a current theme of adequate films being adapted into musicals, although in the case of it being a Disney movie there were already original songs. Although Disney seems to take over Broadway they fill the seats because it is appropriate for all ages. The young kids who get to watch their favorite movie come to life on the stage are being introduced to something appropriate for them and may open up their minds to see other Broadway shows. Frozen has a great message to send to kids but Disney was smart and made it enjoyable for all ages by adding some jokes that only the adults would pick up on. Hygge, for example, has a large comedic ensemble number of a near striptease. Also, this show is reputable enough to have incredible songs like “Let It Go”.

Fiddler on the Roof is a prime example of a show that has been recycled. The show originally opened in 1964 then had revivals in 1976, 1981, 1990, and 2004 and most recently in 2015 with current off-Broadway Yiddish production. The reason for its popularity other than it being a classic is its relevance to today. The conflict and discrimination in this world require a piece of art like Fiddler on the Roof which tells the life of a Jewish family in Anatevka before the Nazis invade and they have to leave their homeland. Numbers like Tradition and If I Were a Rich Man are so iconic to people who aren’t even fans of musical theatre. Sometimes shows are done again because they were done so well, and it provides new generations of theatre-goers the opportunity to see the show. The most recent revival of Fiddler on the Roof on Broadway in 2015 kept the show the same up until the ending when we see the actor who plays Teviet the father, in modern-day attire as a message of just how applicable the show is to the refugee crisis we see today. This subtle change kept the integrity of the show, while at the same time giving it a drastic moment for the audience to take in the information and with them leaving the theatre and processing the depths of what they had just seen.

Earlier this year when Hadestown came to Broadway, it had quite the following because of its long journey to Broadway and its great cast of Eva Noblezada, Amber Gray, Andre De Shields. Although it is fresh to Broadway the story itself is one that has been told for thousands of years. And that is, of course, the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice as well as the Greek Gods Persephone and Hades. Although this is a classic story, it has an original take as its set in New Orleans in what appears to be the twenties. It has a modern staging with the band on stage as well as the nod to the great depression that occurred in the late twenties. Rachel Chavkin and Anai Michelle the director and lyricist for the show respectively created ways that connected it to today. For example, the song Build a Wall is seen as a reference to the wall being built under the administration of Trump, even though the song was written years before. We also see more into the relationship between Persephone and Hades as they work out their problematic relationship. There are very real moments in the musical that anybody who isn’t part of the theatre world could connect to.

Broadway needs to make money and may fall into a pit of churning a wheel and popping out money. However, that doesn’t mean that everything is stale. In reality, many stories told are just repetitions or different versions that have already been told.