AUDITIONS
The auditions for “Fiddler on the Roof” took place August 27-29 in the auditorium. This year’s auditions ran a little differently than in years past due to the new musical director, Mr. Christopher Thomas, who teaches English here at LHS. Students had to audition in three parts: singing, dancing, and acting.
First, students went into the choir room and sang 16-32 bars of a song of their choice. Then they had to perform a dance sequence. And finally, they did scene readings from “Fiddler on the Roof” that the directors had chosen for them. From there, if students were lucky enough to get called back, they acted out some more scenes for the directors before being cast.
It may seem nerve wracking, but junior Jane Recker said it’s not that bad: “After many years of acting you seem to get used to it,” said Recker, who plays Hodel in the musical.
Senior Christian Klepac said that he was a little nervous to audition because of the new director.
“I just felt like I really had to impress him. It was weird because I’m a senior now and I felt like I was a freshman all over again,” said Klepac, who plays Tevye in the musical.
By the end of the auditions, 48 students were cast, which is the second largest cast in LHS history. But getting there was tough, according to Mr. Thomas.
“I can honestly say that I hate casting. I love to see students perform and give it their all; however, I hate saying no!” he said.
As for students who didn’t make the musical this year, Mr. Thomas has some advice: “Stay involved. Whether it be running the crew, being part of stage crew, or even trying to be a part of our community, I encourage them to get involved.”
ABOUT THE MUSICAL
“Fiddler on the Roof” displays the traditional values and morals of a small Jewish family located in Russia. The story takes place during the year 1905 with an ordinary milkman named Tevye, who is also the main character. He explains the traditional morals to his small society to keep balance amongst the villagers.
“Tevye is the one character that loves tradition the most. He is the driving force of the play,” says Mr. Thomas.
Along with tradition, Tevye strongly believes in the value of family. When a matchmaker named Yente comes to a Sabbath dinner, Tevye’s traditions start to break away from their reins.
While he struggles to keep his tightly knit traditions in place, he must also accept the independence of his five daughters.
His eldest daughter, Tzeitel, played by sophomore Taylor Skie, is the first to break free from the reigns of her father’s tradition. While she pledges her hand to a tailor named Motel, played by senior Nick Moulton, Tevye meets a wealthy butcher named Lazaar Wolf, played by junior Isaac Shur.
Tevye then suggests that Wolf is a good match for his eldest daughter.
Meanwhile, Tevye’s second daughter falls in love with a young man named Perchik, played by a junior Keith Wilson Jr., the tutor who was hired to teach Tevye’s youngest daughters.
Tevye’s youngest daughter Hodel, is the first to break tradition confidently. Eventually, Tevye’s other daughters also stray from tradition and fall in love.
They all get married later on and the tradition that Tevye wanted so badly to keep in place is broken. The plot of the story then takes a drastic turn that will leave viewers weeping.
As Mr. Thomas says, “It’ll be a great play and a great show.”
PERFORMANCE
“Fiddler on the Roof” will take place on November 7-9, Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 P.M. in the auditorium. This musical will be a little more traditional than years past, but Klepac looks forward to showing everyone that “something from older times can still be fun and relevant.”
Having a big cast means lots of energy on stage. “The show goes anywhere from you’re bawling your face off to laughing your pants off. It’s just so fun,” said Klepac.
Tickets for “Fiddler on the Roof” go on sale Monday, October 28, through Friday, November 1, during lunch periods and will cost $5 for adults and $3 for students. They will also be sold through an online website called Seat Yourself. If available, the remaining unsold tickets will be available at the box office on the night of the show. Unfortunately, students will not be allowed to use the activity passes for this event. All proceeds made from the ticket sales will go to District 128.
