FIDDLER: A MIRACLE OF MIRACLES – Review

Looking back on the previous century, we see that the good ole’ U.S. of A. gave birth (or at least nursed and nurtured) several, vibrant art forms. A revered trio springs to mind, ones originally looked down upon by “the cultural elite”, but now celebrated worldwide. There’s jazz, graphic sequential story art (a “fancy-schmancy” term for comic strips and comic books) and the theatrical musical comedy. And amongst the hundreds produced (many barely made it past opening night), a couple of dozen or so could be called perennials ,shows that are constantly revived on the “great white way” while still being staples of community theatres, along with colleges, high schools, and even middle or “grammar” schools. Of those, the Rogers and Hammerstein classics (“Oklahoma”, The King and I”, etc.) get the most “play”, followed closely by another duo, Lerner and Lowe (“Brigadoon”, “My Fair Lady”). Then there are those singular classics from the 50s and 60s that may have made that time a real golden age of Broadway musicals: “West Side Story”, “Guys and Dolls”, “Cabaret”, “Hello Dolly”, and the focus of this new documentary, “Fiddler on the Roof”. Yes, it has wonderful songs and characters, but it’s also set in a dark time for an oppressed people. In a time when most producers avoided it, this was a show that was proudly “ethnic”. So how did it become a beloved piece of entertainment? The filmmakers and interview subjects do their best to answer that query in FIDDLER: A MIRACLE OF MIRACLES.

The backstory starts with a real “grabber’ (almost as good as the show’s “overture”). It’s a year or so ago and Danny Burstein emerges from a dark subway stairway to see the blazing lights of THE Broadway theatre where he stars in the latest revival of the show. He casually strolls to the stage entrance, signs his name to the list (just like all the cast) and marches into his dressing room to start “warming up”. After a few of his comments, the film pulls a near whiplash-inducing flashback to the late 1950s, when several talents met with the intention of bringing a musical adaptation of the stories created by Sholem Aleichman (a nice shot of his statue follows). They wisely decided to focus on one of the author’s most beloved characters, Tevye the milkman ( he had made to the movies in the late 30s in a Yiddish-language film). We get lots of screen time with those creators, archival interviews with composer Jerry Bock and playwright/adaptor Joseph Stein, along with recent footage of lyricist Sheldon Harnick. “Super producer” Hal Prince reluctantly signs on, as does prickly director/choreographer Jerome Robbins (fresh from his double Oscar win). An actor from that original production, Austin Pendelton, relates some juicy backstage stories (bye, bye whimsical song about the returning messiah). We’re told of the show’s long run, as it shattered Broadway records, leading to the celebrated movie version and tales from the film’s director Norman Jewison and its star Topol. The most surprising “miracle’ is the show’s astounding success outside NYC. The little town of Anatevka seems to take over the world (a lengthy run in Japan), eventually getting to the schools (we see a college in Thailand) with children pasting on beards. All along we hear from the show’s legacy: the sons of the first two Tevyes, Josh Mostel (son of Zero) and Michael Bernardi (son of Hershel who starred in an all Yiddish Broadway revival directed by Joel Grey), and “super fan” Lin Manuel-Miranda. This is all topped off with a very moving performance by Michael and a troupe of performers in the story’s real setting (looking unchanged from over a hundred years).

Director/co-writer Max Lewkowicz (with Valerie Thomas) has crafted a most affectionate and respectful cinematic “mash note” to this immortal piece of entertainment. Though it often overuses the documentary trope of ‘talking heads”, those doing the talking are most enthusiastic, having lots to tell, especially concerning the aforementioned Robbins (“prickly” is pretty tame). At first, he acts as the “villain” of the tale, but his background presents him as the story’s truly tragic real character. The film doesn’t shy away from the show’s many controversies, mainly its “toning down” of the religious persecution. We even get a glimpse of the ‘firestorm” about an inner-city school performing the show, with protesters upset about African-American and Hispanic children playing the roles. Thankfully, an audiotape of their show survives, lettering us hear the “cracking” pre-teen voices belting out those tunes. And what tunes. Most shows are lucky to have two “standards”, while this one has a couple of songs often heard at weddings. Speaking of those events, we get to see Mr. Miranda joining his father-in-law for a joyous rendition of “To Life” on the reception dance floor. Plus we’re treated to some nice animated sequences, simple watercolor-like art to set the mood (the same can be said of the famous work of Marc Chagall, whose pieces inspired the stage backdrops vis Boris Aronson, the ad poster, and even the show’s title). And there’s Topol’s (chosen for the film because he exuded more “sex appeal” than Zero) hilarious story of his agony during the filming of his “big number” (you may not look at it the same way again). For “theatre geeks” this doc will add to their already great love of the show’s history and “Tradition”. For the casual fan, FIDDLER: A MIRACLE OF MIRACLES is the best example of “infotainment”, leaving you humming those gorgeous melodies from “Sunrise” to “Sunset”! “All day long you’ll biddy-biddy-boom”.

3 out of 4

FIDDLER: MIRACLE OF MIRACLES opens everywhere and screens exclusively in the St. Louis area at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinemas and the Hi-Pointe’s Backlot Theatre.