After months of preparation and one postponement, the Fiddler on the Roof cast, crew, and musicians successfully put on two spectacular shows on April 8th and 9th. The second show was one of the first opportunities that parents were allowed to return on campus to see their children in the production.
The musical stars Darren Zhang, Anna Snow, Leona Lu, Jazira Holbery, and Mia Layer as Tevye and Golde with three of their daughters, respectively. It follows the story of a Jewish man living with his family in 1905 Russia, trying to maintain a certain level of tradition while three of his five daughters marry outside of tradition.

As the curtain fell and the production drew to the end, cast, crew, and orchestra members were asked to shed light on some of their thoughts and opinions on the production of the show. Emma Li, ’24, a returning veteran who played the Euphonium in the pit for both Shrek the Musical last year, and Fiddler, states that the music this year was “noticeably harder” than last year. However, Li also noted that, despite the difficult music, the rehearsal schedule for pit was not as vigorous as what the cast had to participate in; the long hours spent on Saturday rehearsals; despite being tiring, were also very rewarding.
Caroline Rich, ’24, who plays Mordcha, the innkeeper, noted that many struggles the cast experienced did not pertain to the orchestra or crew. She said that, while the sudden change in directors during the middle of production planning was unprecedented and awkward, it certainly did have positive aspects. The change in directors brought altered scenes where more chorus members were present on stage and the energy was more vibrant. Similar to Li, Rich was also present in the cast during the production of Shrek, which she said she enjoyed less than Fiddler: mostly because Fiddler had a larger quantity of chorus scenes, which raised the energy and morale during rehearsals.

While the cast and music were certainly integral in this production, it’s important not to forget those who worked behind the scenes on set and lighting. Nicole Wong, ’24, notes the struggles in painting specific sets, such as the starry night. Because of the low number of students in the crew, getting things done on time was often a struggle. Contrary to the pit’s rather relaxed schedule, she says that crew often stayed every time the cast rehearsed in the PAC.
As everyone said their final goodnight’s on Friday, bittersweet tears were shed as certain graduating members wouldn’t be returning next year. Safe to say, despite many challenges experienced along the way, this performance was one to remember.

Article by Annabella Zhang, photos from Joyce, SAS Eagles official account.