Western Playhouse, the summer theatre company at Missouri Western State University, presents “Fiddler on the Roof” June 17-25 in the Potter Hall Theater, presented by the Hofheimer Charitable Trust. Show times are at 7:30 p.m. June 17, 18, 23, 24 and 25 and 2 p.m. Sunday, June 19. Tickets may be purchased in advance in person at the Western Institute, Spratt Hall room 105; by phone at 816-271-4452; or online at www.westernplayhouse.com.
Opening Night will include a Shabbat Dinner in the tradition of Tevye, his family and the people of Anatevka. The dinner will be at 5:30 p.m. Friday, June 17 in the Enright Community Rooms, Spratt 214-216. Tickets for the dinner only are $17.50 per person, or $30 per person with a ticket to the show (a $10 savings). Dinner reservations must be made by June 14 by calling 816-271-4100
Set in the little village of Anatevka, “Fiddler on the Roof” centers on Tevye, a poor dairyman, and his five daughters. With the help of a colorful and tight-knit Jewish community, Tevye tries to protect his daughters and instill them with traditional values in the face of changing social mores and the growing anti-Semitism of Czarist Russia. Rich in historical and ethnic detail, the show’s universal theme of tradition cuts across barriers of race, class, nationality and religion, leaving audiences crying tears of laughter, joy and sadness.
Dr. Joe Friedman ’39 received an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Missouri Western in 2013.
This year’s show is dedicated to Dr. Joe Friedman, a 1939 graduate of Missouri Western (when it was St. Joseph Junior College). Dr. Friedman was a St. Joseph native who left his practice as a podiatrist in 1962 for a remarkable career in theater and television, including 2,840 shows of “Fiddler on the Roof” with Hal Prince Productions. Dr. Friedman died earlier this year at the age of 95.
The Western Playhouse production is directed by Dr. Bob Willenbrink, founding dean of the School of Fine Arts at Missouri Western. Lydia Crandall is the stage manager. Lory Lacy is the musical director and Alex Hill the technical director, with choreography by Katie Blessing and Dasa Hayes.
The cast includes members from St. Joseph, Kansas City, and across the nation. St. Joseph favorite Raymond Johnson, seen on stage locally in The Music Man, Les Misérables, Sweeney Todd and many more, plays Tevye. Cathy Barnett, a professional actress and voice-over artist from Kansas City, plays Golde. Barnett, Lara Moffett Menard (Yente), Jim Korinke (Lazar Wolf) and Licia Watson (Fruma Sara/Villager) are members of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers.
Other cast members include:
- Katherine Tabisz, Tzeitel
- Frank Zabilka, Motel
- Katie Blessing, Hodel
- Alyssa Wolf, Chava
- Zach Erhardt, Perchik
- Nic Mains, Constable
- Gabe Ford-Dunker, Fyedka
- Amber Bracken, Schprinze
- Ashlyn Ford, Bielke
- Sebastian Smith, Mordcha/Innkeep
- Vince Orabona, Featured Dance/Villager
- Kelsei Peppars, Fiddler
- Connor Mendenhall, Mendel/Villager
- Riley Bayer, Rabbi/Villager
- Lily Lancaster, Villager/Grandma Tzeitel
- Villagers: Dasa Hayes, Kelsey Garber, Abby Sexton, Skyla Booth, Maria Schroeder, Taylor Hart, Nick Smith, Drew Porrett, Joel Walley, Seth Walley, Thomas Hogan, Madalyn Ivy, Annaka Kellogg, Cannon Petersen, Reagan Watson, Olivia Debney-Carr, Anna Bracciano, Amelia Stoll, Cole Bracken and Nyssia Crandall
The Opening Night Shabbat Dinner menu includes:
- Breaking of the Bread (Challah)
- Individual Salmon Salad
- Bubbies Inspired Chicken Soup
- Roasted Lemon Herb Chicken or Braised Beef Brisket with Mushrooms & Onions
- Chocolate Mousse Cake with Raspberry Coli
- Dinner includes one complimentary glass of Manischewitz wine for the Kiddush (blessing).
“Fiddler on the Roof is based on Sholem Aleichem stories by special permission of Arnold Perl, with book by Joseph Stein, music by Jerry Brock, and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick. It was produced on the New York Stage by Harold Prince, and the original New York Stage production was directed and choreographed by Jerome Robbins.
For more information about the show or the opening night dinner, visit www.westernplayhouse.com.
Missouri Western State University is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit www.missouriwestern.edu.