By John Lyle Belden

The classic musical, “Fiddler on the Roof,” presented by Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre, is long familiar to theatregoers, while also important today.

Over a century after its setting (as well as 60-plus years after its Broadway debut, and 55 since the movie), we still find “Tradition!” giving way to a changing world. Current events have included an increase in attacks on Jewish people. Also, we can see examples in many cultures of people living with the fear of oppression and being forced to find new places to reside, even after years in what had felt like home.

This production, directed by Executive Artistic Director Michael J. Lasley, is a splendid experience, whether this your first time seeing it live, or it’s an old favorite.  

Tobin Strader, no stranger to the role, plays Tevye the Milkman, the central character and narrator (speaking to us when he’s not commiserating with G_d). Among his worries are finding good husbands for his five daughters – Tzeitel (Gretta Hambrook), Hodel (Mackenzie Foulks), Chava (Sadie Cohen or Lily Carlstedt), Shprintze (Evelyn Giesting), and Bielke (Greta Schaefer). Yente, the Matchmaker (Adrienne Reiswerg) stands by ready to help, but fate (and the girls) have other plans.

Melissa Cohen delivers a strong and faithful Golde, Tevy’s wife. For suitors, shy tailor Motel (Jacob Schilling) already has Tzeitel’s heart; idealist student Perchik (Austin Stodghill) wins over quick-witted Hodel; and kind-hearted Russian Fyedka (Dylan Aquaviva) bonds with Chava over their love of books.

Other notable characters in this large ensemble include Dennis Wimer as Lazar Wolf, the Butcher; Brandon Barkley as Mordcha, the Innkeeper; David Maxwell as the old Rabbi; and Matt Anderson as the local Russian Constable with guarded empathy for these people he has come to respect.

In impressive moments, we have Michael Krauter as the Russian who hits that long high note in “To Life;” Jennifer Hasty as the ghost of Fruma-Sarah; and Kennedy Whisner dancing as young “Chavaleh” in Tevye’s memory.

One of the best aspects of this production is that the Fiddler (Alex Avila-Hernandez) actually plays his instrument, and very well, frequently appearing as a living metaphor.

Brent E. Marty is music director, Sydnie Blair is stage manager, and Kasey Walker Lewellyn is choreographer – Is it me, or does the “bottle dance” at the wedding get more intricate every time I see one of these productions?

The village of Anatevka awaits your visit, that is, until the last carts roll out on May 9. Performances are Thursdays through Sundays at The Tarkington theatre in the Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Carmel. Get tickets at civictheatre.org or thecenterpresents.org.

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P.S. An interesting note, unrelated to this production: There is now an actual Anatevka in Ukraine, near Kiev. It is, as Wikipedia states, “a refugee settlement that provides food, housing, education, and medical support for refugees” from the 2014 and 2022 Russian invasions. Established by local Jewish leaders, it is named after the shtetl in “Fiddler on the Roof.”