A bit of musical tradition will be brought to the community through the efforts of not only Applewood Christian School students, but parents and local home school children as they perform the classic musical “Fiddler on the the Roof” April 28 and 29.
Director Dharma León said she was excited at the number of cast members in the production. She noted that the play involves two home school families and two adult fathers Ben Dynnys and Steven Bussey. There are also four seniors in the play that takes in children as young a third grade.
This is the 10th play under León’s direction and she said the school’s productions are open to anyone who wishes to participate.
“We open it up and we spread the word through Facebook and through word of mouth,” León said. “We began auditions at the end of January, we began rehearsals in February, off and on, because it’s basketball season. A lot of these kids are involved in basketball. So, we do maybe one or two rehearsals a week just to get the music and then we have Saturday rehearsals for choreography.”
She said when she announced they would be preforming “Fiddler on the Roof,” last August, the students weren’t familiar with the play and weren’t excited, but over the Christmas break their viewpoints changed.
“It’s an old musical, that’s already more than 50-years-old, but it’s one of the best and the greatest …” she said. “But they didn’t know, so they were like ‘we don’t want to do it.’”
When she came back from Christmas break and announced auditions were open, she said the students had encouraged each other to try out for the musical.
“I was so pleased when we did that first audition, and we had 25 kids,” she added. “But, there was still holes, because it involves a lot boys and men and we are a small school. That’s when adults came to the rescue. That was wonderful because two adults are playing older adult parts.”
León said one reason she decided to present “Fiddler on the Roof” is because it’s her favorite musical.
“I saw it as a child,” she noted. “My mom even had the records. Mom raised me up with a lot of theatre around, so we would just listen to them for fun. There would be records playing of all the musicals, “West Side Story” and even “Show Boat.” I mean the old musicals, but this was my favorite, favorite.”
She added that the other nine productions the school has performed were smaller literature-based and original plays and musicals. She wanted the school to reach new heights by preforming a classic.
“I thought, well we’re going to aim higher,” León said. “I wanted to give the kids a chance to do something they could actually recognize and know that it has a great story behind it.
“The other reason is because it is a great story,” she added. “It teaches so much to these kids. It’s a story about a whole group of people who were being ostracized from where they were living, a culture that’s trying to continue in the midst of modern times breaking the tradition. It’s how does a dad and mom hold on to the traditions and their family and keep them alive, but yet time just keeps breaking into that.”
The musical “Fiddler on the Roof” is also timely. It tells a story of pre-revolutionary Russian Jews in 1905, and how they deal with tradition and the growing anti-Semitic sentiment threatening their village.
“It’s a great story, there’s a conflict, but it’s also showing the family, how they are loving each other …” León said. “I think it speaks to today, because of all these refugees and everything that’s happening around the world. This is something that the kids can relate to and learn that this is real.”
She added that she was pleased to see how the students have grown as they practiced and how they “rose to the challenge.”
“I’m so very proud of them,” León said. “That’s the joy of doing plays every year.”
“Fiddler on the Roof” will be performed at at 7 p.m. Friday April 28 and at 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday April 29 at Applewood Christian School, 25396 state Highway O. Tickets may be purchased in advance by calling 827-0532 or at the door. Tickets cost $5 for adults; and $3 for students.
