"Fiddler on the Roof" Now Playing At Gateway Church In Dallas
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DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - First a phenomenal hit show on Broadway, now "Fiddler on the Roof" is playing at Gateway Church in Dallas.
The story of the struggles in the life of Tavye, a poor Jewish dairy farmer in the town of Anatevka, is a stage classic. Director Eric Snodgrass decided to tackle such an iconic production because he felt it still has a relevant message.
"The retaliation mentality of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, and Tevye's great line about, 'then all the world will be blind and toothless.' I think that's kind of a thing we are facing right now."
To take on such a larger than life role as Tevye, fell on the shoulders of Mike Klefker, who says the role was a bit intimidating.
"I know it sounds terrible but one of the hardest things was memorizing the lines."
But Klefker says he found common ground with the Tevye character, because he also has five children.
"Its the struggle of dealing with family and trying to get your kids to do what you think is best for them, but they want to go in a different direction."
Bringing the music to the stage, was up to pastor David Shubert.
"The more and more I worked with the music, the more I realized why it's so relevant today. It's mesmerizing."
Shubert says it couldn't be a better fit for today's times.
"The themes and the topics of the show deal with change. How we distinguished between the things we hold on to as anchors in our lives, versus the things that need to morph with time."
Just as important as the music is the dancing. Ryan Warren, whose background was in hip hop, took on the task and says the show features more upbeat movements.
"The choreography in this play actually adds to the actual energy of the show. It comes alive more. It adds to the overall dynamics of the show," he says.
Snodgrass says directing the show has hit him emotionally.
"Watching these actors tell this story, there isn't a show that I watch now where I am not moved to tears. It's really powerful and I think people will be deeply impacted by it."
The play runs through August 14, click here for tickets.
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