Blog 9.1 – What accent do you think the citizens of Anatevka have?
Seeing Fiddler on the Roof in London
Fiddler on the Roof as a Broadway musical is now fifty years old. Long enough for both of us to have seen it many, many times. It is Andy’s favorite musical, is my second favorite – Lez Miz is still the top for me. So, when I read a good review in December of Fiddler on the Roof here in London, I signed us up. And, since Friday night I have puzzled with one question.
Have all the Fiddlers I have watched before had American accents? Didn’t they all have Russian accents? I ponder this as the Fiddler production we saw in London clearly had Scottish and English accents. They tried to be Russian at first, but it did not hold up. It added a little humor that I don’t think is supposed to be there – especially in the second act; which is tragic, not humorous.
We are the strangers here, in a strange new land to paraphrase Tevye from the second act. It is again surprising to me to add another item to my list of “The same, only different”. I would not have thought Fiddler on the Roof would have been on this list, especially after fifty years.