On January 21, 22, and 23 at 7:30 p.m., the BYU-Hawaii English Department and Music and Visual Arts Department will present a production of Fiddler on the Roof, by Joseph Stein, Jerry Bock, and Sheldon Harnick. Directed by Dr. Craig Ferre, the musical stars BYU-Hawaii faculty Michael and Lila Belnap and features performers drawn from BYU-Hawaii students, faculty and staff, and community members.
Fiddler, set in Imperial Russia, centers on a Jewish man named Tevye (Belnap) and his family. The story follows Tevye as new ideas and even anti-Semitism challenge his traditions and his faith. Filled with humor but also serious questions about life and struggle, the musical has been extremely popular ever since its debut in 1964, being the first musical to surpass 3000 performances, winning nine Tony Awards, and inspiring four Broadway revivals and the highly successful 1971 film of the same name.
The musical is notable at BYU-Hawaii as the last to be directed by Dr. Craig Ferre, who will retire at the end of the year. As Director and Designer of the BYU-Hawaii theatre program, Ferre has long made an impact on the campus and in the community, producing over 100 shows during his time at the school. Recent highlights include Mary Poppins, The Importance of Being Ernest, Little Women, Thoroughly Modern Milly, and One Tattered Angel, a theatrical adaptation written by Ferre himself. Fiddler on the Roof, a production that Ferre starred in as a young man and has long hoped to direct, is a fitting tribute to a man who has positively influenced so many BYU-Hawaii students and community members.
As a BYU-Hawaii musical production, Fiddler is also unique in that it casts a faculty member in the leading role. Belnap brings extensive performing experience to his role as Tevye, having performed throughout the United States, Canada and Europe with over 40 leading tenor roles in opera before joining the BYU-Hawaii faculty. He is joined by his wife Lila, also a voice teacher at BYU-Hawaii, who plays the role of Golde, Tevye’s wife.
Tickets can be purchased at the Aloha Center Front Desk.
