Musical comes to Rowan stage for first time in 4 years

The college of fine and performing arts is breaking ground by closing out the semester with the award-winning musical, “Fiddler on the Roof,” this month. This will be the first time in four years that the college has produced a musical.

Set in 1905, “Fiddler on the Roof” takes place in Anatevka, a small Jewish village in Russia. The musical originally opened in 1964 and has been a growing success thanks to the dramatic presentation of poverty and the struggle of holding onto aging beliefs.

A unique collaboration between the department of theater and dance, the Rowan Opera Company, and the Rowan University Orchestra, the musical will boast 36 cast members under the direction of assistant professor of theater and dance Lane Savadove.

Savadove has been with Rowan for three years and is pleased that he is directing “Fiddler on the Roof” at Rowan. He chalks up his inspiration to grad student Carolyn Hand’s thesis, reminding him of how edgy the musical is and was at the time.

“It was something I had in mind for awhile. I’m Jewish. I had wanted to attack this piece for a long time,” Savadove said.

He is working side by side with vocal director, opera director and associate professor of music Marian Stieber. This is the first time she can recall in her 11 years at Rowan a collaboration of this magnitude including a full orchestra.

Fiddler is bringing together not only theater students, but music and dance students as well.

“The cast is a wonderful cast. They picked up the music very quickly,” Stieber said. “Students are excited to be in it. Most are happy to see the collaboration.”

Senior theater performance major Kevin Melendez takes the lead as Tevye, a poor dairy man and father of five daughters, for whom he tries to protect Jewish traditions as best as he can.

“When I auditioned, I didn’t think I would be given the chance to play Tevye,” Melendez said. “When I was offered the opportunity, I snatched it up.”

Senior theater performance major Andrew Clotworthy stars as Lazar Wolf, the well-off local butcher who asks Tevye if he can marry his daughter Tzeitel.

Clotworthy is also happy about the cast and hopes the show will have a large turnout.

“The Facebook event has been up for three days (as of last Friday) and has 400-something confirmed guests. For Rowan shows, that’s a lot, because usually when we make events, we’re lucky if we have 100 by the end of the run,” Melendez said.

Savadove is confident that the performance will be a memorable one.

“The audience is going to see as good a show, as innovative and dynamic as they’ll ever get to see,” Savadove said.

The show will run from April 16-18, Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 3 p.m. in Pfleeger Concert Hall.

General admission is $15 and $10 for seniors, non-Rowan students, alumni, and staff. The musical is free to Rowan students with a valid Rowan ID.