"Tzeitel! Don't forget the baby!"
Fiddler on the Roof is my favorite musical. I wish I had been able to see it on Broadway in the 2004 revival (with Lea Michele!) but I know I'll see it one day.
West Side Story last night just put me in a mood, you guys! Not that I don't love musicals all the time forever and ever. So, today I rented it (I don't actually know WHY I don't own it, but you can bet that I will remedy that soon), and I'm watching it now.
Why is it my all-time favorite? Why do I smile thinking about it?
First and foremost, it makes me think of my grandfather. He was in this show more than once and I can remember going to the playhouse to watch him in it (a treat! so adult!) as a fairly small child. He played various roles over the years, but was a fantastic Rabbi. And, trust me...NO ONE could belt out "Tradition" like him!
It was one of the first productions that I really remember seeing and appreciating for what it was. I love the feeling of going to the theater. I love the excitement that hangs in the air.
Fiddler ignites that same excitement, whether I'm watching the movie or just listening to the soundtrack.
The music. I don't even know where to begin. The music is just so...BIG. I remember when my sister was in high school her marching band did selections from Fiddler one season. There's something spectacular about "Sunrise, Sunset" being played by a full marching band.
There is literally not a single song that I don't like. I like them ALL, and I LOVE MOST of them. "If I Were a Rich Man" is beyond amazing (and NO, I will never forgive Gwen Stefani for perverting it), and I can't help but smile listening to "Miracle of Miracles." "Matchmaker" is so terrific! I used to let loose and sing it with my sister while we were sharing a room growing up.
"The Bottle Dance" is a work of art. The visual of the dance itself is nothing short of extraordinary, but it's perfectly paired with the music. One of my favorite scenes.
And then...there is "To Life." "L'Chaim." For me, it is THE song of the musical. Even more than "Rich Man." I can't explain why, there's just so much that I love about it.
Oh, that video. Lin-Manuel is fantastic, and the brain from which In the Heights was born. I would LOVE for my husband to do something like this for me on our wedding day. The ultimate wedding gift.
Tevye is a great character, so funny. He's sarcastic and scheming and completely whipped for all his big talk about being the head of the family. He's such a softie and a pushover when his daughters come to him in love. It's lovely.
Bottom line: I LOVE IT. I have yet to find any musical I love as much, and I don't think I ever will. This musical is a part of my heart. A classic, for a very good reason. ♥
(It also always makes me want to be Jewish SO BAD. And my father wonders why I want to marry into that culture...It's because of TRADITION!)
#FiddlerFTW
West Side Story last night just put me in a mood, you guys! Not that I don't love musicals all the time forever and ever. So, today I rented it (I don't actually know WHY I don't own it, but you can bet that I will remedy that soon), and I'm watching it now.
Why is it my all-time favorite? Why do I smile thinking about it?
First and foremost, it makes me think of my grandfather. He was in this show more than once and I can remember going to the playhouse to watch him in it (a treat! so adult!) as a fairly small child. He played various roles over the years, but was a fantastic Rabbi. And, trust me...NO ONE could belt out "Tradition" like him!
It was one of the first productions that I really remember seeing and appreciating for what it was. I love the feeling of going to the theater. I love the excitement that hangs in the air.
Fiddler ignites that same excitement, whether I'm watching the movie or just listening to the soundtrack.
The music. I don't even know where to begin. The music is just so...BIG. I remember when my sister was in high school her marching band did selections from Fiddler one season. There's something spectacular about "Sunrise, Sunset" being played by a full marching band.
There is literally not a single song that I don't like. I like them ALL, and I LOVE MOST of them. "If I Were a Rich Man" is beyond amazing (and NO, I will never forgive Gwen Stefani for perverting it), and I can't help but smile listening to "Miracle of Miracles." "Matchmaker" is so terrific! I used to let loose and sing it with my sister while we were sharing a room growing up.
"The Bottle Dance" is a work of art. The visual of the dance itself is nothing short of extraordinary, but it's perfectly paired with the music. One of my favorite scenes.
And then...there is "To Life." "L'Chaim." For me, it is THE song of the musical. Even more than "Rich Man." I can't explain why, there's just so much that I love about it.
Click to viewOh, that video. Lin-Manuel is fantastic, and the brain from which In the Heights was born. I would LOVE for my husband to do something like this for me on our wedding day. The ultimate wedding gift.
Tevye is a great character, so funny. He's sarcastic and scheming and completely whipped for all his big talk about being the head of the family. He's such a softie and a pushover when his daughters come to him in love. It's lovely.
Bottom line: I LOVE IT. I have yet to find any musical I love as much, and I don't think I ever will. This musical is a part of my heart. A classic, for a very good reason. ♥
(It also always makes me want to be Jewish SO BAD. And my father wonders why I want to marry into that culture...It's because of TRADITION!)
#FiddlerFTW