Montrosians are abuzz from last weekend’s performances of Fiddler on the Roof, with full houses for all three performances. Some people even came to see the show more than once.

Nora Sullivan ’16 played the demanding role of Tevya with extraordinary musical versatility and comedic timing. Megan Bellavance ’16 proved commanding in her role as Tevya’s wife, Golde, and the couple sang with tight harmonies. Rachel Solomon ’16 played the eldest daughter Tzeitel with both dramatic flare and restraint, and her beaux Mortel was played in a lively and compelling way by Vicki Driscoll ’19. Molly Cahill ’16 sang angelically and acted convincingly in her role as the second daughter Hodel, who marries the persuasive radical Perchik, played forcefully by the talented Olivia Hastie ’18. The youngest sister Chava, played by Isabelle Frank ’19 with great pathos. left the audience feeling deeply for her love of the Russian soldier Fyedka (performed outstandingly by Catherine Melley ’16) and her strained ties to her father. The audience laughed with the Matchmaker’s antics (played by the stooped Saoirse Healy ’16) and with Tevya’s quaint phrases  always prefaced with “as the Good Book always says…” The costumes were elegant, music sophisticated, and acting compelling from beginning to end.

Most of the work for such a successful production takes place over the long months of preparation. The cast and crew shared with the Looking Glass stories of what happens behind the scenes. Erin Golden, a junior, explains how the practices work. She said, “first, we do the major scenes that have most of the company included. Scenes that have only a few characters practice separately.” Mrs. Sullivan emphasized, “ no rehearsal is a waste of time. The girls work really hard because they want to impress their friends and family.”

Tech week is the most stressful time for anyone helping out with the musical. These students stayed at school until eight. She added, “in the beginning of tech week, the show seems to be a giant mess, but then we put the pieces together and we are ready to present by the end of the week.” Although tech week is time consuming, the practice and hard work is worth it. Margaret Sparicio, 12th grade, says, “I went to see the play on Sunday and I really enjoyed the performance. I was really impressed. The costumes and sets were really amazing. It was great to see the senior class give their last performance and we will miss them.”

Overall, the cast of Fiddler on the Roof put on a great performance which astonished their audience. Brava!