Touring ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ opens April 21 in Scranton
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“Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match! Find me a find! Catch me a catch!”
… “For Papa, make him a scholar. For Mama, make him rich as a king. For me, well, I wouldn’t holler if he were as handsome as anything!”
If you’ve ever heard the soundtrack from the beloved family musical “Fiddler on the Roof,” you’ll remember three young sisters sing those lyrics.
The words speak to the fact that in their time, in their culture, in their village, marriages tended to be arranged by parents, with a little help from the local matchmaker.
“It’s obvious a young girl would have no interest in marrying this old, smelly butcher,” said Andrew Hendrick, the actor who will portray Lazar Wolf when Broadway in Scranton brings the touring musical “Fiddler on the Roof” to the Scranton Cultural Center at Masonic Temple for five shows April 21-23.
If Lazar Wolf’s name doesn’t ring a bell, well, he’s an older gentleman, a widower, and he’s interested in marrying Tzeitel, the oldest daughter of Tevye the dairyman.
“One of the most perfectly crafted musical comedy jokes in all of musical theater is when Tevye thinks the butcher wants to meet with him to buy his milk cow, but he really wants to marry Tzeitel. They’re both stubborn, they don’t really like each other and everybody in the audience knows what’s happening,” Hendrick said.
Despite his dislike of Lazar, Tevye agrees to the match and “it leads into ‘L’Chaim,’ a big drinking song,” the actor said.
At that point, it might look as if Tzeitel’s fate is sealed. Her papa says she will marry the butcher, and both of her parents will be pleased that, thanks to Lazar’s relatively prosperous business, Tzeitel will never starve.
But love has other ideas. Tzeitel has given her heart to Motel, the tailor. When her father agrees to bless her union with the much younger and much less prosperous Motel, that paves the way for Tzeitel’s younger sisters to break with tradition even more.
So, should we feel sorry for Lazar?
“I’m trying to layer in some nuance,” Hendrick said of the character. “even though he’s a gruff older guy … maybe a little jaded … maybe mad at the world because his (first) wife died, I try to show he’s not all bad.”
Meanwhile, no matter how old you are, there should be someone on stage with whom you can identify.
“There are so many universal themes,” Hendrick said. “The young generation is breaking with tradition … they want to marry for love … when you’re a kid you relate to the kid characters … when you’re an adult you relate to their struggles.”
And how many wedding receptions have you attended where someone plays “Sunrise, Sunset” while older generations wistfully wonder where the years have gone?
Other well-known songs from the show include “If I Were A Rich Man,” “Tradition,” “Matchmaker” and “Do You Love Me?”
Along with the music, Hendrick said, the dancing in the show is a huge attraction.
Israeli choreographer Hofesh Shechter has added “dynamic and fresh new energy,” he said. “It’s so fun and full of life, and our dancers are incredible.”
Show times are 8 p.m. Friday, April 21; 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday, April 22, and 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Sunday April 23. Tickets are available in person at the Scranton Cultural Center box office and online at BroadwayInScranton.com. For group (10+) rates and more info, call 570-342-7784.