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NEW YORK – It took more than 50 years and many "goyaux", but the tradition has come full circle with the very first Yiddish production of "Fiddler on the Roof" on Broadway.
"Fidler Afn Dakh" is organized by the National Yiddish Theater Folksbiene (NYTF) at the Jewish Heritage Museum of New York until August 26, meaning that Tevye's dream of being a wealthy man does not exist. Has never been so closely linked to its Anatevka roots.
The first time that "Fiddler" was organized in Yiddish was in Israel 50 years ago, "but this has never been done in the US I am the lucky guy who manages to lead it "said award-winning actor Joel Gray in a promo for the show.
Best known as the master of ceremonies in the film and the original productions of "Cabaret", Gray directs the vibrant Yiddish version of "Fiddler on the Roof" with a cast that includes Jackie Hoffman (who received an Emmy nomination last year for her stage flying tour as Joan Crawford's maid in "Feud"), Steven Skybell and Mary Illes. They play the emblematic roles of village mariner Yente, and husband and wife Tevye and Golde, respectively.
Originally from Sholem Aleichem's Tevye the Dairyman, Broadway's original production – with Jerry Bock's music, Sheldon Harnick's lyrics, and Joseph Stein's book – debuted in 1964. A year later , a Hebrew production Theater of the Alhambra in Jaffa. After a successful run in Israel, Shraga Friedman, a Polish-Israeli actor and writer, was invited in 1966 to translate the show into Yiddish.
"Friedman, a native Yiddish speaker, fled World War II with his family to Tel Aviv in 1941," says Zalmen Mlotek, NYTF Artistic Director. "Well aware of the works of Sholem Aleichem, Friedman devised his translation to infuse" Fiddler's "with literary references to the original stories" Tevye the Dairyman ".
When Israel was established in 1948, speaking in Yiddish was considered a taboo with the state desirous that everyone use Hebrew. But a few decades later, people were ready for a cultural taste of lost language.
On the eve of the premiere of the series in New York on Wednesday, actors and NYTF troupe were rehearsing 24 hours a day to bring the same experience to the American public.
] "This is the language in which the characters are supposed to speak, so people know it because that they are familiar with the musical, but they will also hear it as if it was the first time, "says Michael Yashinsky, who is fluent in Yiddish and plays the role of the musician. innkeeper Mordcha.
Yashinsky, 29, grew up hearing Yiddish from his grandparents and then began to study it independently. "Everything about my life is in Yiddish these days," he says – as an actor, director and teacher of the historical dialect. (He even describes himself as a "Yiddish" on his LinkedIn page.)
"It's not just about getting the sounds out, as it was in the beginning, it's about using those sounds to build a character, tell a story and create this shtetl, "he explains to Haaretz after a long day of rehearsals.
A new genre of slur
For Raquel Nobile – who plays one of Tevye's young girls, Schprintze – Yiddish was completely unknown before joining Folksbiene a year ago. "There are times when we will say something and we will receive a note from one of our Yiddish coaches who will say," You look too American, "she smiles.
So, what is his technique for learning his lines? "I will write the line in Yiddish and then write it in English – the exact translation – underneath, I will find the verbs and names, and what I would typically emphasize in English would put it in the same way" in Yiddish says Nobile.
Yiddish is also heard outside the rehearsal space. The actors take up words and use them jokingly, sometimes completely out of context. "Like" staytsh "which means" What's going on? Yeshinsky said, offering an example. "Now people have started using it as a kind of insult, like," Oh, you stay! " It does not make sense, but he uses language creatively – which is a good thing, I think, "he laughs.
The show has now completed a cycle "from Anatevka to Broadway and Back", which is also the title of the "Fiddler" series that accompanies the production of NYTF. These performances include discussions on the transformation of "Fiddler" into "Fidler Afn Dakh", exploring the traditional writings of Aleichem, and live interviews with lyricist Harnick and actor Austin Pendleton, who played Motel in the original Broadway production.
The NYTF is proud to be the world's oldest Yiddish theatrical company, "dedicated to creating a living legacy through the arts, connecting generations and transitional communities," as he points out. on his website.
"Many viewers have their own stories that look so much like what we represent on stage," notes Nobile. "They came here to Ellis Island from another country, where they lived in their family – and with the language, I think it's going to be a nice combination of two traditional things going together.
For Yashinsky, his work consists of to "tell stories that make up a great human tapestry of stories." That's why "Fiddler on the Roof" was adopted not only by Jews, but by people of all religions and ages. "
He adds that when he heard about a Yiddish version of "Fiddler", he had to try to get involved: "I knew that I had to take the time to". audition for that, and then, miracle of miracles, we're here. "
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