Yucaipa Performing Arts Center’s production of Fiddler on the Roof

By Shantell Sunderman

Redlands News Collective contributing writer

Credit: Yucaipa Art Center

Showtimes for “Fiddler On the Roof” continue though April 12.

Hands down, the best production of Fiddler on the Roof is the one I saw Saturday, April 4, at the Yucaipa Performing Arts Center. Steve Simons and Nathan Prince know how to coax the best out of their people, and honestly, having seen more than a few of their productions, it isn’t tough because they find the right people for the right parts in the first place. 

Not to say it is an easy task to coordinate dozens of people and have all the moving parts work together seamlessly, but Simons and Prince make it look a lot easier than it is. 

The play, Fiddler on the Roof, has been an American classic since 1964. Set in the early 1900s, as Russia was experiencing turbulence, the story follows dairyman and father of five daughters, Tevya, and his wife, Golde. As the political landscape changes, Tevya must figure out his changing place in the world. 

Jamie Snyder as Tevya brings a wry aspect to the part. Snyder’s Tevya is at once humorous, encompassing, exasperated, and a family man. He carries the songs with aplomb, the notes stretching just as long as necessary but no longer, and the sentimentality hits all the right notes. 

Photo by Kim Simonds/Legendary Productions

Sons from the village sing "Tradition," one of the more well-known songs from the musical.

     Jenn Blanck brought an early 1900s busybody to perfection. Yenta's inability to read the room provided levity, although the first act had plenty on its own.

     Act II brought the expected melancholy, but the first half was so uplifting and real that the play as a whole balanced. 

     More information can be found at Yucaipaperformingarts.org .