Famous Broadway musical ''Fiddler on the Roof'' staged in Delhi

Sixteen years after it was first enacted here, famous Broadway musical, 'Fiddler on the Roof' reverberates in the air of Delhi once again directed by George Pulinkala, director of Delhi Music Theatre.

Pulinkala takes his audience into a world of fantasy with his lavish musical production staged on the grounds of Jesus and Mary College here.

"'Fiddler on the Roof' is the most widely performed musical all over the world. It was the favourite of the Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi also. The musical has a family value associated with it, which makes it very special," Pulinkala told PTI.

When the musical was first staged in 1993 the show ran for 10 days at the Kamani auditorium.

The musical, set in 1905 Tsarist Russia is a representation of a Broadway musical and revolves around Tevye, the father of five daughters, and his attempts to balance and maintain his family and traditions from outside intrusions.

Organised as part of the golden jubilee celebrations of the Archdiocese of Delhi, the proceeds of the show would be used for building a home and a training centre for street kids.

The original Broadway production opened on September 22, 1964 at the Imperial Theatre, transferred in 1967 to the Majestic Theatre and in 1970 to The Broadway Theatre, and ran for a record-setting total of 3,242 performances.

"We have been practising for the last two and half months, for two hours on weekends. The cast has really worked very hard. It is a Broadway production and so the demand as well as the expectation is high," says the director.

The cast consists of 85 members and a chunk of people of varying ages and varying interests.

Born in England and having travelled around a lot, Andrew Hoffland playing the main character 'Tevye' says that having helped Pulikala in one of his musicals in 1982, he always wanted to work with him again.

"Our circles don't match. Pulikala does musicals and I am a professional theatre artist but he is an amazing director
and I wanted to work with him," he says.

Andrew, who is also known as 'Uncle Andy' says, "Tevye is a traditionalist and I am not but I am a person whose heart rules the head which is true with Tevye also."

The artist speaks as if all the world is a stage and breaks into a song miming the lines of the musical when Tevye's three daughters break the tradition.

"One little time...I pulled down a thread and where has it lead and where has it lead" chants Andrew.

Pushpanjali, who plays the youngest daughter of Tevye is a fresh graduate from Venkateshwara College and is excited as well as nervous about the venture.

"I have acted before but this is a big event. Acting and singing in front of a few people is fine but in front of a big audience is.....I am nervous," she says.

Looking into the similarity between herself and the character she is playing, Pushpanjali says, "A lot of us in India face this problem. We are born and brought up in a particular tradition and as we grow up, we are exposed to a new set of things. So there is a clash." The original Broadway production opened on September 22, 1964 at the Imperial Theatre,  transferred in 1967 to the Majestic Theatre and in 1970 to The Broadway Theatre, and ran for a record-setting total of 3,242 performances.

"We have been practising for the last 2 1/2 months, for two hours on weekends. The cast has really worked very hard. It is a Broadway production and so the demand as well as the expectation is high," says the director.

The cast consists of 85 members and a chunk of people of varying ages and varying interests.

Born in England and having travelled around a lot, Andrew Hoffland playing the main character 'Tevye' says that having helped Pulikala in one of his musicals in 1982, he always wanted to work with him again.

"Our circles don't match. Pulikala does musicals and I am a professional theatre artist but he is an amazing director and I wanted to work with him," he says.

Andrew, who is also known as 'Uncle Andy' says, "Tevye is a traditionalist and I am not but I am a person whose heart rules the head which is true with Tevye also."

The artist speaks as if all the world is a stage and breaks into a song miming the lines of the musical when Tevye's three daughters break the tradition.

"One little time...I pulled down a thread and where has it lead and where has it lead" chants Andrew. Pushpanjali, who  plays the youngest daughter of Tevye is a fresh graduate from Venkateshwara College and is excited as well as nervous about the venture.

"I have acted before but this is a big event. Acting and singing in front of a few people is fine but in front of a big audience is.....I am nervous," she says.

Looking into the similarity between herself and the character she is playing, Pushpanjali says, "A lot of us in India face this problem. We are born and brought up in a particular tradition and as we grow up, we are exposed to a new set of things. So there is a clash."