You’d think seeing my first live in person theater piece since 2019 that I would be in ecstasy. The outdoor Wallis theater in Beverly Hills had excellent sound, a functional set, an impressive on-line program that made the event paperless, and personnel that were all masked. And if you combine that with seats safely separated, any covid anxiety had flown the coup.
But this solo show about what might have happened to Tevye when he immigrated to New York was a hopeless mess. With references to the musical Fiddler on The Roof that didn’t resonate and Tom Dugan portraying Tevye having little charisma or acting chops, the 90 minutes felt like three hours.
Okay it was thrilling to be with other theater goers but that thrill was just a blip in the evening. I’ll need to be more discerning on my next theater venture.
Gordon's Culture Critiques 