‘Fiddler’ coming to the Fort Findlay Playhouse
4/25/2013FINDLAY — Director Aeryn Williams will tweak tradition this weekend when Fort Findlay Playhouse opens Fiddler on the Roof.
“The challenge of a show like Fiddler is the audience knows what they want to come and see, and we do our best to give them what they want to see. We then find ways to place specific moments of surprise so the audience remains engaged throughout the whole musical,” said Williams, who is making her directorial debut.
Williams has been a musical director and helped behind the scenes and now she's running the show with a large cast of 43 actors.
“It's going really well. I have a great production team that surrounds me. I still find myself going, ‘I could use one more right there.’ I'm truly blessed that the cast is so dedicated to making this musical the best it can be.”
Among the cast are Marty Williams (the director's father) as Tevye who struggles to hold on to tradition and family values in changing times. Julie Lane plays his wife Golde.
Their five daughters are Devon Riddle as Tzeitel, Dawn Rose as Hodel, Amy Cox as Chava, Lily Rutledge as Shprintze, and Kennedy Garmong as Bielke.
“Fiddler on the Roof” will be performed at 8 p.m. today, Friday, and Saturday through May 11 and at 5 p.m. Sundays through May 12 at Fort Findlay Playhouse, 300 W. Sandusky St., Findlay. Tickets are $15. Information: 419-422-4624 or fortfindlayplayhouse.org.
Big Band Dance
MONROE — The Motor City Dance Extension will perform classical jazz dance to the sounds of the Monroe Big Band on Saturday as the River Raisin Centre for the Arts welcomes Jazz in Motion II.
This is a show for everyone, said director Jen Koralewski. It will share similarities to last year’s production and will have some new things added. Audience feedback from last year’s show has helped shaped this year’s production, she said.
“We're mixing everything together. The vocalists will be coming onstage and having more interaction with the dancers... We’ve got our Michael Buble, Frank Sinatra, a lot more big band numbers. We’ve got a good mix of songs. Definitely stuff that will keep you moving in your seats.”
The dancers will be dancing around the band and near the audience, too. The show will include guest performances by the River Raisin Ballet Company and the River Raisin Dance Academy.
“Jazz in Motion II” will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at River Raisin Centre for the Arts, 114 S. Monroe St., Monroe. Tickets are $18 for adults, $16 for seniors, and $10 for students and children. Information: 734-242-7722 or riverraisincentre.org.
Cupcake Competition
The Children’s Theatre Workshop is hosting its second annual Cupcake Showdown Fund-raiser Saturday at the Collingwood Arts Center. Willy Wonka is the theme at least six area bakeries will use in this competition for the title of best cupcake.
Last year's event welcomed more than 200 guests. Proceeds from Showdown tickets will help the arts and theater programs at CTW.
Cupcake Showdown will be held from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Saturday at the Collingwood Arts Center Tansey-Zimmerman Theatre, 2413 Collingwood Blvd. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for seniors and students. Information: 419-244-5061 or ctwtoledo.org.
Please send theater items at least two weeks in advance to jnjaim@theblade.com.