The last musical theater production I was in before Fiddler on the Roof, was back in 2007 with Sonoma State University in A Little Night Music as Ann Eagermann. That role was a lot of fun, and the cast was all very close because most of us were also in drama classes together. After the show closed I had no idea it would be another 10 years before I would do another show.
In those 10 years I got married, I moved across the country several times, I gave birth to 5 babies, and started a career in education. I spent a lot of time doing things for others. Thats who I am. I'm a healer. whether it's healing someones emotional needs, helping them physically, being an ear when someone needs it the most, or actually carrying a baby for someone else. Healing is something that is a part of me, I never realized how much healing I needed myself. Musical theater is my soul. Its a part of me, so I auditioned for and was cast in SCP's Fiddler on the Roof.
Our first rehearsal I remember thinking to myself "I have no idea how to be social anymore..I'm with kids all day!!" But slowly and organically over the course of our rehearsals, we all got to know each other. We realized that while we were building relationships, what we were actually building was Anatevka. We began to care for one another, and have curiosity for each others' lives outside of rehearsal. To ask about family, and have deep discussions about life, and how we've grown into the people we are. We eventually even met outside of rehearsal to enjoy each other's company. This all happened very naturally.
I remember having this feeling of "this is bigger than we think it is.." one night when were were all huddled inot the evening at Braly park. Anna had performed her incredible moving scene when she begs her Papa not to shun her, and the entire rehearsal space was silent. We were all suspended in the emotion, or the moment when we realized their choreographed dance represented a small child sized Chava, dancing with Tevye in his memory. I sobbed.
On Aug 14th, Nazis rallied in Charlottesville, and I was suddenly hit with the levity of this show. This would be a show not only for the time of Anatevka, but for TODAY. This would be a show that would be relevant and poignant to the people of OUR time. Anti-sematism is rampant in MY country...in MY era...and I knew that this show was destined to be memorable.
Layers and layers of meaning dropped upon the stage of our show. Then we added the layer that was Eric Sun, and his wife Karen Law. Eric has terminal brain cancer, and had asked to be a part of our show as our fiddler who plays a John Williams violin solo during our intermission. None of us were positive how Eric's health would be for the run of the show, and every performance you would find our entire cast standing in the wings sending him love and energy.
As this show moved through it's 14 performances, we as a cast WERE the village of Anatevka, and each performance we stole the audience away with us into our private relationships and our songs. Backstage you'd find study groups of kids who were working on homework, a group upstairs playing board/card games, the ladies downstairs playing madlibs and crosswords, friends in the wings just enjoying watching the show, and every show had us together as a family.
Tonight I realized that this was truly our closing, when my beloved friend and dance partner David, in "To Life" took our positions to dance for the final time and whispered "This is it Corinne..." my eyes welled up in tears as I forced myself to finish the dance. Then we all poured on stage to listen to Eric play his truly final performance. He played his heart out, and even though he was not feeling well at all, he finished the entire show without missing a single performance. It was tearful, tearful because of his victory,because it would be his last performance on earth, and because we had all grew to love him dearly. After bows, and the audience had left the house, we came back onstage as a cast and sang one last "Sabbath Prayer". Merav said a blessing in Hebrew and leaned heavily into my shoulder, I grabbed a hold of Dan's arm as he held a crying Annika. We were saying a peaceful and sorrowful goodbye to our Anatevka. It was appropriate and moving..
I will never forget this show, it's cast, it's orchestra, or it's crew. What an incredible blessing it has been to be in this show. I will never forget any of the connections I have made.
"Anatevka, Anatevka.
In those 10 years I got married, I moved across the country several times, I gave birth to 5 babies, and started a career in education. I spent a lot of time doing things for others. Thats who I am. I'm a healer. whether it's healing someones emotional needs, helping them physically, being an ear when someone needs it the most, or actually carrying a baby for someone else. Healing is something that is a part of me, I never realized how much healing I needed myself. Musical theater is my soul. Its a part of me, so I auditioned for and was cast in SCP's Fiddler on the Roof.
Our first rehearsal I remember thinking to myself "I have no idea how to be social anymore..I'm with kids all day!!" But slowly and organically over the course of our rehearsals, we all got to know each other. We realized that while we were building relationships, what we were actually building was Anatevka. We began to care for one another, and have curiosity for each others' lives outside of rehearsal. To ask about family, and have deep discussions about life, and how we've grown into the people we are. We eventually even met outside of rehearsal to enjoy each other's company. This all happened very naturally.
I remember having this feeling of "this is bigger than we think it is.." one night when were were all huddled inot the evening at Braly park. Anna had performed her incredible moving scene when she begs her Papa not to shun her, and the entire rehearsal space was silent. We were all suspended in the emotion, or the moment when we realized their choreographed dance represented a small child sized Chava, dancing with Tevye in his memory. I sobbed.
On Aug 14th, Nazis rallied in Charlottesville, and I was suddenly hit with the levity of this show. This would be a show not only for the time of Anatevka, but for TODAY. This would be a show that would be relevant and poignant to the people of OUR time. Anti-sematism is rampant in MY country...in MY era...and I knew that this show was destined to be memorable.
Layers and layers of meaning dropped upon the stage of our show. Then we added the layer that was Eric Sun, and his wife Karen Law. Eric has terminal brain cancer, and had asked to be a part of our show as our fiddler who plays a John Williams violin solo during our intermission. None of us were positive how Eric's health would be for the run of the show, and every performance you would find our entire cast standing in the wings sending him love and energy.
As this show moved through it's 14 performances, we as a cast WERE the village of Anatevka, and each performance we stole the audience away with us into our private relationships and our songs. Backstage you'd find study groups of kids who were working on homework, a group upstairs playing board/card games, the ladies downstairs playing madlibs and crosswords, friends in the wings just enjoying watching the show, and every show had us together as a family.
Tonight I realized that this was truly our closing, when my beloved friend and dance partner David, in "To Life" took our positions to dance for the final time and whispered "This is it Corinne..." my eyes welled up in tears as I forced myself to finish the dance. Then we all poured on stage to listen to Eric play his truly final performance. He played his heart out, and even though he was not feeling well at all, he finished the entire show without missing a single performance. It was tearful, tearful because of his victory,because it would be his last performance on earth, and because we had all grew to love him dearly. After bows, and the audience had left the house, we came back onstage as a cast and sang one last "Sabbath Prayer". Merav said a blessing in Hebrew and leaned heavily into my shoulder, I grabbed a hold of Dan's arm as he held a crying Annika. We were saying a peaceful and sorrowful goodbye to our Anatevka. It was appropriate and moving..
I will never forget this show, it's cast, it's orchestra, or it's crew. What an incredible blessing it has been to be in this show. I will never forget any of the connections I have made.
"Anatevka, Anatevka.
Underfed, overworked Anatevka.
Where else could Sabbath be so sweet?
Anatevka, Anatevka.
Intimate, obstinate Anatevka,
Where I know everyone I meet.
Soon I'll be a stranger in a strange new place,
Searching for an old familiar face
From Anatevka."
