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Show 32 Page THE HERALD, Provo, Utah, Thursday, May 12, 1983 Arts Music, drama, the people film art, and the productions Play Review Despite Rough, Sad Opening 'Fiddler on Roof Shows Promise BY THERON H. LUKE "Fiddler on the Roof" is a moving show. It was even more so when it opened Monday night in Pleasant Grove's Alhambra Theatre. It opened in a theater still torn up as the management races through an extensive remodeling and rewiring to meet fire codes. It opened with somewhat inadequate lighting because that won't be finished until the weekend. It opened without programs because they won't be finished until the poignant, weekend. And it opened with a saddened cast because one of its members had died the previous week. It had all the elements of a contrived Hollywood script, except this was real life. I'm sure the cast never thought of "coming through" like they always do in Hollywood. It just pitched in and came through. The show was rough, very rough in places. It badly needs tightening. But the shining moments came through, several of them, and they did indeed shine. It can be tightened up. The rough spots can be smoothed out. When they are, it will be a show worth seeing. It was worth seeng Monday night, despite the roughness, the opening night jitters and loose- "You're ruining the economy of this island," Brackett (Max Robinson) tells Bloody Mary (Marsha Miller) as Harbison (Jack Sharrar) listens in a funny moment from "South Pacific." Timeless 'South Pacific' Theme Comes to Pioneer Memorial Stage The human race continues the quest for acceptance, dignity, beauty and love and the values and needs shown in "South Pacific" are as valid today as they were when this musical won the Pulitzer Prize in 1949. "South Pacific" will play through May 28 at Pioneer Memorial Theatre in Salt Lake City, Utah. The production, with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, opened on Broadway on April 7, 1949. Mary Martin played Nellie, Ezio Pinza was Emile de Becque. The show ran for almost five years on Broadway and the curtain has never closed on "South Pacific" it is almost always playing somewhere in the world. "South Pacific" is based on two stories from James Miche-ner- 's "Tales of the South Pacific." One, "Fo' Dolla" deals with a South Seas native, Bloody Mary, whose daughter, Liat has a brief but intense affair with Joe Cable, an American naval officer. The other, "Our Heroine," deals with a romance between a planter, Emile middle-age- d de Becque and Nellie Forbush, a young American nurse. Set on a South Sea island, during World War II and peopled with a variety of natives, sailors, seabees and marines it is both cheering and heart-breakin- g. "I've directed eight including one in Tokyo (in Japanese)," says John Fearnley, director. And each time I find additional ideas and added emphasis on the important values. And no production that I have done seems to realize the original intent of the creators more full than this reduction at Salt Lake ?'ioneer Memorial TheatreCity's ... a most talented company playing in Ron Crosby's truly beautiful sets with their technical magic and cushioned on James Prig-more- 's rendition of the Rich- ard Rodgers score." Fearnley came from New York to direct his sixth production at Pioneer Memorial Theatre. He is throughout the world as a director and an expert on Rodgers and Hammerstein. He was casting director and production aide well-know- n "Fiddler," one of the brightest moments on the American stage and a smash hit nationally, stands or falls by the person who plays Tevye. It very much stood with Jim Shumway opening night, who was natural, dramatic without overdoing it, and who has a fine singing voice. Syd Riggs as Golda has a wealth of dramatic experience and it stood her in good stead. The three daughters and their potential husbands made up in enthusiasm what some of them may have lacked in experience. They were Jill Brown as Hodel and Marvin Higbee as Perchik; Betsy Beaman as Chava and Pat DAILY Hod-so- sink-or-swi- (0)(0) -B- REAKFAST SEPCIAL 6 A.M. LlKKHEOnS JV 1 1 11 A.M. A.M. y)75 Ch SPECIAL 5 P.M. -- Mon. - Fri. & SANDWICH 1 1 A.M. DAILY DINGER 2 SPECIAL 5 P.M. - CLOSING $99 Sfl99 2 P.M. CHECK OUR SPECIAL "DINNER DEALS" FOR DINING AFTER 5 P.M. ness. for the famous team for more than 10 years and has since directed almost all of the Broadway revivals of their works. He was casting director and production aide for the original "South Pacific" and, with directors and Leland Hayward and Joshua Logan and Rodgers and Hammerstein, was "in it from the beginning.'.' In the PMT production, Robert Peterson plays Eile de Becque; Zelie Daniels is Nellie; Marsha Miller is Bloody Mary; H.E.D. Redford plays Luther Billis; Max Robinson and Jack Sharrar are Brackett and Harbison; Russell Cuff is Lt. Cable, Kerry Shimizu is Liat; Robert Baker and Dennis Record are Stewpot and The Professor. The balance of the PMT Company includes an ensemble of 26. O' Sullivan as Fyedka, and Shauna n Moss as Tzeitel and Richard as Motel the tailor. Some of the most touching, moving scenes in the show come from all three couples. I know something about the trials, heartbreaks (and joys) of doing live theater in a valley outside of BYU (which doesn't have to worry about financing). Jeff Johnson is spending an awfully lot of his own money on that theater. This show is not Broadway or Capitol Theatre. But it was a good show Monday night despite all of its difficulties. It will be a better one. They deserve their chance. The show, one of a projected series of live musicals produced by Jeff Johnson, who has bought both the Pleasant Grove Alhambra and the Springville Villa, was scheduled to open last Friday night. Earlier the same week the old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Kerr died. The entire family was in the cast, including the baby. The father was the innkeeper. The weekend opening was postponed. Monday night the father and one son performed 55 East 1230 North At THE Provo ROYAL O restaurant 373-11- g 44 their roles. Substitutions were found for the rest. They buried the baby the next day. "The roles are still open for the rest of the family," said director Audra Moss after the opening night, "whenever they want to mRgnsirtG yvA resume them." The show will play Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays through June 4. Monday curtains at 7:30 p.m., the others at 8 p.m. The lead roles of Tevye and Golda are double cast. Jim Shumway and Syd Riggs opened and will perform May 13, 20, 21 and 23. Randy Cleave and Clare Johnson will take over May 14, 27, 28, 30 and June 3 and 4. Performances are nightly (except Sundays) at 8 p.m. with a matinee on May 28 at 2 p.m. Pioneer Memorial Theatre is at Third South and University Streets in Salt Lake City, Utah. For further information call 581-696- 1. r Ogden's Safety Robot v' Music Board Elects Pollei "a Thursday Dr. Paul C. Pollei, professor of music in Brigham Young University's Department of Music, has been elected a member of the prestigious National Executive Board of the Music Teachers Na- 6:30 tional Association (MTNA). KUTV Jf TOGETHER er The MTNA is a organization of teachers and performers fostering increased atten20,000-memb- tion to teacher certification, higher education and young artist performance and recognition. Dr. Pollei was also awarded the MTNA's Master Teacher Certificate in recognition of his years of experience and his contributions in the national teaching profession. A well-know- I -- n piano pedagogist, Dr. Pollei received degrees from the University of Utah, the University of Rochester and Florida State University. He is also the director of the annual Gina International Piano Competition. J zoom. er MOVIE GUIDE FOR FAMILIES G: "General Audiences." Film contains no materials most parents are likely to consider objectionable even for younger children. PG: "Parental Guidance Suggested." Rating cautions parents they might consider some material unsuitable for children. It urges parents to inquire about the film before deciding on attendance. R: "Restricted." Film con-taiadult-typ- e material and those under 18 years of age are not admitted except in the company of a parent or an adult guardian. X: This is patently an adult-typ- e film and no one under 18 is admitted. The age limit may be higher in some places. Motion Picture Association of America 9:00 Hill Street Blues D i I STOCKMEN'S EXPRESS lit wi 1.1 I ... of events that shape our lives. 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