A good production of “Fiddler on the Roof” should send you out into the street singing (if only in your head) one of its many famous musical numbers.
For the record, this review of the delightful “Fiddler” currently playing the Opera House is being written with badly warbled bits of “Matchmaker, Matchmaker” filling the air.
Chaim Topol and company deliver the old-fashioned family musical with great zeal, perfectly appropriate reverence and enough warmth and charm to turn those who roll their eyes at the mention of its name into “Fiddler” converts.
When the massive ensemble is celebrating their heritage with the vibrant opening number, it’s hard not to sing “Tradition” right along with them. And when a weary Tevye is quietly asking his wife Golde “Do You Love Me,” if you don’t get a little choked up, you might be emotionally stunted.
This troupe masterfully captures every subtle nuance and every grand moment of the mammoth musical, taking the audience along for the long, heartbreaking, yet uplifting ride.
With more than 2,500 performances as Tevye (including an Oscar nomination for the film), Topol could easily phone in his farewell tour. But the veteran actor pours his heart and soul into every moment he is onstage, and the result is a Tevye unlike any you’ve ever seen.
‘Fiddler on the Roof’
Through Sunday
The Opera House
539 Washington St., Boston
$20-$91, 800-982-2787
www.broadwayacrossamerica.com
