By Kate Daly

"Fiddler on the Roof," the full-blown Broadway musical, is being staged by the Woodside Community Theatre the first two weekends of November.

Show times are 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 6, 7, 13 and 14, with Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. on Nov. 8 and 15. See ticket information below.

Director/choreographer Bill Starr says what makes this show so outstanding is "it has heart."

A veteran of Broadway himself, and graduate of Menlo-Atherton High School, Mr. Starr says at the core is the cast of 50 local villagers who, although amateurs, are filled with "energy, commitment, and talent," plus some fascinating behind-the-scenes stories.

Foothill College student Brandon Keith, for example, is legally blind, yet he leaves his white cane off stage and jumps right in to act, dance and sing with the chorus.

Another student, Kit Sanderson, a sixth-grader at Woodside Elementary, is a leukemia survivor. Her mother, Dana, is delighted to see her daughter have enough stamina to be involved in a WCT show, and says Kit is having such a good time, "I think she'll do every one from here on."

This production marks WCT's seventh season since the organization regrouped after taking a break for a few years. Mark and Mindy Bowles of Woodside and Donna Losey, a Woodside High School parent, revitalized the group.

They are co-producing this show with Woodside High grad Claudia McCarley (who is also starring as Golde, and taking Yiddish lessons from production volunteer Alison Ross of Atherton to help nail the accent).

Mark Bowles wears more than one hat, too. He calls himself the "technical poobah" because he is backstage coordinating thee stage crew when he's not performing the role of innkeeper.

He describes the set designed by Akio Patrick of Woodside as "fabulous and big ... with six structures the size of a small house that take three or four people to move them."

The set recreates the village of Anatevka in 1905, where the poor dairyman, Tevye, is challenged with raising five daughters in the Jewish tradition amid growing anti-Semitism in czarist Russia.

Daniel Matis of Pacifica plays Tevye, a role he says he's been "wanting for 30 years," after appearing in two other productions of the show back East. He hasn't performed on stage in 25 years, due to "marriage, children and work," but calls himself the "singing Jewish plumber," and feels ready for the part.

Jerry Bock wrote the music, Sheldon Harnick the lyrics, and Joseph Stein the book.

Songs such as "If I Were a Rich Man," "Matchmaker" and "Sunrise, Sunset" carry the show, accompanied by a live orchestra of 25 musicians once again led by Richard Gordon of Woodside.

Half of the cast has done a previous WCT show, including Nate Moss who just proposed to choral director Kerie Darner. They met three years ago when they both performed in "Anything Goes."

Since then, WCT has rented the expansive stage at the Performing Arts Center at Woodside High School.

Local cast members include: Darlene Batchelder of Woodside as Yente; David Fleishhacker of Woodside and San Francisco as Lazar Wolf; Woodside Elementary students Cari Sprague, Jessie Marguet, Cameron Hofer, Julia Hansen, Samantha Frenkel-Poppell and Jaclyn Hovsmith; and Woodside High students Brigitte Losey and LeeAnn Patrick.

Corte Madera students Alex Rubin and Tony Sinclair come from Portola Valley, as do cast members Lorien French and Mischa Stephens.

Menlo Park residents David Bray and Shelly Welch are returning WCT actors.

Nueva School student Emily Ross of Atherton is back, as well.

Karen Patrick of Woodside is working on costumes with Liz Matchett who used to teach at Woodside Elementary and is married to Hillview Middle School music specialist Richard Vaughan, now known in this show as the Fiddler.

SHOWTIMES
The Woodside Community Theatre's production of "Fiddler on the Roof" will be staged at the Performing Arts Center at Woodside High School, 199 Churchill Ave. Show times are 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 6, 7, 13 and 14, with Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. on Nov. 8 and 15. Tickets are on sale online at woodsidetheatre.com or by calling 529-4828. Ticket prices are $22 for adults, $20 for seniors, and $15 for children. Discounts are available for groups of 20 or more.

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