This week has been especially emotional for us in Anatevka. 

For the first time since tour began, we had to officially say goodbye to an original member of the cast. Our Fyedka left for another job closer to home and family, which is sad but understandable nonetheless. He is a terrific guy. Fun, dedicated, professional, and certainly very talented. But still, his exit was jarring. We have known for a while that this was coming, so the biggest surprise was the reaction from the cast to his departure. During the final scene, cast mates gathered in the wings to watch him, as well as his character, say farewell to Anatevka. Then after we took our last company bow, he was brought forward and turned to face his peers as we gave the most  sincere form of appreciation we know - an overwhelming round of applause. 

Most people were taken aback by the sudden swelling of tears as the curtain came down on this man's journey with us. But after months (which feel like years) on the road you have long since realized that Fiddler is so much more than a show. It is a Community. It is a metaphor for life. It is family. And how can you ever truly say goodbye to family? After all, Tevye's entire village had to spread far and wide, including his own daughters. This is not so unlike tour life. Family is far away, and contact is never convenient nor consistent. The entertainment world in general always faces this issue. There are more hello's and goodbye's than in any other business. But Tevye and the villagers of Anatevka understood. You must keep moving forward. Gone, but never forgotten. And if nothing else, we shall see each other again in the promised land. At least these days we have the internet, airplanes and cell phones. 

We only just drove away from him this morning when another important event brought our little traveling town together. The Jewish Holiday of Passover. For those like me who are not Jewish, this is their celebration of the freedom of slaves from Egypt. And for those who know Moses' tale in the Old Testament, it commemorates the events of the twelfth plague. Specifically the passing of the Angel of Death over those houses whose doors had lamb's blood, the mark instructed by God, above the threshold. Now living on a bus, as well as driving through desert and mountains for days, provided some interesting challenges in organizing a traditional seder dinner. Grocery stores were few and far between. A kitchen was out of the question. And did I mention that 3/4 of the cast isn't jewish, let alone reads hebrew text. But like the villagers of Anatevka, we found a way to adapt to our circumstances while keeping tradition alive. 

Like the good Mama she is, our Golde pulled things together last minute, and gave our company the most fantastic, impromptu, musical theatre seder you ever did see. And it was unforgettable. Musical numbers, prayers in both Hebrew and English, instrumental accompaniment, traditional food (to the best of our limited capabilities), joy, laughter, and tears; even in the face of great adversity, this pack of Jews-by-trade managed to pull off one heck of a holiday. If there is anything we can take from the show we recite every day, it is that humanity has an incredible capacity for hope. And this hope, if you let it, can motivate you to do great things. Especially when you are given no other choice. 

The story of Moses has always had personal meaning for me, as well as other members of my family. So finally having the opportunity to partake in this tradition, no matter how unconventional, was truly touching. I hope that next year, wherever we are, that this Fiddler family will remember these moments and all that for which we have to be grateful. I hope we recognize the strength we have inside just waiting to accomplish all we dreamed we could. And also, to remember those who came before us, giving their lives and paving the way for a better future. This is certainly not a new story. In fact you wonder just how many variations need to be told before we learn to treat each other better. Even so, I know that all of us are changed for having been a part of Anatevka. And still with us or on to bigger & better, this Passover is a lesson we can take with us no matter how far apart we are. 

For as long as we may have it...L'Chaim!

Just a quick update because tonight was rather special.

We performed at a very small venue in Pueblo, Colorado this evening. It is one of those theatres that is so small, in fact, we have to do the show without most of our set pieces and lighting. The show still goes on, just on a modern spectacle diet of sorts. Anyway, we try our hardest no matter what, but these shows are always interesting, challenging, and a barrel of laughs. And if these obsticles weren't enough, Pueblo happens to be the hometown of our director. So he, along with his entire family, were in the audience this evening expecting to see our very best anyway.

The funny thing is, tonight was a spectacular show. Most of our set was gone. The stage was dark. We had to move what set we had in pitch black most of the time. We changed entrances, blocking, and choreography on the fly to make up for lost or added space. Our costumes were in the basement while our dressing rooms were on 3rd and 4th floors.  The wings were so tight we had nowhere to stand. And our drummer was in an entirely separate room than the rest of the pit orchestra. Even so, something magic happened this evening. Maybe it was because we knew things were going to be wonky that our focus was more intense than usual. Or maybe it was the fact that our director was watching and we wanted to give a good performance. But somehow we had a high energy, clean, exciting performance. The audience loved us from the start, our Tevye was having an obviously great night, and we fed off the energy of both. Even as little things started going awry, as they always will, we were never thrown. The show just kept getting better as the evening went on. 

The best moment for me was at the curtain call. The first line of actors entered to bow, and the audience immediately rose to their feet. Now this has happened before, but not in quite some time. And maybe because of the hardships we faced to even bring the show here, or that the audience in our directors town loved it so much, but it made me happier than ever to be a part of this production. And hearing the crowd roar as Tevye took his bow was an experience I'll never forget. I just felt so honoured to be a part of something that touches people's hearts the way this does. No matter where we go, "Fiddler" seems to resonate with every kind of person. And having such a special night, feeling like we did our director proud, I went home remembering why I do this in the first place...Creating art to inspire the audience and myself. Tonight, I was inspired.

"Every now and again sometimes I get lost on the wind of a dream.
The air gets clean, and the seas get wide, and I can do anything.
The pain - it won't even cross my mind, and there's wonder in everything.
The ropes get loose. The chains unbind. And I can do Anything!" - MAE