In Fiddler On The Roof, Tevye, the poor dairyman says: “Traditions, traditions. Without our traditions our lives would be as shaky as, as... as a fiddler on the roof!”
Musicals are a long-standing tradition at Park Center, and thousands of people have enjoyed watching our students perform on the stage since 1972. But have you ever wondered what it actually takes to get “the show on the road”? We interviewed some of the staff members involved in producing this year’s musical, Fiddler On The Roof to get a better idea…
Ms. Janke
First on the list is the show’s director, Ms. Kate Janke, who is also the choir director at Park Center. Ms. Janke’s first musical at Park Center was Footloose in 2004. The following year she directed South Pacific, and last year she was the director for Guys And Dolls. It can safely be said that Ms. Janke is a “born” director! Both her parents are teachers who have been involved in the teaching of music and drama for many years. Kate attended school musicals first as a little girl watching the “big kids” rehearse and perform, and then as a high school student participating in her school’s drama and musical productions. Not surprisingly, by the time Ms. Janke had to choose her own future career, the die was cast! Ms. Janke loves Fiddler On The Roof, and is very excited about the way this year’s performance is taking shape. She says the students in this year’s musical are all hard workers, and really lots of fun to work with.
A very good friend of Ms. Janke’s, Tony Sofie, has been the musical director for two years in a row at Park Center. He is responsible for all aspects of the show that relate to the vocal and instrumental music. This includes working with the director and choreographer to determine what - if any - music needs to be cut from or added to the score and rehearsing with the cast and the pit orchestra to help them produce their best possible performances. During the show, he leads the orchestra to help the performance go as smoothly as possible.
Ms. Klug
Another familiar face at musical rehearsals is that of Ms. Heather Klug, who choreographed a Park Center musical for the third time this year. Many participants in South Pacific remember the fun they had moving to the song Bloody Mary, as well as the gambling scene and hot box girls in Guys And Dolls. Of course, Fiddler On the Roof is a very different kind of show compared to last year’s, so we asked Ms. Klug how she actually goes about planning the choreography for a musical. According to Ms. Klug, to plan choreography, she needs to “know” the show. She usually watches the production, be it a play or the movie version, at least once to get an idea of the meaning behind the song. This gives her ideas about how the message of the song should be conveyed through movement. She designs the choreography for the cast, so that everyone is able to do all the movements in the group numbers. Some of the dance numbers require more complex choreography, which means that not all students will be in those numbers, e.g. the Russian bottle dancers in Fiddler On The Roof need to do some really complex moves while balancing bottles on their heads!
One of the most important parts of any musical production is not really “seen” by the audience, and that is everything that the technical crew does. Their first responsibility is to build and paint the set, which is designed by the technical director, Mr. Rob Sturdy. Mr. Sturdy starts working on the set design as soon as the musical is announced, taking into consideration what the musical director, Ms. Kate Janke, envisions for the show, as well as the ability of the tech crew. His job requires many trips to Menards for building material, as well as trips to S.R. Harris Fabric for material, and Norcostco for lighting and sound equipment. The tech crew is also responsible for the smooth running of the musical during performances, which includes everything from lighting and sound to making sure that all the backdrops and props get on and off the stage quickly and efficiently during the show. The students involved in the tech crew realize that the audience doesn’t see their hard work, but the cast and orchestra members do! The "techies" also know that their role is as integral to a good show as those of the other students who are seen and heard by audiences.
From Left to Right: Diane Tonn and Jody Hansen
Many mothers also volunteer time behind the scenes, for example: media center staff member, Jody Hansen, mother of Kate Hansen who plays the role of Tzeitel, Tevye’s eldest daughter, and Mrs. Diane Tonn, mother of Katie, who plays the second daughter, Hodel. These two ladies are responsible for costumes this year. “The costumes, like the set, lighting and music are a vital part of any show. Imagine a movie without background music, a concert with out lighting, or a play without costumes?” says Mrs. Hansen. Although Park Center performed Fiddler On The Roof 10 years ago, because of the small size of the costume shop some of the costumes must be turned over through the years. According to Mrs. Hansen, we have gangster gear, prom dresses, island attire, and western wear from the most recent shows, but to some degree have to re-invent the costuming for this year’s show. “Kate Janke always has a vision of what she wants her shows to look like and is experienced and creative in making that happen,” she says. “While we mothers dig through the costume shop and craft, mend, hem, lengthen and alter what we have, Ms. Janke has connections with professional costume companies that complete the picture and create a total setting for the audience to enjoy. Her knowledge of the era, setting, and the condition the characters are living in, are integral to the choosing the costumes.” The cast members are often involved in multiple fittings and are required to keep their costumes in “show ready condition” at all times.
Another “behind-the-scenes” person is the producer, staff member Ms. Lindy Edwards. It is her responsibility to design the tickets, the poster and the program for the show, and make sure that they are printed in good time before the show. She also makes sure that a reporter from the Sun Post comes to one of the rehearsals in order to write up a report of the upcoming show. “This is one of the best ways we can ensure that the people of Brooklyn Park know that the show will be taking place,” says Ms. Edwards.
A Behind the Scenes Look at "Fiddler on the Roof"
Tickets for the show are sold by Mrs. Lynell Keller, who used to work at Park Center and now volunteers time for the Park Center musical. Tickets are also sold at the ticket booth one hour prior to each performance and at intermission. “Being ticket seller is a fun way to be involved in the musical and one of the great perks is there are seats reserved just for the ticket sellers,” says Mrs. Keller, who loves watching the students perform.
The production staff members have an important message for Park Center students: “Come and see the show and appreciate it for all of the components that make it work. Your classmates designed and built the set, designed the lighting patterns for every moment of the show, set-up and run a complicated sound system, rehearse for weeks and play the music throughout the show and spent hours learning lines, practicing songs, stage movement and character behavior. This is more than just ‘a show’ - it’s truly a commitment to excellence.”
