10 — Friday, March 4, 2022 — North Pointe
LIFE
Spotlight shines on "Fiddler on the Roof" performance By Grace Rossman & Jami Townsend SECTION EDITOR & STAFF REPORTER
COURTESY OF TIM LAWLIS
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT | The cast members rehearsed for three months to prepare for the show. As the lead, Michael Villeneuve dedicated many hours to creating the final product. “My favorite part of the musical was definitely seeing everything come together little by little,” Villeneuve said. “Rehearsals were pretty slow at first, but slowly [and] surely we got every little thing ironed out, which was so satisfying to see.” After a year-long break from school musicals, the drama students were finally able to return to the stage for a production of “Fiddler on the Roof,” from Feb. 3-7. The musical has been one unlike past years with unfamiliar mask protocols, construction and a brand new director. Despite these challenges, the cast, crew and pit orchestra persevered to create a successful show. Show lead Michael Villeneuve, who played Tevye, a poor father of five daughters, is proud of what he and his peers have accomplished. “I genuinely think, in my not so humble opinion, that this musical has been one of the best that I’ve ever seen at North,” Villeneuve said, “'Fiddler' is such an intimate
and emotional show, and having everything work out led to what I think was a phenomenal musical.” During the practices and preparations for the musical, those involved faced uncertainty as to where the show would be held. It would either take place at Brownell Middle School’s auditorium, or North’s auditorium, where the older cast members are accustomed to. The reason for the switch would be due to the closure of the Performing Arts Center since the beginning of the school year, but to the cast’s delight, the PAC was reopened just weeks before the show. The crew members rushed to clean out the space, which was being used primarily as a storage area, to make it show ready. First year Drama Director Michael Gravame and the cast had limited time to practice on the stage, but the last-minute switch was worth it to perform in their home auditorium. “It was a huge benefit to be able to perform in our home school theater. After a year of being moved around, it was wonderful to produce 'Fiddler’ on our stage,” Gravame said. “The lighting is better and everyone is so familiar with the space it just worked out for the best.” Another change in the program this year was working under the leadership of a new drama director, specifically one who wholeheartedly dedicated himself to all of the show’s characters. Producer Tim Lawlis, who worked closely with Gravame from the start of rehearsals to the last curtain close, has glowing remarks for his work on the show. “[Gravame] constantly inspires everyone to do their best,” Lawlis said. “As a result, many members of the cast feel that they have done their best acting under his direction.” Although there was an initial struggle for the cast to accustom to the new instruction, they adapted quickly. Gravame became known for his attention to the small, yet important details, which, according to Villeneuve, were incredibly important in producing a successful final product.
“[Gravame] has two big strengths: costume and character,” Villeneuve said. “He’s gone to around three different Broadway costume companies and ordered countless high quality costumes for the whole cast.” Even though the musical lacked the normalcy of past years, everyone involved was driven to create a product that they are all proud of. With a dedicated director, a hard-working cast and a “show must go on” attitude, they did not let anything stop them. “I think it was a smash hit,” Gravame said. “The amount of great congratulation compliments are still coming in.”
COURTESY OF TIM LAWLIS
PERFORMANCE READY | With the majority of rehearsals taking place in the Brownell Middle School multipurpose room, the cast got the chance to perform in the newly renovated PAC only a few weeks before the opening show. Producer Tim Lawlis assisted the cast in the last minute venue change. “The cast was so happy to be able to perform at North, especially the seniors,” Lawlis said. “They all worked hard to adapt the show to the North stage, even though they only had two weeks before opening night.”
