Vote for Fiddler
By Frederick Stark (11-02-23) (Opinion)
Editor’s Note: This article was finished after the poles closed. However, it was still an amazing article so we decided to publish it anyway. Also for ironic purposes.
Hello again to people who read my articles last year and welcome to those who didn’t! I’m Freddie Stark, and I would like to deliver a message to all of you reading who have plans to join this year’s school musical, as well as those of you who don’t! Because in just a couple of months, this astounding academy could be considering auditions for students who want to act in one of the greatest musicals of all time! The one I speak of, as the title may suggest, is Fiddler On The Roof JR. Now, some of you may be wondering what the play I’m talking about is. But I would love to explain to you why you should vote for this outstanding piece of theatre, and how it’s best for the school. I have 5 main reasons, so sit back, relax, and pull up that google form in preparation to be persuaded by my writing. Or, if you want, you could get it out of the way and vote now?
Reason 1: It has great music
The songwriting in Fiddler On The Roof is phenomenal. Many of the numbers have cemented themselves among the most popular show tunes in history, and you could have the opportunity to either sing these songs or watch your friends perform them! Listen to the soundtrack and I swear you will love the music. It’s also VERY easy to learn for people who may want to act in a musical but are intimidated by the prospect of needing to be a professional singer. Don’t sweat it. You’ll be singing the songs well in a second, and they’ll be stuck in your head as soon as you learn them.
Reason 2: It highlights the talent at this school
Now things may be different this year, but at least when I was a 6th grader, a lot of people who joined the school play were interested in singing and acting. Very few were openly excited about getting to dance, and I believe the musical we put on should include what people want! Fiddler On The Roof has, as I said before, has amazing music, but it also has fantastic dialogue! Dance isn’t a big part of it, however, although there is enough to satisfy those who want to show the school their amazing moves. Newsies and Fame The Musical, the other two options for this year’s performance, both have quite a lot of choreography to learn. (Newsies also has tap dancing, which can be really challenging) And as I said before choreography isn’t the strong suit of many people joining the play, nor is it that of our amazing directors, Ms. Contrino and Mr. Ballot. We want a play that displays the talent of both
our students and directors, which Fiddler On The Roof is sure to do.
Reason 3: Not everyone has to sing
I know I’ve already mentioned that this musical has an incredible score, (or soundtrack for those who aren’t too interested in theatre) and I’ve also mentioned that you could have the chance to sing those amazing ballads on stage in just a few months, but what if you don’t want to sing? What if the vocals of a musical really aren’t your thing and you’d much rather act in one without having to perform them? What if you want a big role, but don’t want one with any songs? Well if that’s the case, Fiddler On The Roof might be just the right play for you. Sure, it has music, but it also has plenty of scenes and dialogue, as well as characters who have a huge amount of lines, but not a single solo in a number! An example of one of these characters is Motel (pronounced Maw-tul), a caring and brave young man who has the courage to go against the teachings of his culture and marry Hoddle, another one of the main characters, despite being a poor tailor and despite the marriage not being arranged. He gets to have a touching and admirable moment of determination and fearlessness in a scene in which he explains to Hoddle’s father, Tevye, that the thing he wants most in the world is to be with her, and he manages to persuade the stubborn man. I understand that playing this character may sound awkward to some of you reading, but trust me, the writers handle it in a very tasteful and age-appropriate way that most likely won’t embarrass anyone, which perfectly segways to the next reason!
Reason 4: It has dramatic dialogue that isn’t embarrassing
I understand that this isn’t the top priority when it comes to which play a school should put on, but you might be surprised if you weren’t in it by the amount of participants in the one we did last year who felt as if they weren’t doing “real” acting, or even felt embarrassed about the lines they had to say. For instance, one of my friends who’s now in 8th grade was being proposed to in the musical, and she found the scene humiliating, especially considering her parents and friends were watching it. And to humiliate children is certainly not the goal of any performance a school does, which is why Fiddler On The Roof would be a great choice. Even though a lot of the central plot is focused around the main character’s daughters finding love, the way it’s written is very tasteful, as I said before, and certainly doesn’t involve anyone having to get down on one knee with a ring. As for dramatic acting, a lot of JR musicals are lacking in that department, and you can tell the writers thought that middle schoolers were only interested in comedy and didn’t want to say dialogue that showed actual emotion rather than just humorous one-liners. However, a core aspect of Fiddler On The Roof is drama, as well as human emotion. And the JR version doesn't stifle that core aspect the way some of them do. So if you want to say or see your peers say meaningful and emotional lines, as well as some that are sure to leave the audience in hysterics, this show just might be the one you should vote for.
Reason 5: Might as well!
I’m quite aware that this reason may not be as well researched, persuasive, or long as the other ones, but that doesn’t make it any less true. If you don’t plan to act in or even see the school musical this year, and one of your friends hasn’t asked you to vote for one other than Fiddler On The Roof, there’s no reason not to do so! You’d just be doing me and many other students a favor that will only take two seconds! Please?
Well, there you have it! I hope you enjoyed reading my first article of this school year! I understand that while I’m finishing it up, the polls for the school play have already closed, but at least you must have had a good time reading it if you’ve come this far. So thank you, I hope I’ve managed to persuade you on why the school should do Fiddler On The Roof JR, and if I haven’t, that’s fine too! So until next time… Keep buzzing along, stingers! Bzzzzzzzzz!
Hello again to people who read my articles last year and welcome to those who didn’t! I’m Freddie Stark, and I would like to deliver a message to all of you reading who have plans to join this year’s school musical, as well as those of you who don’t! Because in just a couple of months, this astounding academy could be considering auditions for students who want to act in one of the greatest musicals of all time! The one I speak of, as the title may suggest, is Fiddler On The Roof JR. Now, some of you may be wondering what the play I’m talking about is. But I would love to explain to you why you should vote for this outstanding piece of theatre, and how it’s best for the school. I have 5 main reasons, so sit back, relax, and pull up that google form in preparation to be persuaded by my writing. Or, if you want, you could get it out of the way and vote now?
Reason 1: It has great music
The songwriting in Fiddler On The Roof is phenomenal. Many of the numbers have cemented themselves among the most popular show tunes in history, and you could have the opportunity to either sing these songs or watch your friends perform them! Listen to the soundtrack and I swear you will love the music. It’s also VERY easy to learn for people who may want to act in a musical but are intimidated by the prospect of needing to be a professional singer. Don’t sweat it. You’ll be singing the songs well in a second, and they’ll be stuck in your head as soon as you learn them.
Reason 2: It highlights the talent at this school
Now things may be different this year, but at least when I was a 6th grader, a lot of people who joined the school play were interested in singing and acting. Very few were openly excited about getting to dance, and I believe the musical we put on should include what people want! Fiddler On The Roof has, as I said before, has amazing music, but it also has fantastic dialogue! Dance isn’t a big part of it, however, although there is enough to satisfy those who want to show the school their amazing moves. Newsies and Fame The Musical, the other two options for this year’s performance, both have quite a lot of choreography to learn. (Newsies also has tap dancing, which can be really challenging) And as I said before choreography isn’t the strong suit of many people joining the play, nor is it that of our amazing directors, Ms. Contrino and Mr. Ballot. We want a play that displays the talent of both
our students and directors, which Fiddler On The Roof is sure to do.
Reason 3: Not everyone has to sing
I know I’ve already mentioned that this musical has an incredible score, (or soundtrack for those who aren’t too interested in theatre) and I’ve also mentioned that you could have the chance to sing those amazing ballads on stage in just a few months, but what if you don’t want to sing? What if the vocals of a musical really aren’t your thing and you’d much rather act in one without having to perform them? What if you want a big role, but don’t want one with any songs? Well if that’s the case, Fiddler On The Roof might be just the right play for you. Sure, it has music, but it also has plenty of scenes and dialogue, as well as characters who have a huge amount of lines, but not a single solo in a number! An example of one of these characters is Motel (pronounced Maw-tul), a caring and brave young man who has the courage to go against the teachings of his culture and marry Hoddle, another one of the main characters, despite being a poor tailor and despite the marriage not being arranged. He gets to have a touching and admirable moment of determination and fearlessness in a scene in which he explains to Hoddle’s father, Tevye, that the thing he wants most in the world is to be with her, and he manages to persuade the stubborn man. I understand that playing this character may sound awkward to some of you reading, but trust me, the writers handle it in a very tasteful and age-appropriate way that most likely won’t embarrass anyone, which perfectly segways to the next reason!
Reason 4: It has dramatic dialogue that isn’t embarrassing
I understand that this isn’t the top priority when it comes to which play a school should put on, but you might be surprised if you weren’t in it by the amount of participants in the one we did last year who felt as if they weren’t doing “real” acting, or even felt embarrassed about the lines they had to say. For instance, one of my friends who’s now in 8th grade was being proposed to in the musical, and she found the scene humiliating, especially considering her parents and friends were watching it. And to humiliate children is certainly not the goal of any performance a school does, which is why Fiddler On The Roof would be a great choice. Even though a lot of the central plot is focused around the main character’s daughters finding love, the way it’s written is very tasteful, as I said before, and certainly doesn’t involve anyone having to get down on one knee with a ring. As for dramatic acting, a lot of JR musicals are lacking in that department, and you can tell the writers thought that middle schoolers were only interested in comedy and didn’t want to say dialogue that showed actual emotion rather than just humorous one-liners. However, a core aspect of Fiddler On The Roof is drama, as well as human emotion. And the JR version doesn't stifle that core aspect the way some of them do. So if you want to say or see your peers say meaningful and emotional lines, as well as some that are sure to leave the audience in hysterics, this show just might be the one you should vote for.
Reason 5: Might as well!
I’m quite aware that this reason may not be as well researched, persuasive, or long as the other ones, but that doesn’t make it any less true. If you don’t plan to act in or even see the school musical this year, and one of your friends hasn’t asked you to vote for one other than Fiddler On The Roof, there’s no reason not to do so! You’d just be doing me and many other students a favor that will only take two seconds! Please?
Well, there you have it! I hope you enjoyed reading my first article of this school year! I understand that while I’m finishing it up, the polls for the school play have already closed, but at least you must have had a good time reading it if you’ve come this far. So thank you, I hope I’ve managed to persuade you on why the school should do Fiddler On The Roof JR, and if I haven’t, that’s fine too! So until next time… Keep buzzing along, stingers! Bzzzzzzzzz!
