“Fiddler on the Roof”
Until January 25th
signature theater
4200 Campbell Avenue
arlington, virginia
Tickets start at $47
sigtheater.org
Actor Ariel Neidavu is in the middle of a three-month run playing revolutionary student Perchik in the popular 1964 musical “Fiddler on the Roof” at Arlington’s Signature Theatre. And like his previous gigs, it was a learning experience.
This time, he’s gleaning knowledge from the show’s central character, prominent gay actor Douglas Sills, who stars as Tevya, a poor Jewish milkman from the fictional village of Anatevka in Tsarist Russia, circa 1905.
In addition to anti-Semitism and ostracism, Tevya also struggles with fading traditions in a changing world, including daring to encourage her daughters to marry for love. Daughter Hodel (Lily Burka) falls in love with Perchik, an outsider who comes to town with new ideas.
Along with a compelling and humorous storyline, Fiddler features iconic numbers such as “If I Were a Rich Man,” “Tradition,” “Matchmaker, Matchmaker” and “Sunrise, Sunset.”
Born and raised as an only child in a West Los Angeles neighborhood casually known as Tehrangeles (due to its large Iranian-American population), Neydavou has always had a passion for performing. “I feel like I came out of the womb tap dancing,” he says. Fortunately, his mother, an accomplished pianist and composer, served as his personal accompanist.
He began acting and singing at children’s camps and private Jewish middle schools with classmate Ben Platt. As a teenager, Neidavu spent three glorious weeks at Stage Door Manor, a famous theater camp in upstate New York, where he solidified his desire to pursue theater as a career and began to feel comfortable being gay.
After high school, he studied at AMDA (American Musical and Dramatic Academy) and quickly transitioned from theater student to professional actor.
washington blade: It seems like your entry into the entertainment industry went smoothly.
Ariel Neidavoud: I’m glad to hear that seems to be the case. I would hardly describe this profession as smooth. Nevertheless, what I love about this job is that it gives me the opportunity to have so many new experiences: new shows, new parts, and new communities that come together instantly to purely create art.
blade: Please tell me about Partick.
Nedabod: He comes to Anatevka and challenges their ideals and way of life. That’s something I can relate to as well.
I’m Jewish on both sides, but I’m also queer and a first-generation American. [his mother and father are from Germany and Iran, respectively]and people of color. I’ve never felt like I belonged to a single community. It emboldened my inner activist to speak up and challenge ideas that I didn’t necessarily agree with.
blade: you sing beautifully. Partick’s song is “Now I have Everything,” a second-act melody about finding love. Was it a good fit for you right away?
Nedabod: Not right away. I am traditionally a first tenor. Partick has a baritone range, which is a little outside of my comfort zone. After the cast was set, I asked director Joe Calarco if he would be willing to step up the key for the recent Broadway revival. He was adamant that he would not do that.
As an artist, I see challenges as opportunities for growth, so it’s really good to explore my lower register.
blade: Audience members have commented on the intimacy associated with this work.
TK: It is held in a circle around the dining table. Interpretations vary, it could be Shabbat or a Seder table, but I think this is a great way to describe community and tradition.
The audience is invited to the table and feels like they have joined the residents of Anatevka. The show’s moments of joy, like the betrothal song “To Life (L’Chaim)”, are strengthened, and the pogrom scenes, on the contrary, become more difficult. It feels like we are sharing the space.
blade: Does your inclusive identity open up more casting possibilities?
Nedabod: Marketing yourself as ethnically ambiguous can be a useful tool. After “Hamilton” and the pandemic, there was a further shift toward authenticity. I try to play Middle Eastern, Southwest Asian, Jewish, and mixed-race characters without being too prescriptive.
blade: Please tell us your dream role.
Nedabod: I would like to work as a host at a cabaret [often portrayed as a gender-fluid, queer-coded, or non-binary figure]. And I would love to direct a production of Godspell with an entirely Middle Eastern cast. I think portraying Jesus and his disciples in Middle Eastern guise as bohemian idealists living under an oppressive regime can be particularly impactful.
blade: Can today’s queer audiences relate to life in a shtetl?
Nedabod: “The Fiddler” as a work is timeless. Beyond the magical score, this song resonates with just about anyone who has ever felt like the Other. There are related themes of forced migration, persecution, and maintaining cultural identity amidst turmoil, all ideas that tend to resonate with queer people.
Source: Washington Blade: LGBTQ News, Politics, LGBTQ Rights, Gay News – www.washingtonblade.com
