Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Rainy Day Ruminations

Thunder and lightning outside and so not weather that says "get up and out and do." I check my email hoping for a distraction and my cousin Lea comes through as she does on so many other occasions. A video for viewing--a performance from 1972.

I view the video and suddenly I'm yearning for those days of my youth and childhood. But there is no escaping the fact that time has not stood still for all these years. And my mind heads in a strange direction. In the changed world that we live in today could a show like "Fiddler on the Roof" have ever made it to Broadway? Would a musical showcasing the life of an old Jew from Russia have the oomphy cachet necessary to catch the public eye?

And what of the Holiday on Ice presentation (see the video)? I imagine the PC police out in full gear. How dare a public performance contain "words of aggression" to wound the Palestinian people? Those war-mongering Israelis with their "chayalim ba'moshava."

1972. The year I got married. And Holiday on Ice was considered a really special date to take someone to. Those days are so over. I try and imagine my students at this performance--the picture won't gel.

For those with nostalgia still in the head and heart, enjoy the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1fCtaYtoGM&NR=1

Holiday on Ice 1972 mazeltov 2

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well, first of all, our generation doesn't really find its existence epitomized by Fiddler on the Roof, which, if I might point out, is mostly about abandoning tradition in the face of modern ideas.

Second of all, we would find it offensive for a Jewish wedding bride to be played by a scantily clad Asian-looking woman.

Thirdly - what's with the folk costumes? They look Greek, not Jewish-Russian.

So yeah, you're right. We just don't identify with the themes portrayed.

Abe said...

What's with the we badfor? I imagine that we are the same generation and no, "we" didn't find the skater bride offensive. If you can speak for we then so can I. And what Asian bride? Look again. Sheesh, this was ice skating! Did you expect the skaters to be wearing burqas?!!

Honestly, if all you noticed was how long the costume was or wasn't then the problem is more with you then with the skater.

Anonymous said...

Dear Bad: Fiddler is not about abandoning tradition in the face of modern values. It's about the timeless push and pull between tradition and change. If you think that is not an issue for current generations, I think you are missing something. It's also about the importance of family and the challenges that all thinking young adults go through when trying to figure out who they are and will be. Another theme is the role of superstition. And let's not forget about the tension between financial security and love and a father's struggle in deciding between the two for his daughter. How about the pain of being forced to pick up and move from the only home you've ever known. How about the passage of time and letting go -- why is the song Is this the little girl I carried still so popular for weddings?
Sure it may look like a kitschy musical to some, but there's a lot more there if you look.
But then again, maybe I'm just nostalgic since I fondly remember seeing the original Fiddler production on Broadway with my parents when I was a very young child (and when it was still affordable to take a family to a Broadway play).

Anonymous said...

Bad, you're clearly not up on ice skating protocol. Only the principal skaters in a company execute the more technically difficult moves such as spins, edges, throws, jumps and lifts. The bride in the clip is one of these featured skaters. Wearing bulky long clothing would represent a real danger to this skater. She could catch a skate in the longer material or her partner could grab a handful of dress instead of her when he is supporting her in some of the movements. A shorter costume is a matter of safety not tznius. I'd guess you're not a fan of gymnastics either.

Anonymous said...

She could get away with something longer than that! I'm not saying a dress, but at least something that covers her rear end properly.

How can you not notice it when someone is supposed to be a religious Jewish bride and she doesn't look like one? She isn't even wearing white.


Anonymous - those are all things that happen in the course of the story, but they're not themes. A theme has to carry throughout. And throughout you see again and again that the things that worked for the past generation don't work for the current.