Actors and crew with the Grande Prairie Live Theatre’s production of Fiddler on the Roof are not only thrilled to be back on stage but to be back in front of a live audience.
Co-Director Monty Haughian says while the theatre has been able to safely put on shows since the fall, it’s the largest musical they’ve been able to put on in several years. He says they’ve been chomping at the bit to get back on stage, as it feels like a slight return to normalcy for performers, and theatergoers.
“The pandemic has affected us quite a bit, but my cast is so happy to be on stage,” he says.
“It’s such a relief for them to be back and able to do this, and that is one of the biggest comments we have with patrons coming to see it, to see something live, it’s great,” he says.
“Thursday night was our opening night, we had 125 patrons in the audience, it was a very good show, and we had a lot of fun… the cast was so happy.”
Haughian says the decision to run Fiddler on the Roof harkens back to his origins with the Grande Prairie Live Theatre, and he hopes it will spark the same excitement in members of the audience as it did with him.
“Fiddler on the Roof was the first thing I ever did with GPLT, and I have never done anything before that, I had never been on stage,” he says.
“It personally got me into the theatre, and I just had a small role, so I always wanted to put it back on stage… it was my choice, and GPLT approved it last year.”
You can find a full listing of Fiddler on the Roof performances on the Grande Prairie Live Theatre website. The show is slated to run until February 26th at the KMSC Law Performing Arts Theatre at St. John Paul II Catholic School.
Editors note: The original version of this story noted the play would be seen on the Grande Prairie Live Theatre Stage. It has been updated to reflect that the play will be held at KMSC Law Performing Arts Theatre at St. John Paul II Catholic School.