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Decent Quality Since 1847

When Theo Met Fyvush

12/9/2014

1 Comment

 
After finding that video of Theodore Bikel which I posted the other day, with him re-creating his performance as Captain Von Trapp in the original production of The Sound of Music, I noticed another video that, in some ways, does the same thing for another show.

Among his many performances, Bikel played Tevye in several road productions of Fiddler on the Roof.  And again, like before, there's no video of those shows.  But here in a concert from 2003, he not only sings one of the songs, but brings on stage a wonderful actor who co-starred with him in the show all those many decades ago, the joyous Fyvush Finkel, who you might recall from both Picket Fences and Boston Public.  (And who got his start in the Yiddish Theater, a reality that still shows up through this video...)

When they toured together in Fiddler on the Roof, Finkel played the role of Lazar Wolf, the butcher, who asks Teyve for his daugther Tzeitel's hand in marriage, which leads to the rousing production number, "To Life, L'Chaim."  In this performance, Finkel is an exuberant 81 (and still alive at 92...), and Bikel here is 79 (still going on today at 90.)

You might want to jump to the 36 second mark, since there's just blank leader at the beginning.

By the way, I mentioned in reply to my earlier video that I had reason to meet Theodore Bikel once.  He's good friends with a friend of mine, the writer-director Lynn Roth.  We were all at a Writers Guild event so I went over to join them.  It was a very personable conversation, and I remember bringing up that I had an earlier album of his, where he sang pop-rock songs with a folk interpretation (it's very good) -- and also seeing him on the Mike Douglas Show many years before.  What was interesting about that is he mentioned that the then-current hit song, "Those Were the Days," sung by Mary Hopkin, was actually an old Russian folk song, which he had introduced into America many years earlier, and he performed the original Russian version, which was wonderful.  He was bowled over that I'd remembered that broadcast from such a long time earlier ("That was over 20 years ago!" he said) -- and that I had that obscure album) -- which helped made the rest of the conversation all the better.  Later, Lynn called me up and said, "You have no idea how touched Theo was that you actually remembered that TV appearance and had his album." 

Here's more of him, with another great performer.

(Note:  there's about 35 second of black tape at the beginning.)
1 Comment
Arlene Paige
12/9/2014 05:32:37 pm

Thanks for posting! I really enjoyed this one, though I'm opposed to the the core to forced matchmaking. Would you want Fyvish Finkel for your bridegroom? Or Bikel, for that matter, no personal offense intended to his bride. Well... it's just all part of the theoretical joke. I wonder if Theo has any real advice on the matter. I interviewed on Broadway when I was 16, backstage. Bikel was in his bathrobe and was entertaining a lady. When I went to his dressing room with the stage doorman (a nice old Jewish person) Theo said that he didn't have any interviews, or something like that. But I saved his letter and the doorman carefully looked at it by the stage door. So he took me to Bikel again. I was with a friend at school who was duena. I was sorry for her. Her father had just died and we were on the school paper together. Bikel, on reconsideration, with the union doorman delivering me with some determination this time, admitted my friend and I. After about a half hour, while I was furiously taking notes and I thought I missed something, I looked sideways at my friend's notebook (tape recorders where about the size of a small table then), and she had written "Arlene is an idiot" a few times, so I looked up at Bikel and he was approximately nibbling on his date's ear. I asked him if there was anything more he'd like to say and he cheerfully said no, so I hastened to make my exit and grabbed my coat by the hem. All the pocket change went rolling out and something went under the cot. Bikel got on all fours and went looking, eventually coming up with a nickel... that taught him a thing or two since Mike Nichols was on stage that season with Elaine May, and I had an interview with him also, if just a mass interview and not a dressing room exclusive. Bikel actually registered something on his face at the sight of only a nickel, or maybe a sign from God to Captain von Trapp. On the way out I stole the matinee tomorrow sign which hung proudly on my bedroom door at home until I moved out. That was after I got it back from the faculty adviser who had it hung on the board in our newspaper office. She hated to see it go. I haven't seen Bikel since. I had a few of his Elektra folk albums. Everyone was fun and flirtatious that year on Broadway. Paul Newman was there too. And Richard Burton... ***sigh*** a maiden's prayer come true... though when Bikel was on his hands and knees looking for my money I thought deliriously about Marjorie Morningstar and supposed poor Theo was bridled, and saddled, and children could ride him in the park for a dollar. It was a very good year. He sent Christmas cards for a while. I don't know if he knew I was Jewish or if it was just his professional mailing list anyway. My very first interview was Dick van Dyke and I brought half of the senior class in-group. When he told me that we would have been alone in his dressing room if not for the mob, I dropped all of my little friends and only took one other girl along for protection, the next time. Even Eli Wallach was funny and a flirt. I feel a little ancient about the lack of a teeny tape recorder, but it was the early '60's, sort of just yesterday in spirit, and untainted, so it seemed to me, by the mess things are now. Please say hello for me to Theo, through your friend, if you get a chance. I'm thinking of moving to Budapest where Americans can get medical care with an American social security card and everything is wonderfully cheap, even the castle hotels in Buda. DoesTheo know anyone there? And, if he's interested, Max Schell's daughter and I are becoming friends. She lives in the family farmhouse with her 5 year old girl. It has a pool. I have a standing invitation to visit with my own room guaranteed. :-) You can't be old without money, I suppose.

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    Robert J. Elisberg is a political commentator, screenwriter, novelist, tech writer and also some other things that I just tend to keep forgetting. 

    Elisberg is a two-time recipient of the Lucille Ball Award for comedy screenwriting. He's written for film, TV, the stage, and two best-selling novels, is a regular columnist for the Writers Guild of America and was for
    the Huffington Post.  Among his other writing, he has a long-time column on technology (which he sometimes understands), and co-wrote a book on world travel.  As a lyricist, he is a member of ASCAP, and has contributed to numerous publications.



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