Fiddler on the Roof

notes on our Cast and Crew

The Staff

Executive Producer: MaryAnn Hastings

Director: Paula Fox Assistant Director: Tom Kovach

Stage Manager: Mary Jo Kilzer

The Cast

Frank Fox	Tevye, the milkman
Artistic credits: Frank has wanted to play Tevye ever since he saw it on Broadway almost forty years ago. He is thankful to his real-life wife, director Paula Fox, for this opportunity to live a long-time dream. Frank has appeared in a number of feature films, and twice as many plays.	In real life, Frank works in commercial real estate, when he is not collecting eggs and honey on his farm. Frank is also an executive producer at Ghost Ship Films.

Paula Fox Director, and Musical Director	Golde, Tevye’s wife
Artistic credits: Paula has been on stage for many years, and was musical director at her church until recently. She has also directed at Lakewood Theater, Chapel Playhouse, and Cumberland University – among others. She enjoys the support of her children, Jim and Mary Jo (stage manager).	In real life, Paula is a full-time substitute teacher -- mostly at the high school level. She has worked as an assistant drama director at Hume-Fogg Academic Magnet High School, where she helped with their production of Fiddler on the Roof last year.

Ben Misek	Motel, the tailor
Artistic credits: Ben has appeared in many musical and dramatic productions. He plans to attend the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, in New York City, this fall. He hopes to make it big there.	In real life,

Amanda McReynolds	Tzeitel, Tevye’s oldest daughter (she marries Motel, the tailor)
Artistic credits: Amanda has appeared in The Sound of Music, Macbeth, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.	In real life, Amanda will soon graduate from Vol State with a degree in music.

Aaron Echols	Perchik, the university student
Artistic credits: Aaron has performed in the musicals Grease (Eugene) and The Wizard of Oz (Tin Man). He is happy to return to the stage after a five-year hiatus.	In real life, Aaron is a manufacturing process manager. He thanks his understanding and patient wife for all the time that rehearsals have taken away from her and their 15-month-old son.

Natalie Rose Klein	Hodel, Tevye’s second daughter (She marries Perchik, the radical)
Artistic credits: Natalie has appeared in community theater, and in college productions at Cumberland University and Vol State. Among her many shows are: The Music Man, Hello Dolly, and Oklahoma.	In real life,

Chris Ebert	Fyedka [“Teddy”, in Russian], the Russian villager
Artistic credits: Chris comes from a talented family. He has performed in many shows, including Lend Me a Tenor, The Foreigner, and The Yule Log (at the Opryland Hotel). He began learning Cossack dancing for this production.	In real life, Chris works as a Delta Boat captain at the Opryland Hotel. Let him take you for a ride. Two of his siblings (Brooke and Taylor) are also in this production.

Alissa Rae Klein	Chava [“bird”, in Hebrew], Tevye’s third daughter (She runs away to marry Fyedka.)
Artistic credits: Alissa has performed in several school plays, and enjoys singing in church.	In real life, Alissa is a home-schooled high school sophomore. She plays the piano and the saxophone. She has practiced karate for six years, and has a Black Belt. She is also learning Sign Language.

Tom Hicks	Lazar Wolf, the butcher (he is a widower)
Artistic credits: Tom works professionally in television, and is a published poet. He has also appeared in stage productions of Scrooge, and You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.	In real life, Tom is an engineering consultant. He travels around the country to help start municipal recycling programs. He is also a published author, and a national speaker on spiritual matters. Tom co-authored Otto, the Boy at the Window – the true story of Jewish boy that escaped Nazi Germany. He has written four other books … so far. Tom’s daughter, Maddie, portrays Nahum.

Stephanie Young	Fruma-Sarah (the ghost of Lazar’s late wife) and village woman
Artistic credits: Stephanie has been acting since she was eight years old. She has appeared in many plays, including The Foreigner and Charlotte’s Web.	In real life, Stephanie recently graduated high school.

Nick DiCiaula	Mordcha, the innkeeper
Artistic credits: this is Nick’s stage debut.	In real life, Nick is busy preparing for his upcoming marrriage to Lauren, who portrays Yente.

Lauren Leigh Bratten	Yente, the matchmaker
Artistic credits: Lauren most recently appeared in the Cumberland University production of Nunsense. She has also appeared in Guys and Dolls, Fiddler on the Roof (in high school, where she also portrayed Yente), and Anything Goes.	In real life, Lauren is a double-major student at Cumberland University. She is pursuing degrees in history and English, with the goal of teaching those subjects in middle school. She also works part-time.

Fred Bacon	The Rabbi
Artistic credits: Fred is a self-described “late bloomer” in the theater. Since blossoming, he has appeared in Damn Yankees, Smoke on the Mountain, and The Fantastiks.	In real life, Fred is enjoying his retirement from a career as a factory sales representative He volunteers his time to provide music and singing at area nursing homes.

Trey Culbert understudy	The Rabbi (first weekend) and The Constable (third weekend)
Artistic credits: high school productions of Comedy of Errors (technical crew), The Hobbit (tech and music), Up the Down Staircase (tech), and Arsenic and Old Lace (stage manager). Other than grade-school plays, this is Trey’s first acting appearance. Trey is also in the marching band.	In real life, Trey will start his senior year at Wilson County Central High School. He hopes to go to college and pursue a degree in drama.

Tom Kovach (rhymes with “watch” – it’s Russian for “Smith”) Assistant Director, Choreographer

The Constable

Artistic credits: Tom was destined for this production. (His grandmother came to America in 1907 -- from a village much like Anatevka – to escape persecution by the Bolsheviks.) Tom was in a high school production of Fiddler on the Roof in 1974. He portrayed a Cossack dancer and a bottle dancer. Tom designed and made the Russian costumes for this production. He also designed the canopy, and did much of the work on it – along with his wife, Lynn. Tom is also a columnist, and wrote a “9-11” memorial song called “One Day”.

In real life, Tom has lived a blessed life. He was a career Air Force NCO. Tom is also an inventor, a certified paralegal, and a real-live wrangler. One of his hobbies – when he’s not riding horses – is Web site design. (He built this one.) His current day job is “Sign Language facilitator” for the Metro Nashville Public Schools. He is the proud father of one daughter. Tom will not be with us the final weekend, as he attends her graduation from high school in Upstate New York.

Lynn Callarman Kovach	Grandma Tzeitel (ghost) and Shaindel, Motel’s mother
Artistic credits: Lynn was the featured soloist for the travelling chorale of Lipscomb University, where she graduated with a BS in music. For many years, she was active with the choir, praise team, and drama group at Otter Creek Church of Christ in Nashville.	In real life, Lynn is an administrative analyst for the Tennessee General Assembly. Up on Capitol Hill, she is known as the “cake lady”. She has made quite a following for Callarman’s Cakes over the years.

Brooke Ebert	Avram, the bookseller
Artistic credits: Brooke comes from a musical family. She is experimenting with portraying a male character.	In real life, she is the sister of Chris (Fyedka) and Taylor (villager and sound operator).

Tim Hinson	Yussel, the hat maker (and Bottle Dancer)
Artistic credits: This is Tim’s first time on stage; and, only because his daughters commandeered him.	In real life, Tim works for the nearby City of Whitehouse. He and his wife have four daughters. (And, we recently learned, another baby on the way. Perhaps he will have a family like Tevye’s!)

Madeleine “Maddie” Hicks	Nahum, the beggar
Artistic credits: Maddie has previous appeared in stage productions of Scrooge, Alice in Wonderland, and Much Ado About Nothing. She is also a published author and artist.	In real life: Maddie is in high school, and is the daughter of MFE Hicks (Lazar Wolf).

Desiree “Desi” Young	Sasha, Russian villager
Artistic credits: Desiree worked at the Tennessee Renessaince Festival (RenFest) for five years, training to become a squire. She also embraced portraying a male character in this production. [Sasha means Alex.]	In real life: Desi is a full-time student at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU). She also enjoys taking care of her one-year-old daughter.

Merrill Young	Russian villager
Artistic credits: This is Merrill’s first time acting.	In real life, he’s a McGavock High School sophomore.

Star Jones	Shprintze, Tevye’s fourth daughter
Artistic credits: Star comes from a musical family. This is her first acting role.	In real life: Star hopes to become an archaeologist.

Gabriel Klein	The Fiddler
Artistic credits: This is 10-year-old Gabriel’s first time in front of an audience. He has truly embraced his new-found passion for acting.	In real life, Gabriel plays the piano and drums. He also enjoys soccer, karate, and video games.

Megan Hinson	Bielke, Tevye’s fifth daughter
Artistic credits: This is Megan’s first acting role.	In real life, Megan hope to go to college, and study acting and crime scene investigation.

Jared Davis	The real Fiddler
Artistic credits: Jared has been playing viola, classically, for 8 years. This is his second time doing Fiddler on the Roof. The last time was as a pit musician at Hume-Fogg Academic Magnet High School, in Nashville, in the Fall of 2004.	In real life: Jared  will be attending the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY. There, he will major in viola performance and music education.

Taylor Ebert sound board operator	village boy
Artistic credits: Taylor comes from a family of acting and musical talent. (Two of her older siblings are also in the cast.) Her life goal is to be in show business.	In real life: Taylor is in the sixth grade. At only ten years old, she is operating the sound board. She is responsible for integrating the live and recorded music.

Sable Hinson	(Photo pending) Baby – Motel & Tzeitel’s first
Artistic credits: This is Sable’s first appearance on stage. But, judging from audience reactions, it probably won’t be her last!	In real life: Sable spends most days keeping her parents company, and filling diapers for them.

The Crew

Chad Chester Lighting design and operation

Joey Brunn (Left) Devon Callarman (Right) Stage Hands
Artistic credits: Joey is involved in live theater for the first time. Devon was in a school play about Tennessee history. He portrayed a riverboat captain. Devon was also involved in a church-related film group when he was younger, and played one of the palace guards in the film Queen Esther. Joey takes piano lessons. Devon has played the cello in school for three years.	In real life: These two boys met on a YMCA soccer team over two years ago, and have been best pals ever since. Currently, they are in the same YMCA baseball league. Joey also takes tennis lessons. They enjoy swimming and bike riding. Joey is involved in restoring a classic sports car with his father.

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