Despite a global pandemic putting large gatherings to a halt, as they say in the business, the show must go on. Milton Gottesman Jewish Day School of the Nation’s Capital premiered a virtual rendition of a theater classic on June 14, “Virtual Fiddler on the Roof Jr.”
After the pandemic closed the school’s campus in March, parents, teachers, grandparents and parents of alumni volunteered to help these student thespians make the transition to a recorded show. Co-directers include school parents Sarah Gershman and Sarah Shapiro and fourth-grade teacher Steven Magenheim, according to the school.
Songs had to be reimagined and scenes re-interpreted to work in a digital space. One example is in the “Matchmaker” number. Instead of visiting a yente, the cast instead turns to an online dating app to find their betrothed. Another example is in “To Life.” Instead of celebrating a planned wedding, the simchah is now a tribute to all of the students whose b’nai mitzvah were revised or postponed during the quarantine.
“Virtual Fiddler on the Roof Jr” is an hour-long and available for viewing on the school’s Youtube page.
