Front Porch Musical Theatre Puts On ‘Fiddler On The Roof Jr.’ – ccxmedia.org

3:47 PM | Friday, April 28, 2023

As high school senior Micah Ziemke takes the stage in this weekends final showings of Fiddler on the Roof Jr. for Front Porch Musical Theatre in Elk River, he knows hes among friends that have become family.

Ive been in other sports. Ive done soccer, Ive done baseball, Ive done football. Its all great and good stuff there and connections you make there, said Ziemke, who plays Tevye. But the friends and connections you make here, the family that it is. Thats a word thats used a lot for a lot of communities, but I feel like here everybody just cares about each other so much and just genuinely is here for each other and you make some lifelong friends.

Tevye tries to navigate his family through what he sees as traditions in their Jewish community in Russia in 1905. Thats to say it doesnt always go the way he thinks it should.

Hes such a real person and in a lot of ways that makes him the most complicated character Ive ever played, said Ziemke. Its really easy to play a villain persona. Im a villain! Im bad! To portray a real dude, a real guy, whos displaying all these real emotions. Its something so deep and so cool and Ive really enjoyed just getting my teeth into and just digging into.

But Ziemke and his cast mates say thats what Front Porch strives to create and fosteran inclusive, welcoming experience for students of musical theater.

We try in every show that we do to have all of our student actors on stage as much as it possibly makes sense, said co-founder and co-creative director Linda Lindeen. We are very family-centered. All of our shows are family-appropriate. Every show we do, for all ages. As young as they come and as old as they come.

The cast of Fiddler is made up of students as young as 5 and as old as 18.

Everybodys very welcoming and everybodys always so accepting, and youre welcomed like youre a part of the family, said Emma Dorn, who plays Tevyes oldest daughter, Tzeitel.

Dorn knows that a lot of people come to see the show with a lot of their own memories of the well-known story.

Im excited for the excitement, I guess. Its a verynot overwhelmingbut its an exciting experience and its a lot of fun, she said. Sometimes there are certain circumstances that can not be solved by things that have always been followed. Tradition is mainly the message in Fiddler. Sometimes love wins.

There are performances Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Elk River High School.

The next production for Front Porch Musical Theatre will be Disneys Lion King Jr. in May.

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Front Porch Musical Theatre Puts On 'Fiddler On The Roof Jr.' - ccxmedia.org