So, one of my friends has a great idea for a new musical: Fiddler on the Roof starring the Muppets. He's worked out most of the cast, but needs help in a few areas. We were discussing it Wednesday night over dinner, and we both got stuck on the lead role (Tevya) who, in traditional Muppet movie fashion, would be played by a human. Here's the cast listing so far (with my own additions):
- Golde, the wife - Sam the Eagle
- Tzeitel, the oldest daughter - Miss Piggy
- Motel, the tailor - Kermit
- Yente, the matchmaker - Grover
- Perchik, the revolutionary - Gonzo
- Hodel, the second daugher - Camilla (but can she really talk? or just cluck?)
- Fyedka, a Russian youth - Fonzie Bear
- Chava, the rebellious daughter - Janice
- Lazar Wolf, the butcher - The Swedish Chef
- Rabbi - Dr. Bunsen Honeydew
- Rabbi's son - Beaker
- The Fiddler - Rolf the Dog
- Tevya - not sure...Dom DeLuise? John Rhys-Davies? Mel Brooks? Emeril (haha)? My friend suggested Tony Shalhoub, but I'm not convinced. Tevya has to convey a certain joie de vivre, which a lot of actors can't pull off very well.
(Side note: In one episode of the short-lived Muppets Tonight series where Garth Brooks played Tevya for a few minutes in a sketch. Weird.)
(Another side note, or "Why is Adrienne qualified to talk about Muppets and musical theater?": I actually performed as Shprintze - one of the other daughters - in a really mediocre dinner theater version of Fiddler. Also, I had a subscription for a while to Muppet magazine - long enough to remember the Ricky Schroder cover, but not so long that I received the famed Don Johnson cover.)
