Topol drops out of 'Fiddler' production set for Shea's
Topol, the beloved Israeli-born actor who was to perform the role of Tevye in the upcoming production of "Fiddler on the Roof" at Shea's Performing Arts Center, has dropped out of the tour.
Shea's spokesperson Lisa Grisanti confirmed that the star would not appear on the Buffalo tour stop "due to medical reasons." The production will still take place as scheduled, from Tuesday through Nov. 22, though Grisanti said a replacement had not yet been determined.
A press release sent Wednesday by Mirvish Productions of Toronto, where the same tour will stop in early December, announced that the 74-year-old actor had dropped out of the production because of "a shoulder injury requiring emergency long-term treatment" and would be replaced in the Toronto version of the show by Broadway veteran Harvey Fierstein.
But, Grisanti said, "We don't have confirmation yet on who the replacement is. We're awaiting the information." She added that an announcement would likely come within the day.
Grisanti said that refunds for the production would be given to those who requested them, but urged ticketholders to see the production with Topol's still-unnamed replacement. In an unorthodox move, Grisanti said, Shea's would offer refunds after the show to theatergoers who were not satisfied. Shea's President and CEO Tony Conte later clarified the statement, saying that disappointed theatergoers would be entitled to refunds at intermission, but not after watching the entire show.
"We would hope that actually people would see the show first and then determine whether or not they would want a refund," Grisanti said. "Certainly if they came to us and said, 'The only reason I was coming to the show was to see Topol,' yes, we would have to refund their money."
Grisanti later said that Shea's would deal with refund requests "on a case-by-case basis," and directed questions from ticketholders to the Shea's box office, at 847-0850.
The show, Grisanti had said previously, has sold "extremely" well relative to the average touring musical at Shea's. That's a reflection both of the musical's appeal and of the public's enduring fondness for Topol, who starred as Tevye both on London's West End and in the 1971 film version of the film. He began the tour in January and was scheduled to continue through June of 2010.
The show was billed as Topol's "farewell tour."
There are understudies listed in the "Fiddler on the Roof" playbill for the role of Tevye. Whether one of them will rise to take the famed actor's role, or whether a bigger name will be brought in remains up in the air.
Log into MyBuffalo to post a comment
MyBuffalo is the new social network from Buffalo.com. Your MyBuffalo account lets you comment on and rate stories at buffalonews.com. You can also head over to mybuffalo.com to share your blog posts, stories, photos, and videos with the community. Join now or learn more.
Reader comments