`FIDDLER' PROVIDES A FEAST OF HUMANNESS

There's something hopeful about watching a bunch of Catholic teen-agers singing and dancing their way through the famous musical that celebrates the joy and sadness of Jewishness.

Portraying the bittersweet lives of the Jewish peasants in "Fiddler on the Roof" turns out to require mostly humanness, some talent and a little bit of chutzpah.

Notre Dame High School's production of "Fiddler," which opens at 8 tonight and continues through Sunday, is an enjoyable feast of memorable songs, earnest dancing and charming portrayals.

Chief among the latter is Adam Cox's Tevye, the milkman who often talks to God and whose wisdom emerges from his dialogues with himself.

Cox has stage presence and a strong voice, and his "If I Were a Rich Man" is finely comic and nuanced with subtle mannerisms.

His dancing is joyful as well.

Also among the standout songs are "Matchmaker," nicely sung by Lori Maurer, Kelli Hobbs and Lisa Hoffman as Tevye's daughters Tzeitel, Hodel and Chava, respectively.

Hobbs and David Tanner as the tradition-challenging student Perchik are especially good together, and Hobbs' fine voice is simply angelic in the sentimentally lovely "Sunrise, Sunset."

Maurer and Hoffman also are skillful in their roles as Tevye's other marriageable daughters, while Emily Fisher is properly overbearing as his wife Golde.

Josh Berens plays the Russian Chava marries against her father's will, and Matt Strohmeyer is funny as Tzeitel's timid suitor.

A nice surprise is freshman Julie Stoverink in the troublemaking role of matchmaker Yente, whose dearly departed husband "wasn't much of a man." She acts beyond her years.

Other key members of the cast are Jill Johnson, Jeff Augustine, Greg Rubel, Jeff Diebold and Danny Strohmeyer.

Also, Chris Bucher and Philip Johnson, Luisa Stone, Leah Kennard, Chad Beussink, Melinda Gummersheimer and Laura Griffith.

The musical is directed by Cynthia King, assisted by Kim Scherer. The choreographer is Deana Pecord, and the vocal director is Dina Strickert.

Playing villagers are Tom Berkbigler, Nichole Buehrle, Lanson Debrock, Ron Fehr, Sara Jansen, Ben LeGrand, Jill Ostendorf, Bryan Schaefer and April Thompson.

Also, Chad Berkbuegler, Matt Buttrey, Amy Essner, Tracy Gragg, Melissa Judd, Tracy Nenninger, Michael Renick, Nyra Seyer, Jaime Welker and Kim Westrich.

Other villagers are Jeremy Bratton, Douglas Cook, Sarah Essner, Tara Heisserer, Jenny Layton, Ann Ostendorf, Matt Rubel, Gwen Stone and Paula Welker.