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Home , Fiddler on the Roof

FINE ARTS

Fiddler Returns to Ravenscroft Stage Brings Back Memories

In March, the Fine Arts department staged the All-School Michael C. Hall ’89 Musical, Fiddler on the Roof. The cast played to a packed house Michael C. Hall ’89 played the role of Lazar Wolf, a in the Christina B. Jones Theatre for four performances dur- butcher and the suitor of ’s eldest daughter. Hall is ing a three-day stretch. The outstanding presentation was the now the star of the critically-acclaimed Showtime series culmination of months of work by students, faculty and staff. “Dexter,” for which he received 2007 Golden Globe and The production brought together students of all ages. SAG nominations for Best Actor in a Dramatic Series. He Leading the cast were: Katie Kapp ’07 (Golde), Michael Lang also starred on HBO’s “Six Feet Under” from 2001-05 as ’07 (Tevye), Lauren-Kelly Devine ’07 (Tzeitel), Rob Byrd David Fisher, a role for which he received an Emmy nomi- ’07 (Motel), Rush Dorsett ’08 (Hodel), Chase Bernhardt ’10 nation for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama. (Perchik), Anna Van Venrooy ’10 (Chava), Devin Combs Hall said that his experience in Fiddler on the Roof – as ’09 (Lazar Wolf), Melina Gozzo ’11 (Shprintze), and Alex well as other productions at Ravenscroft – was a critical Stevenson ’09 (Fyedka). stepping stone Fiddler on the Roof is the story of Tevye, the Jewish father of to the success he five daughters, who attempts to maintain religious and family enjoys today. traditions in a rapidly changing community. He struggles as “Ravenscroft each of his three eldest daughters prepare to marry and move was a tremendous away from home. springboard for This was not the first time that students at Ravenscroft me from a fine have performed Fiddler on the Roof. In fact, a look back at old arts standpoint,” yearbooks reveals that 2007 marked the third time the musical said Hall. It was has appeared on campus, including 1988 and 1995. a great place for Several of the stars of the 1988 production have gone on experimentation. to careers in drama and music. Here’s a look at “where they It was an envi- are now.” ronment where I

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didn’t feel limited to just sports or plays or solely academ- Billy Flynn in the musical . ics. When I went on to college at Earlham (Ind.), I looked Hall does not rule out a return to Broadway at some at students from other schools and realized that they hadn’t point. had the same experiences I had.” “I don’t know what the future holds,” he said. “I will Hall participated in the spring musical from sixth grade likely return to the stage at some point in the future, but through his senior year, and has warm memories of each you just never know what will unfold in this business.” production – he easily recited the list of musicals he was a part of at the School. Stacey Harris ’89 “I also had parts in , Playing the role of Hodel in Fiddler on , and Get Your Gun,” the Roof was just one of the many times said Hall. “But my fondest memory at Stacey Harris ’89 graced the stage at Ravenscroft is performing in Bye Bye Ravenscroft. She caught the musical the- Birdie my freshman year. It was just atre bug at an early age, and says it was really fun, and we rented these terrific the fourth grade production of Free to Be costumes that were reminiscent of some You and Me that really got her interested sparkly Las Vegas production. I remem- in performing. ber wearing a microphone for this rock- “I just wanted to be involved in any and-roll number and it was just really sort of musical performance while in thrilling. school,” said Harris. “I was in concert “I remember so much about my time choir with Lester Southern, and I was on at Ravenscroft. Lester Southern, my stage for every spring musical there was choir instructor, was really fundamen- from my sixth through 12th grade years. tal to my growth vocally, and I had so It was really the highlight of my experi- many big experiences performing on ence at Ravenscroft, and what led me to the makeshift stage in the Finley Center’s Main Arena. do it for real.” Although I didn’t know at the time that drama was some- After Ravenscroft, Harris majored in theatre at thing I ultimately wanted to pursue as a career, my time at Northwestern University with a concentration in musical Ravenscroft really helped me prepare for what was ahead.” theatre. She then performed in theatres in Chicago for several years before touring nationally with . In 1998, Harris decided to make the move to New York City, and has been thriving ever since. As a professional, Harris has performed some of the same musicals she did while at Ravenscroft. “I was in , and have done that twice as a pro- fessional, including as the lead, Rose Alvarez, while in Seattle,” said Harris. “I also performed in Oklahoma! while at the School, and have since done that twice as a professional.” Harris had the opportu- nity to perform in Raleigh for the first time since high David Lanning ’88, right, dances while Michael C. Hall ’89, far left, joins in the chorus. school when she starred in the Hot Summer Nights at Hall said it wasn’t until his sophomore year of college the Kennedy production of – when he took an acting class – that he realized he was Romance Romance on July destined for a career in the dramatic arts. After college, he 5-15. went on to perform in a number of theatres, and got his Her career has taken her big break in 1999 when he was cast as the Emcee in the to theatres across the coun- Broadway show . During 2003, he also toured as try, but she says that some Stacey Harris ’89, right, played the role of Hodel.

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moments do stand out above the others. After Lanning graduated from Ravenscroft, he attended “One of my goals was to perform on Broadway, and I did UNC-Chapel Hill as a Morehead Scholar with a pre-med that in Bells are Ringing,” said Harris. “It was pretty thrilling track. to achieve that. But even just working regionally in theatres, “When I went to UNC, I didn’t have a clue exactly I’ve had the chance to do a lot of dream roles.” what I wanted to do, so for three years I was pre-med with One of those dream roles was that of Roxie in Chicago, a French major,” said Lanning. “Then, the summer after which Harris played at the Riverside Theatre in Vero Beach, my junior year, I traveled to Singapore as a part of the Fla., in March 2006. Morehead Scholars’ program, and it changed my whole “It was a ‘triple threat role,’” said Harris. “That’s what I course. For eight weeks I was traveling and performing in aspire to be – someone who can sing, dance and act with a vocal and instrumental duet, and I just knew after that people skills. A lot of roles that fit that description are roles trip that my calling was on God’s side to share my gifts in I’d like to do. It was also a really great production and some- teaching and music. I changed my major my senior year to thing that I’m proud of. I’ve had the chance to do a lot of Music Education, and was allowed to stay on for a fifth and great roles, and I’ve been lucky to have a career doing what sixth year to complete my degree.” I love to do.” Lanning now shares his musical gifts as the President As far as setting goals for the future, Harris prefers to leave of Carpenter’s Tools International (CTI) Music Ministries the door open and not get too specific. in Willmar, Minn., the official at-large music ministry for “I try not to pinpoint it, because if you pinpoint your goals Youth for Christ International. CTI is a non-profit minis- too precisely, you might miss out on other great opportunities try organization that provides music and drama outreaches, coming your way.” working alongside established ministries in over 50 coun- What’s next for Harris? You can look for her in the tries across the globe. Broadway show Lonestar Love. She begins rehearsals this fall. Lanning, who has been with CTI since 1995, has worked in training more than 75 teams David Lanning ’88 of youths who then travel around the David Lanning ’88 remembers world performing concerts. This past playing Tevye, Fiddler on the Roof’s summer, Lanning spent two weeks starring role, as a daunting task. working with 37 young people who “It was a very formative experience would eventually fan out to perform in to be able to get up in front of an Singapore, St. Vincent, and Honduras. audience and perform, particularly Lanning’s journey from Raleigh to in the role of Tevye, because he’s in Chapel Hill to Singapore, and eventu- almost every scene. In that role, you ally Minnesota, has left him feeling are on stage almost the whole time, blessed – not only because of his profes- so it’s the most comfortable role I sion but because of his wife, Margaret, ever had because I had to know it and three children, Benjamin, 8, so well.” Sydney, 6, and Rachel, 4. Lanning said that, growing up, Says Lanning: “My long term plans his only theatrical experiences came are to stay right where I am!” during his time at Ravenscroft. In It may be nearly 20 years since addition to Fiddler, Lanning had Hall, Harris, and Lanning performed parts in Bye Bye Birdie, South Pacific, Arsenic and Old Lace, Fiddler on the Roof at Ravenscroft, but each has carried and Plaza Suite. their memories with them into successful careers in drama He was involved in choral and instrumental music. He and music. was a member of the choir under Lester Southern from Where will today’s Tevye, Hodel and Lazar Wolf – and seventh through 12th grade, and also played the flute and the rest of the 2007 cast of Fiddler – make their marks? Will keyboard during his time at the School. it be on the silver screen, on the stage, or out in the com- “The dramatic and musical experiences at Ravenscroft munity? Time will tell the tale for these gifted Ravenscroft gave me the confidence to speak, sing, and play piano in actors and singers, just as it did for our talented alums. front of people,” said Lanning.

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