Being the Candle: Fiddler on the Roof Reunion of 1978!

The year was 1978. Every year at Saddle Brook High School, the senior class would have a spring musical play that was originally started with a man named Chuck Broadhurst, the choral director of 30 years at the school. To this day Saddle Brook High School still does the Spring musicals, and it has expanded not only for the seniors but any high school student who wants to participate.

I think if you walk down the halls, they have the playbills they made for each year from the 70s to present day. You'll see Carousel, The Sound of Music, Guys and Dolls, Annie Get Your Gun, and so many others. My senior class did Into the Woods and several of these plays were done a few times over the years, with several years in between of course. But only ONE time did Saddle Brook High ever do Fiddler on the Roof. When I attended the high school, I had asked the director at the time if he ever considered it and I'll never forget his reaction. He said "ABSOLUTELY NOT!" He told me ALL he ever heard about from teachers and alumni and former directors was how wonderful and great the 1978 play of Fiddler was and he said he and every director before him all agreed they could NEVER top that year's play!

The 1978 production was known to be the most professionally done, most talented, most unbelievable musical production that high school has ever done. It is almost 40 years since then, and people STILL talk about what an unbelievable production it was. Not bad for a bunch of 1978 KIDS in high school! But Mr. Broadhurst's musicals were known to be very professional and Broadway-like. But no one ever dared to even touch Fiddler after that.

The lead role of Tevye was played by Dino DiFranco, who was NOT in the choir at that time. He blew everyone away with his performance and his singing. Playing the role of his wifeGolde was Ann Conway O'Shaunessy. Two of the daughters of them were my mother Karen Lazzaro Trento and Maria Gross Vassallo, playing Tzeitel and Hodel, and the rich butcher, Lazar, played by Bill Thimmel. These are just a few names that many people who saw the play would know.

SBHS 1978 Fiddler on the Roof, pictured the five daughters. Maria Gross Vassallo with her hands on her hips on one of far right is my mother Karen Lazzaro Trento.

Ann Conway O'Shaunessy on far left singing in 1978 Fiddler on the Roof.

I believe Debbie Przyblinski on the left, Maria Gross Vassallo in middle, and my mother Karen Lazzaro Trento on the right.

This past Sunday I had the pleasure of being with my mother and the many of the lead roles from the 1978 cast to go to see Fiddler on the Roof on Broadway. All of these years hearing about this play and I was with the all the leads! It was like being in the presence of celebrities! You may laugh at me saying that, but that is exactly how this was.

We all sat together and we watched the play. The 1978 play they did is on VHS, I think someone is trying to put it on DVD (Yes Jack Impomeni, we will make you a copy!), and I have seen it before. I enjoyed the play, but it wasn't the 1978 play. At intermission they 1978 cast would assess what they saw. They loved seeing the bar scene and the balancing of the bottles on the head at the wedding scene, which they all did in their play! I enjoyed seeing them reminisce their memories of their play.

But they all agreed for sure on one thing unanimously: Dino DiFranco blew the Tevye in this play out of the park! They all said he was better than the Broadway star singing!

Leads Dino DiFranco and Ann Conway O'Shaunessy in 1978 Fiddler on the Roof SBHS

Rich Vassallo doing his hand stand during the bar scene on the left and Dino DiFranco on the right. (1978)

Maria Gross Vassallo on the left and Karen Lazzaro Trento on the right. (1978)

Afterwards we went out to eat and everyone shared their memories from their play, caught up, and laughed together. To my knowledge, these guys have kept their friendships since their high school days. You can tell they're a tight bunch and it's not ONLY reminiscing on the old high school days, but every one genuinely cares and loves each other. As everyone was talking and chit chatting, one thing did keep popping into my mind: Chuck Broadhurst would have been with us that day if he were still alive.

Mr. Broadhurst was there in spirit for sure. He would have loved seeing them all together that day. They were putting up pictures from the day on Facebook and alumni and former teacher who saw that 1978 play all kept commenting and saying the same things about how they remembered it well, how professional it was, one of Mr. B's best, etc. Music, like any craft is something that is passed down and bonds people together when you share it. My teacher, Cindy Verost (alumnus 1975), did the same thing. It is something that stays with you all your life and brings people together in a special way.

It was really nice to have spent the day with this historical Saddle Brook cast. It was a pleasant day, lots of laughs and fun, and it was very special to share it with my mom. No one loved Mr. Broadhurst more than her, and Fiddler on the Roof was one of those very special things in her life that I know reminded her of him. Thank you to the 1978 cast for having me share the day with you all! (BOWS)