Last Friday night I did the second most Jewish thing a 20-something Jewish boy living in Los Angeles could do: I saw Topol star in Fiddler on the Roof at the Pantages Theater! (Naturally, the most Jewish thing would be Shabbat dinner with my family, replete with pleas from my mother to fix me up, because my father already had 2 kids when he was my age.) Making the night more magical, a college friend of mine starred opposite Topol as Chava, the third daughter who ultimately marries that handsome gentile, Fyedka. My friend was brilliant. Topol was great (and, P.S., looked so skinny). And, Fruma-Sarah’s appearance, which obviously is my favorite part of the play, did not disappoint. Topol fun fact one: they padded him in the movie and previous productions to look heavier, but he denied the padding for this production. Topol fun fact two: per the playbill, he has played Tevye in over 2,500 performances! Topol fun fact three: When he grabs my friend’s arms in one of the scenes, it is with such force (or passion — you pick) that she has Topol black and blues up her arm. TOPOL! Come on, you know we aren’t the toughest people — we’re iPhone-toting American wusses who had cute themes at our Bar/Bat Mitzvahs (like the American Southwest, thank you very much), not the hardy stock born and bred in conflict-stricken Anatevka who are thankful to get a chicken as a wedding present (compliments of Lazar Wolf of course). Takeaway: go see Fiddler on the Roof at the Pantages before August 9! It really is a great production of a great play.