Obiter Dicta Issue 5 - October 28, 2013 | Page 13

page 13 arts and culture » continued from last page ing several asides in which Tevye speaks to an unseen G-d, asking why the chosen people couldn’t sometimes be chosen for something better. As his family trudges out of Anatevka in the cold, Tevye speculates that the repeated deportation of Jews is “why we always wear our hats.” Second, Fiddler debuted in 1964, which means that any audience who has ever seen the play knows how the story really ends. Indeed, Tevye and his family are fortunate in a way. Leaving the Russian Empire at the turn of the century meant that the protagonists avoided the Russian Revolution and ensuing Civil War, the Holodomor, and the Holocaust, which claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of Jews living in German-occupied Ukraine during the Second World War. Tevye’s children would grow up in a prosperous era, and his grandchildren would either become part of the first truly affluent Jewish generation in American history, or travel to settle in a new Jewish homeland. It was a remarkable performance. Scott Wentworth was stellar as the archetypal Jewish hero Tevye, a performance perhaps informed by his simultaneous portrayal of Jewish anti-hero Shylock in The Merchant of Venice. I certainly felt sheepish about my earlier assumptions about the Festival. The production was world-class, certainly on par with, if not surpassing, the Festival’s Shakespearean efforts. I later discovered that Wentworth has previously been nominated for a Tony Award and this production, had it taken place in New York, may have earned him a second. The best part: through a program that allows people under age 29 to purchase affordable tickets for certain performances, we were able to obtain our tickets for Musketeers and Fiddler for $25 each. hotels, or run-down motels. Even the motels were relatively expensive, so we splurged, stayed in a hotel, and chalked it up as a necessary evil. We also spent the day in Stratford on Sunday, which gave us a chance to have brunch and a beer at Mercer Hall, another reasonably priced purveyor of delicious things. After the meal, we perused the wares at independent bookstores and chocolate shops, both of which were also surprisingly affordable (in fact, I purchased a hardcover book by Malcolm Gladwell that explained why Tevye’s grandchildren would have been so lucky to live in the United States in the 1930s for $6.99, which is better than the Amazon price). The one sticking point about visiting Stratford is accommodation. The municipality has written its zoning bylaw to deliberately exclude tall buildings, including hotel chains. This leaves few options: expensive B&Bs, awkward morning meal included; overpriced (but clean) small I could have spent a great deal more money to have a less relaxing experience here in Toronto. Two days of top-notch entertainment, food, accommodation, shopping, and transportation came in at under $170 per person. It’s not free, but the value is incredible, and I no longer feel like a poor pretender to the posh. If I were a rich man, I would have had exactly the same weekend. than the other. Loved ‘em both. passed on would have blown your mind. Luke: The soup I chose (germophobia prevented sharing here) was very good, but not spectacular. Like the wraps, the soup had just the right amount of heat. Also, I really appreciated the freshness of the porcinis and the way they were chopped – a coarse shred, not too chunky. Still, it was somewhat on the salty side and could have been served at a hotter temperature. Next time I would definitely go with what you ordered or maybe the chowder. Amenities & Service: Jurisfoodence » continued from page 8 and the chicken were slow-roasted and expertlyspiced. I love Indian cooking generally, but finding the right heat-level can be difficult. This place nails it: the wraps are just hot enough to wake the pala ????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????)?????Q????????????????????????Q????)?????????????????????????????$?????Q????)????????????Q???%?????????????????????)????????????????????????????????????????)???????????%?????????????????????)????????????????????????????$?????????)?????????????????????)????$?????????????????????'?e????????????)????????????????????????????????????)$?????????????e????????????????????()????!???$????????$???????????????????)??????????????????????5????????????????????????????????????????)????????????????????????Q????????$)?????????????????????????????????()1????Q???????????????????????????????????)???????????????????????Q?????????????)??????????????????????????????????)???????????????????????$????????????????)??????????????????????????????????????)????????)????M????????????e??e???????????????)????????????=??????????????????????$?????)???????????????????????a?????M????d??????)???????9?????????=??????'?e????????I??)????????????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????????????9?)??????????????e?????????'?e??????()M?????I???M????)??)???????)M?????????)???????????()1??)????????)M?????????)???????????()=??????????????????????(???????????()????????????$()??????????????????????((0