Tryon Little Theater’s “Fiddler on the Roof” opens this week with an exemplary cast led by Susie Kocher as Golde and Mark Schweizer as Tevye. This musical has inspired four Broadway revivals as well as a hit movie and is acclaimed not only in this country but all over the world.
Susie Kocher is well-known to TLT audiences, having appeared in “Oliver,” “The Sound of Music,” “1940s Radio Hour” and “Anything Goes.” She’s also appeared in many Spartanburg Little Theater productions, including “Streetcar Named Desire” and “Annie.”
You may have heard her belting out tunes with local rock bands and singing the national anthem at many events locally.
Kocher is a busy mother of two, works as a pharmaceutical sales rep during the week, and also with her husband and kids at Cross Creek Farm where she and her family have their horse business.
“I adore community theater,” Kocher said, “and I’ve had wonderful experiences playing some really fun parts. I’m looking forward to this one too. I’ve always dreamed of playing Golde, but this production is especially fun since my daughter Emily plays one of my daughters in the show.”
Years ago, Mark Schweizer, who plays Tevye, decided to eschew the family architectural business and become an opera singer. To his father, the rationale was obvious, he explains: no math was required.
He earned a doctorate in musical arts (voice) from the University of Arizona.
Schweizer now lives and works as a musician, composer, author and publisher in Tryon. He and his wife, Donis, own St. James Music Press, a church music publishing company, whose motto is We’re good, we’re cheap and we’re snooty!
He is also the author of 12 highly acclaimed comic liturgical mystery books set in a small North Carolina town and a 1940s Chicago police thriller called Dear Priscilla.
Schweizer has earned the distinction of receiving several Dishonorable Mentions in the Bulwer-Lytton fiction Contest, where entrants compete for the honor of having composed the worst opening sentence to an imaginary novel.
As Dan Harvey, the show’s director, says, “We are so fortunate to have these two actors in the cast. Their professionalism has been the glue that has made this show so strong. It has been such a pleasure to watch their connection grow.”
“Fiddler on the Roof” runs Feb. 20 – 23 at the Tryon Fine Arts Center (34 Melrose Avenue). Tickets are on sale now at the TLT Workshop (516 S. Trade St. Tryon). Box office hours are Monday-Saturday 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., and Tuesday and Thursday 4-7 p.m.
Visit www.tltinfo.org  or call 828-859-2466 for more information.
– article submitted by
Monica Jones