My father, the thespian

My dad at 19 as Tevye
To hear my dad tell the story, he peaked as an actor when he was around 19 years old and a sophomore in college. While my dad was majoring in English at a university in Taiwan, his English professor Scott Seligman harbored dreams of directing a grandiose college rendition of Fiddler on the Roof in English. Scott had just recently arrived from the US where the film had won an Oscar the year before. Dad had played the lead in two minor plays his freshman year, and after seeing him in those roles, Scott decided that my dad was the man he wanted to play Tevye.

“He just looked Jewish” was how Scott explained it.

Nevermind that the play was a musical and my dad was not a singer. My dad’s English was more than passable and, more importantly, he embodied the spirit of all the characters he played. After receiving the school’s permission to put on the musical, Scott lured my dad to the auditions and, alongside promised lessons from the voice teacher, cast my dad as the lead in Fiddler On the Roof. Dad jumped in with both feet and never looked back.

To say they blew the roof off the university’s auditorium was an understatement. Even 40 years later, the performance is still spoken about at the school. It was the largest production ever done in the school’s history and unique in that the professors and department heads were cast alongside the students.

After its wild opening night success, Fiddler on the Roof went on to tour the country - stopping off at several other schools, including an American all-girls college. My dad started receiving anonymous fan letters from girls.  Those same fan girls waited by the dressing rooms after the musical to speak (and flirt) with him.

This past weekend, Scott came to Dallas on a book tour, promoting the third book he’s written since retiring five years ago. Although he and my father have kept up email correspondence, they hadn’t seen each other in these 40 some-odd years. Looking at the pictures of them side-by-side and hearing about their friendship is proof that there can be those life-altering moments and people that you will keep in the golden-glow of your mind forever.

In addition to encouraging him to be bold with his command of the language, Scott is the reason my dad’s English name is Frank and also why, ever since I can remember, my dad will randomly break into song... “If I were a rich man…”

My Dad and Scott, before and after

Comments

  1. oh, what a fabulous story. does your dad still have some of those fan letters??

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  2. You just made my night. This is by far the best story I've heard in a while. Can I write your dad some fan letters? How awesome that he took on the role; even more awesome how it exploded; beyond awesome though is that their friendship has survived all this time and distance. ps.: Your family leaves me in awe with all these amazing stories and pictures.

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  3. Ah I love this!!! Made me smile :)

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  4. This is such a fantastic story! :) Love it! Have you seen the fan letters? I am sure it would be fun to read them! Your dad sounds like such a great person!

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  5. But he gave it all up for the women he loved! :)
    That's very cool...an amazing experience/accomplishment. And for a guy who wasn't a singer? Awesome sauce! Did your parents meet during that time?
    I feel bad for the guys who peaked in high school....college is a much better time for that. I peaked in junior high. :D

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  6. Oh, that's an awesome story! I hope your dad kept the letters. So cool to see the now and later shots. They look just as happy as they did then!

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  7. haha i love this story!! this was awesome!!

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  8. Coolest.Story.Ever.
    Your dad is awesome, Rooth!

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  9. That is AMAZING. Fiddler was a big deal in my house growing up; we saw a production of it, had the soundtrack, my mom and aunt and grandmother spoke (and still speak) Yiddish. How amazing that it transcended nationalities and became such a force in such an unexpected place! I love that you have two side by side photos of them. Your dad sounds incredible. xo

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  10. oh my gosh. i love this story. how amazing is that?! i feel like this should be a storycorp story :) and now i have matchmaker in my head (i remember my brother's high school put on fiddler on a roof for their school play one year and that song has stuck ever since!)

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  11. That´s a wonderful story - plus I adore that old pic of your dad! :-)

    http://tinajoathome.com/

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  12. what a fabulous story! i knew i liked your dad from the way you speak of him and this just makes me like him even more. for me it would be so terrifying to be in a play, let alone a musical. those photos are so cool and i see you dad and i like the same boots ;)

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  13. I love your stories about your family! It's so nice that your father stayed in touch all these years, and continents, later.

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  14. Dude. I want to hang out with your Dad. What a gift to be on stage! You must be so proud! :)

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  15. Oh, I love this story! Love, love, love . . .

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  16. what a beautiful story of your dad. That kind of friendship is so meaningful and incredibly hard to find.

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  17. What an awesome story! And love the two pictures side by side! That is really cool that they were able to meet up again!

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  18. What a wonderful friendship! I hope to have one that can last this long.

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  19. Does your father know whether Fiddler on the Roof was ever performed in a Chinese translation in Taiwan or elsewhere? Does a Chinese language script/libretto exist anywhere? Thanks.

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