On a Saturday, cast members visited a pair of retirement homes in Orange County to sing the score from “Fiddler on the Roof.”
In between performances, they stopped for lunch. Patrons at the restaurant were curious. They saw shirts with the initials “BSMF,” and they saw men with beards in different stages.
A few of the customers finally asked for an explanation. They learned that the initials stood for “Bethlehem Summer Music Festival” and that the beards were being grown for performances on Aug. 15-17.
If the cast members had been dining in the Cornwall area, they wouldn’t have raised many eyebrows. The Summer Music Festival has been a tradition here since the late 1970s. And the group has presented “Fiddler on the Roof” on two previous occasions.
It was staged in 1987 and 1997. And the current cast includes people who were part of the earlier performances. That’s what makes the festival unique. The same people keep coming back.
But this year, there are newcomers mixed in with the veterans. Sydney Mayo is one of them. The soon-to-be ninth-grader is playing a villager, and is on stage for all of the production numbers. Her favorite is “Matchmaker,” one of the many songs that audiences will recognize in the show.
It’s been a busy summer for Sydney. She’s been rehearsing “Wizard of Oz” at the Town Theater Camp during the day and practicing “Fiddler” at night. “It hasn’t been hard,” she said during rehearsal. “The two parts are very different. And I love both of them so it’s not hard to be dedicated.”
Sydney was recruited out of the singing group at the Bethlehem Presbyterian Church. She had watched her friends perform in other Music Festival shows, and was anxious to join them.
Mike Donato is making his Bethlehem debut. A recent Cornwall graduate, he was a stagehand last year. Then people heard him sing, and persuaded him to come out from behind the curtains.
Marietta Moulton has also emerged from behind the scenes. After years of doing choreography, she’s back on stage in a featured role.
Of the three newcomers, Sydney Mayo is the newest. She was asked if she expected to be with the group for years (like some of the others).
“I hope so,” she replied, and you could tell she wasn’t acting.
“Fiddler on the Roof” will be presented at the Bethlehem Presbyterian Church on Route 94 at 7 p.m. Aug. 15 and 16, and at 6 p.m. on Aug. 17.
Cast: Sarah Alestalo, Cori Baxter, Elizabeth Baxter, Jack Baxter, Lily Baxter, Ryan Baxter, David Cooper, Ellie Davis, Mike Donato, John Ford, Ryan Hazard, Dot Henry, James Henry, Jessica Henry, Joel Henry, Kristen Henry, Sarah Henry, Johnny Hines, Kirstie Juenger, James Krieger, Patrick Larkin, Sydney Mayo, Blake McGready, Hannah Min, Kelly Moran, Briley Moulton, Drew Moulton, Marietta Moulton, Marty Purdy, James Roe, Jeanine Roe, Jonathan Roe, Rohan Sonakya, Emily Zwart
