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emmisays · 1 year

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Rest In Peace Chaim

Chaim Topol (1935- 2023)

For those who don’t know, before I became a songwriter I was an actor, and my first professional role, at 17, was playing Chava in an Australian tour of ‘A Fiddler on the Roof’ starring the legendary Chaim Topol as Tevye. (Yes, the guy from the film.)

By the time Chaim came to Australia he had played the role all over the world for more than 40 years. I then had the privilege of playing his daughter for almost 3, and our little village of characters became my mad, surrogate family for what would be the final chapter of my adolescence. It was a special time indeed. A seasoned cast member lamented to me at our closing night party “I’m sorry this is your first show, darling. I’m afraid every show you do after this will be just a little bit disappointing.” There was some truth in that.

When I heard the news of Chaim’s passing on Thursday, a quiet sadness pitted in my belly, as I’m sure it did for so many of us. And I sat and jotted some memories of him down, just a few of which I wanted to share here, for anyone that might be interested to read them.

Barry Crocker as Lazar Wolf (left), Chaim Topol as Tevye (centre), Me as Chava (right)

I vomited in a bin on the way to my first day of rehearsals for Fiddler. It was my first ever professional gig and I was convinced I would arrive, only to find there had been some horrible mistake and my headshot had been switched at the audition or some such and they’d cast the wrong girl.

But in I went, and sure enough they were expecting me. And there he was, Chaim Topol, this man I had watched and studied on my television my entire childhood, singing ‘If I Were A Rich Man’ just a few feet away from from me in a pair of crocs and baggy jeans. The room was electric. We all felt it. The man is a master. His voice was so resonant. His joy, contagious. His timing, impeccable. And when he was done, we erupted into emotional applause and I took myself off to the bathroom to nervous vomit again before for our first call.

At first Chaim and I didn’t speak much outside of our scene rehearsals together. But one day, during a lunch break, he asked me for help sending an SMS on his new mobile phone. The next day, as he was reading his paper, he asked me if I’d ever played Sudoku. I hadn’t. So he told me to pull up a chair and he taught me the rules and walked me through my first puzzle. It soon became a lunchtime tradition of ours that we would do the daily sudoku together. He didn’t like it, though, when I developed a habit of writing tiny option numbers in all the boxes as we worked. He’d say “Do it in your head! It’s too messy!”. So it wasn’t long before I was buying a daily newspaper for myself at Chaim’s request.

Rehearsals: Shaun Rennie as Fyedka (left) and me (right)

Soon rehearsals turned into previews turned into shows, and I was finally able to witness in real time the incredible power Topol held over an audience. The way two thousand people would burst into simultaneous laughter or tears with just a flicker of his eye or a slight glance up to his “God light” or a shrug of his shoulders was nothing short of magical.

He had it. That thing. That thing people talk about stars having that’s impossible to articulate and has to be experienced. He seemed to have a finger and thumb on that invisible thread that links all human beings to each other and he knew exactly when to tug at it to make you feel ... well, whatever he wanted you to.

Soon I started getting to know Topol a little better. Our show tracks were such that we often found ourselves at the side of the stage at the same times and so we started these little catch up traditions. Chat number 1 would fall during Act 1 Scene 2. My sisters and I would be stuck behind the house set onstage during a long old scene and Chaim would be resting on his milk cart in the wings, Stage Right. And every night there would be a mouthed or mimed exchange between us all which grew funnier and more ridiculous as the run went on.

My sisters Louise Kelly as Tzeitel and Octavia Barron Martin as Hodel

Chat number 2 fell before the Sabbath scene, when both Chaim and I would have a 5 minute break to chat in the wings, Stage Left. These little pit stops became rituals over time. In fact, if I didn’t show up, he would jokingly berate me for “throwing his show off”. (Anyone who has ever done a long season know these little traditions take hold for no logical reason at all and continue for years as superstitions. And we take them very, very seriously.)

But I was happy to be a part of his nightly routine, because I was enjoying the chance to get to know him. He would tell me about his family. He’d ask about mine. We’d talk about the original book of Tevye the Milkman and delve into the characters and differences between the book and play and I’d pick his brains on past casts and memories. We’d discuss current politics and he’d update me on his grandkids and share anecdotes about famous people he’d met along the way. He’d also tell me he didn’t think much of my boyfriend at the time and demand to know who that boy was he caught me sharing a pint with at the bar last night after the show. (It was a kind of running joke of his to bring the Papa/Chava dynamic into the real world.) And I’d remind him I already had a real life Papa (Papa number 1, to Chaim) and the boy he saw me with last night was my big brother so the next time he wants to burst in to a pub yelling “Hah! Caught you! Step away from her!” and make a spectacle of himself he should take a beat, etc, etc.

A few months into the tour, I was offered a place at a big drama school and I had to decide whether to take my place and leave the tour, or turn it down and stay. One night in our wing chat, I asked Chaim what he thought I should do. He thought for a moment and replied, “You should go where you want to end up.” It felt like a proverb somehow. Brilliant. He continued “Why would you go to drama school?” I replied. “To get an agent and a job and a part in a show...” He smiled. (I already had those things. Well played. But I wasn’t finished.) “…AND to study my craft. To learn. Don’t I need to learn more?” I asked him. “Of course. Every day!” he replied.

“But look there...” He pointed to a tiny gap in the wing where you could just make out the audience sitting in the dark. “You see that? Your audience? There’s your education. Learn from them.”

So, eventually, I decided to stay on the tour, but also “learn everyday” just like Chaim said. The audience was one thing, but I realized there was so much more to be learned from, not just Topol, but the entire cast (full of some of Australia’s finest actors) around me. I would watch other people’s scenes in the wings and ask other actors to do scene studies with me in our spare time and rope musicians in to accompanying me on breaks so I could work on my voice. I also started trying to read a play a day and expand my knowledge of texts and I would read books and watch videos on different dramatists and directors (Mamet, Stella Adler, Stanislavski, etc). I almost conducted a mini bachelor degree of my own while I toured. I look back now and realize how incredibly cool and inspiring and beautiful that whole “growing up” period of my life was. College is great and all but have you ever spent your 19th birthday at a drag show with a village of bearded men singing Kylie Minogue songs like they were straight out of Les Mis?

Chaim Topol as Tevye (1971 film)

Chaim helped where he could too (other than being in and of himself, an acting masterclass). He introduced me to Brecht, the acting method he first learned during his time in the Israeli Army and let me pick his brains about his own process. For example, there is a scene in the play where he gets progressively drunker and I remember asking him what it was he was doing or thinking about that made it so believable when he played drunk. He told me “The trick is, I’m not playing drunk at all. I am drunk, playing sober.”

He was constantly, endlessly workshopping our scenes together too, looking for new angles to see things from. (This relentless curiosity I’m sure was the reason he was able to grow old with Tevye without ever growing tired.) He figured out quickly how to work with me too. Instead of asking cerebral questions about my motivation or my actions or objectives in the scene, he would simply ask me how it felt to be in it. He’d say “When you ask for my blessing and I say “No, Chava! No!” and I scream at you… how does that word “No” arrive to you? What does it sound like? Broken glass? A screech? And what does it feel like? A hit? A stab? And if so… with what? A pin? A fork? A dagger? A sword? And where is it stabbing you? The stomach? The neck?” He demanded specificity. Quick answers. Gut instinct. If I paused trying to come up with the right or clever answer he would say “No! You’re thinking! Don’t think!”. He helped get me out of my head, listen, watch, then shoot from the hip; something I’ll probably spend the rest of my life desparately trying to do.

Me (left) and Chaim Topol (right)

But perhaps one of my favourite Chaim moments happened one night during one of our scenes together in Act 2 (photographed above). In this scene, Chava tells her Papa she has fallen in love with a non-Jewish man. He replies with the famous line “A bird may love a fish, but where would they build a home together?”

Most nights, this line would get a laugh from the audience. (Partly because the line is amusing and partly because at this point in the show people are just desperate for some levity.) But Topol hated it when the audience laughed. He felt it destroyed the rhythm of our scene and took away from the heaviness of what was going on for our characters. So one night when he was complaining about it to me, I said to him “So make them stop!”. Quick as a whip he replied, “How much?”. I panicked. “Ten bucks.” (I mean, the man owned entire villages in Israel, so I appreciate the stakes were low for him, but equally, I didn’t fancy my chances.) We shook on it.

The next night, I fed him the cue for his bird line and held my breath. He said the words back to me and from where I was standing (literally 2 centimeters from his nose), delivered them exactly the same as he had every single night for months. But this time, when he finished, I swear you could hear a damn pin drop. The silence was deafening. I couldn’t believe it.

After the show, $10 note in hand, I found him and demanded answers. “How did you do that?” He just shrugged “I just… delivered it badly.” To this day I don’t know what that means. But this was the beginning of many more bets we would share. I lost a lot of money to that millionaire. Soon he was setting me bets some of my scenes too. And I’m proud to say, slowly but surely, I got me a couple tenners back.

Some time just before the end of the tour, I was sat at the piano in a warm up room singing something or other. (It was probably “Butterflies” from Alicia Keys Songs in A Minor). I wasn’t writing songs yet really. I didn’t even like the sound of my singing voice at this time because it wasn’t a typically “music theatre” voice and I had been assured I was cast for my acting / type and not my singing ability. But even so, singing at the piano felt like home, so whenever we had a bit of down time I’d steal away to somewhere no one could hear me and busk out a few tunes for my soul. But on this particular day as I was singing, I finished the song and looked up to see Chaim had been sitting on a chair at the back of the room the whole time, listening. I was mortified. But he got up all serious and pointed at me and said… “This thing you are doing? You should keep doing it. Do more of that.” And then left me to it.

I count this as 1 of 3 incredibly important moments in my life that knocked on the door of a realization I would eventually come to ...that, for better or worse, I needed to make music. That music was a way of telling stories I needed to be a part of.

Chaim Topol and I, Covent Garden - a chance meeting on the street.

We continued to stay in touch long after the tour and in one of our last phone call conversations, I asked him if it was difficult for him to watch anyone else play Tevye. He told me it wasn’t, that in fact he loved it and had seen it and enjoyed it all over the world in every language. He insisted Tevye was just a great part in an incredible play and the truth is anyone who plays him will do it well if they just speak the lines and get out of the way, etc, etc. He described himself as “lucky”. Respectfully, I beg to differ.

I will close now, because I only meant to write a couple of paragraphs and this has turned into something of a novel.

But Chaim, if you are looking down, I hope you have a seat by the Eastern wall. And thank you for the memories and a masterclass of a lifetime.

Rest In Peace, Papa Number 2.

#topol #chaim topol #chaimtopol #tevye #rip topol #fiddler on the roof #chava

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drifting-pieces-blog-blog · 9 months

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Breaking Down the Comics: Disguises

Moon Knight, Issue # 19: Assault on Island Strange

We continue the fight!

And he looks a little tattered there in the cover. Which... You learn that the more beat up gets the better the fight. He fights the best when he's just obliterated.

In fact, that's a very familiar pose... Any time they want to tear him up a bit, they always rip up the knee and thigh.

The story opens with an airstrip in Lebanon where terrorist recruits are meeting up.

Moon Knight crashes the party.

He glides in, easily mistaken as a ghost (a common theme in early comics). They shoot at him, terrified.

"This is the closest I've ever come to a kamikaze glide... No doubt about that... But time was running out and I coudn't figure out any other option!" - Moon Knight demonstrating his lack of forethought into his own safety.

He is trying to figure out how to get on the plane that will take the recruits to Nimrod Strange's island so he can infiltrate it.

Now.... He could have EASILY snuck his way in as Marc Spector. A well known Merc in the field with brutal and effective tactics.... But Marc is also not careful about his 'secret' identity as Moon Knight and his name IS starting to make its way through the circles.

But then we wouldn’t have this lovely display of Moon Knight’s sense of humor/wit.

Moon Knight takes care of the last of the guards then runs to the side where he meets up with Frenchie and Marlene.

He instructs them to "give me Spector's Clothes."

Marlene tries to warn him about something but Marc snaps that he has no time and starts to change. He assumes a fake ID (with a Lockle's mustache and some glasses).

He assumes the I.D. of "Yitzak Topol". That's an interesting choice in name....

He, Marlene, and Frenchie are posing as Revolutionaries with "colorful and checkered pasts.

They gather with the other recruits in the back of a truck before the guards return.

One of the guards remarks that he didn't see a 'ghost' but a woman! That's what Marlene was trying to warn him about.

The guards are too concerned about arguing amongst themselves and get in the truck.

They eventually board a plane after having their credentials checked. They have papers given to them from the government agency that they met up with in Jerusalem in the last issue.

Meanwhile, a well armed ship stays just outside the island's patrol range. It's the government people that sent Marc and friends in.

The men wait anxiously and argue. One is upset about sending in civilians, one tries to reassure the others that Marc knows what he's doing.

The first brings up the fact that Marc Spector has worked both sides of the field, both good and bad depending on who paid the best.

The second assures them that Marc was friends with their top man, who was killed by Nimrod's men.

The first is now double worried about Marc going in full of emotions and an eye for revenge.

Back on the island, Nimrod Strange goes to greet the new recruits. He is, as always, flanked by his three lady bodyguards.

He comments again that his blond one is getting too slow and needs to be replaced.

Nimrod looks over the recruits and asks who they are and their past political affiliations.

Marlene gives her cover story and Nimrod notes that she fits the bill to be his new body guard.

He decides to test her and sicks his three ladies against her.

Now this is where respect for Marlene comes from. She's always shown skill in protecting herself. Moon Knight has never had to 'rescue' this damsel. She always ends up saving him.

She was trained with guns when she helped her father on dangerous digs. She learned self defense and then Steven insisted that she learn how to fight. She's parried with Marc countless times and she's also quite smart.

Marlene makes quick work of her attacker and passes the test. She's now a personal bodyguard for Nimrod.

One might imagine that the replaced bodyguard is quite bitter.

She notes Marc and Frenchie talking together and taking interest in Marlene. She's instantly suspicious.

Meanwhile, Nimrod reveals to Marlene that he has a new position for himself too. He has a new outfit full of weapons and the likes and calls himself "Arsenal".

He demonstrates his new killing tools. He has the sniper weapon, the throwing knives, the nunchaks, the firearms, and the garrot that all the former leaders had (see previous issues where Moon Knight kicked ass).

He is now his own slayer elite.

He reveals that in two weeks the new recruits will be ready to strike against Tokyo, Lebanon, Poland, Paris, Madrid, Rome, Buenos Aires, South Africa and Manhattan.

While the recruits are settling in, the angry former bodyguard has gotten her hands on the original recruit list.

She takes count and notes that there are three more than there should be. Not to mention that there is no woman on the list.

Frenchie and Moon Knight slip out at night, Frenchie to check out the planes and Moon Knight in search of the weapons.

Moon Knight sabotages the guns and Frenchie works on all the planes.

Moon Knight goes to check out how Marlene is doing only to find Nimrod with his tongue down her throat, celebrating her initiation.

So he kicks their plan into high gear a little early.

The ex-body guard has her own plan. She raises the alarm about there being two infiltrators and plans to take care of Marlene herself.

Yeah, she can't even win in a training fight against the other two bodyguards, how's she going to beat Marlene?

And yeah, she tries to get the drop on Marlene an Marlene kicks her ass before Nimrod notices anything strange.

Out on the base, Frenchie sets off a detonator and blows up all but one of the airplanes.

They plan to use the last plane to blow up the armory.

There's a lot going on here.

The plane takes off, Moon Knight flying.

This...this is why Moon Knight should not be allowed near anything that flies.

He can't get the plane working right so he decides to just.... crash the plane into the armory.

I'm not going to count this under the tally for 'moon copter/plane crash', but.... Maybe there should be a talley for the number of times Marc/Moon Knight has used a vehicle as a weapon by crashing it into his target.

The resulting explosion signals the government guys to move in on the island.

Meanwhile, Nimrod, now calling himself Arsenal, believes correctly that the island is under attack. He grabs his nearest bodyguard (Marlene) and makes a run for it.

Moon Knight drops in and confronts him.

"You killed my oldest friend--among other things you've done to me and mine. I'm here to avenge those things."

Not very specific there, Marc. Just there for general revenge, huh?

Blinded by revenge, Arsenal uses the opportunity to attack. He lobs a grenade and Moon Knight deflects it but still takes a major hit. He's down for the count.

Marlene is whisked away, attempting to keep up her secret identity, knowing she's the 'only link to Strange's future movements.'

In the remaining rubble, they find a map of Manhattan with major bridges and tunnels marked off, implying they plan to cut off Manhattan island from the rest of New York and hold it hostage.

End of this issue! One more to go in the saga of Nimrod Strange!

This one was action heavy and kinda bland compared to the major themes and imagery in the previous issues.

It served to show and highlight Marlene’s abilities to hold her own and her value. It also showed Marc’s temper a bit and how he can get so caught up in revenge that he loses sight of everything else around him.

It could have touched on that more, but it had a very complicated plot for Marc to carry out.

I also found it interesting that Marc’s chosen disguise had him looking a lot like a young version of his father.

He dons the disguise easily and you have to wonder if this was something he had to do a lot back in the day or something new he’s learned to do. I’d wager it’s new. Marc Spector the Mercenary was not a man of disguises and not well known enough to need disguises.

It wasn’t till Jake put on the mustache that Marc learned the value of changing his face. Now it’s very easy for him.

In fact, he’s the only one that DOES put on a disguise. Frenchie and Marlene go as they are and only change their names. While Nimrod knows about Marc Spector, he has not seen his face. And even if he had done research into him, you’d think he’d know what Frenchie and Marlene looked like too.

So the fact that Marc puts on such a disguise could be his own idea. His own way to feel more comfortable. To remind himself that he’s on a mission and can’t be Marc Spector right now. And when Marc can’t be Jake, Steven, or even Moon Knight, he has to put on a different mask.

Marc once more needed and finding any way to not be himself. To put on a mask and not deal with everything that comes with being Marc Spector.

And while in this issue, Marlene still insists on calling him Steven when she can, it’s almost half hearted. We haven’t seen Steven or Jake since the start of this particular run.

At this point, Marc has to be clinging to front. He strikes me as the type that clings onto control with a death grip. There is no identified gate-keeper in the system at this point. The system is still freshly aware in many cases. So Marc holds on.

And even if he didn’t… Jake is far from his cab and New York comfort. Steven is far too soft for the discomfort of this mission. They have stepped back and Marc is running the show.

But you have to wonder how this is going to affect them all later. Are they going to resent him for running off and resorting to his old methods? Is he causing them harm? Diving into old trauma, bad habits, self harm…

When they get the body back, will they be angry at him? Or will he be angry enough at himself? We know Marc does not like being himself. That he doesn’t like to front when at home in New York. Being front stuck for so long, how hard will Marc crash when this is over?

#Moon Knight #Moon Knight comics #Marc Spector #Marlene Alraune #Analyzing the comics #Sorry it took so long guys but things happened #It was also hard to find motivation to do this one #Nimrod is not considered a BIG Villain and you can tell they really wanted him to be #Sometimes villains just don't hold up #I think it was a design flaw #He had potential but he was no candle to Bushman #Plus his three sexy bodyguards thing made him feel like a bond villain

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