Not to sound too predictable, but Theodore Bikel believes in tradition.
For the man who's played Tevye, the famous Fiddler on the Roof, more than 2,000 times, however, there has to be balance.
"What I do most is balance modernity and tradition. I'm very much aware of tradition and roots, and I cultivate them, and make sure they don't sink into limbo or forgetfullness -yet I do it with modern means."
BIkel is performs at Toronto's George Weston Hall on Saturday night. The repertoire will be a mix of "Jewish, Yiddish, Balkan, Bosnian, Macedonian music, as well as various things from musical theatre," he explains in a jovial baritone. He is quick to underline the importance of maintaining a vitality in older forms, while keeping the audience engaged.
"When I do a concert, each song has a different milieu that it calls up," he says, "Each calls for me to paint my own scenery, set my own stage, and transport the audience to a different time and place. It's just part of what I do. Some colleagues are good at it, others work harder."
And worked he has.
In an awe-inspiring career spanning 60-plus years, the multi-lingual Bikel has appeared in film, on television, on stage, and recorded numerous solo albums. He co-founded the Newport Folk Festival, and continues to record, perform, and lecture.
And Fiddler On the Roof isn't his only well-known musical role, either. BIkel originated the role of Captain Von Trapp in The Sound of Music, and appeared in the big-screen version of My Fair Lady as Zoltan Karpathy, the dialect coach.
Yet throughout these experiences, the Emmy-award winning artist has maintained a refreshing sense of humility and wonder of the power of art, a feeling that is as fresh as the day he first stepped foot onstage.
"When I was a student at the national theatre, they used to use students to play small roles -it was convenient and cheap for them," he says, excitement palpable in his voice.
"They gave me a role in a play called Tevye and his Daughters. It was the first time I worked on a professional stage. I played the Constable -I had exactly 29 words to say. I know, I counted them twice."
He lets out a chuckle at the memory.
"It was just as exciting for me to do that as it is for an actor who plays Hamlet for the first time!"
That sense of artistic excitement extends into other areas, including directing, something Bikel enjoys, and indeed, would like to do more of.
"I have, from time to time, directed -workshops, and in theatre. It's important," he explains, "because it allows you to flex artistic muscles. In a sense (directing) is a way of teaching."
Bikel calls his time working with students "very gratifying -you find students can surprise you. They don't know the scope of their talent -but by the time they leave school, they do."
The difference between acting on-camera, versus in front of a live audience, is a huge one for him.
"With films and TV, you have to imagine the live audience," he says, "even the people behind the camera, if they think you're funny, they're not allowed to laugh. You have to imagine the live audience when you do those. But it's especially strange when you do comedy for a live audience. You are working for a laugh that may not come 6 months later."
As for the famous fiddler, he says he based his own characterization on someone near to him.
"When I played (Tevye), I played my own grandfather. It's not that much of a stretch for what the actor in me has to do. (With) some roles, you have to really activate the imagination -if I play a king or a murderer, I have to reach, I'm not close to any of that."
He pauses.
"Tevye", he says, "I am close to."
Ashkenaz Foundation presents: An Evening With Theodore Bikel, Saturday, February 2nd, at 8pm, George Weston Recital Hall.
For more information, go to www.bikel.com or www.ashkenazfestival.com.
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