A Struggle to Tell ‘Aleichem’s’ Story

Sholom Aleichem died in 1916, leaving a treasury of stories in Yiddish, most famously the tale of Tevye the Dairyman, which eventually was adapted into the musical “Fiddler on the Roof.” But the Santa Monica Playhouse’s “Aleichem Sholom!,” which tells his story, is a musical that is far from mature. The actors, although enthusiastic, lack a cohesive singing style and display shallowly developed acting talents.

Evelyn Rudie adapted the story about a young Jewish boy (Matt Wrather) who strives to enter a high school in the 1890s, when entrance was by exam only and the schools had a strict quota system that allowed only a few Jews, if any, to enter. The boy’s father, Aaron (Chris DeCarlo), urged on by his wife Hannah (Rudie), sells his business and moves to a place where his son might be able to find better educational opportunities.

But DeCarlo’s direction drags, killing the comedic timing. Rudie’s music is mostly forgettable, and her words aren’t much better. The delivery of some of the lines appears to require too much effort, with shoulders rising and descending upon every breath. The canned music doesn’t help much either.

Still, at least the production and its players are cheerful and earnest.

* “Aleichem Sholom!,” Santa Monica Playhouse, 1211 4th St., Santa Monica. Fridays-Saturdays, 7:30 p.m., Sundays, 6 p.m. Ends Feb. 23. $18. (310) 394-9779, Ext. 1. Running time: 2 hours.