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Fiddler on the Roof on Tour
In Broadway terms, Fiddler on the Roof is a tradition unto itself. The much-loved story of Tevye the milkman's struggle to reconcile old Jewish ways with the modern world opened on Broadway in 1964 and held the record for longest-running musical — with 3,242 performances until it closed in 1970 — for nearly 10 years. The blockbuster won nine Tony Awards — including best musical, direction, and choreography — and has been revived on Broadway five times.
Producer Harold Prince hired director-choreographer Jerome Robbins to bring Sholom Aleichem's turn-of-the-19th-century Yiddish tales of life in the Anatevka shtetl, where existence is "as precarious as a fiddler on the roof," to the stage. Jerry Bock's music and Sheldon Harnick's lyrics illuminated the fading world of East European Jewry, while Joseph Stein's book brought a humorous taste of Jewish comedy's borscht belt. Painter Marc Chagall's blend of Jewish traditionalism and artistic modernism inspired the show's memorable look. Zero Mostel played Tevye, and Beatrice Arthur, of Maude television fame, portrayed Yente the matchmaker.
The most recent revival arrived in 2015, when director Bartlett Sher enhanced the show's authenticity with the help of Israeli-born choreographer Hofesh Shechter. The New York Times praised the new production as "superb" while noting how it recaptured the foot-stomping, hand-waving energy of the original.?
Sher's revival, now on tour with Yehezkel Lazarov as Tevye and Maite Uzal as his wife Golde, is delighting audiences with celebratory songs like "Tradition," "If I Were a Rich Man," and "To Life (L'Chaim)," as well as beautiful melodies of love and loss such as "Sunrise, Sunset" and "Far From the Home I Love."
As part of a trend that began with The Sound of Music and The Wizard of Oz, Fiddler on the Roof fans are dressing up as Anatevkans and belting out tunes during screenings of the show's 1971 film adaptation. Their participatory zeal reflects the devotion the musical has inspired and the power of its music.
"What can we do?" asks Tevye of Golde during a moment of doubt. "It's a new world." One solution is to return to the source for cultural renewal. We may not experience the same problems as shtetl Jews in 1905 did, but Fiddler on the Roof assures us that almost any difficulty can be surmounted with great music and exuberant dancing.
My family and I attended the performance of Fiddler On The Roof the afternoon of Saturday, December 9, 2023. The show was absolutely phenomenal! The whole cast was truly amazing! Feel-good chills, laughs, tears and goosebumps throughout! We really loved this show! Every scene and song are so very enjoyable!!! Fiddler On The Roof is the Papermill Playhouse at its best and more!!! Simply and beautifully fabulous!!!
Great show overall! A little slow, but very good! We were in upper balcony, should’ve paid more to see it closer.
May 17, 2023 was the 5th time seeing Fiddler on the Roof. My first was seeing Zero Mostel in the NYC Broadway run. Fiddler remains one of my favorite musicals. It's truly a masterpiece, and it brings tears to my eyes and fills my heart every time I see it. I'll never ever miss an opportunity to see it again on stage. I even own the movie on blu ray.
Production was excellent. Tickets were overpriced and finding them on my phone was not the easy process it was supposed to be. Enjoyed the show and I’m glad I went. I won’t go again soon unless it’s something I love.
It was funny and times and poignant as well. The singers were excellent! All actors were so talented.
The cast was the best ever seen and heard in a Fresno theater showing. The acoustics were amazing for the Saroyan Theater. The cast was talented, energetic, and entertaining.
The show was perfect and so entertaining. I have never seen Fiddler done better than Monday night. The performers were amazing and played their rolls perfectly. Even better than the movie by far! Such enjoyable performance and evening!
I laughed, I cried, and everything in between. The cast was perfection.
We enjoyed the show very much!!! Highly recommended? The voices of the actors were on tune and beautiful! Dancing nice too!. Overall great show!
The cast of Fiddler was so good! The dancers were precise and very much in character. The singing was exceptional, especially the 3 sisters. The lead was fabulous and rewarded for his performance by the very enthusiastic Fresno crowd. The comments at the end were poignant. Fiddler has always been an important story that takes on even more impact today. Great night at the theater!
