Whether Jewish or Catholic, Japanese or East Indian, audiences worldwide have embraced the story of Fiddler on the Roof and relate to what happens in a family when children refuse to follow the customs nurtured by their parents. Fiddler wrestles with the consequence of cultural assimilation from one generation to the next. It honors our communal stories, our global history.

Fiddler on the Roof is based on the short story "Tevye and His Daughters" by Sholom Aleichem. He wrote the character of Tevye the Dairyman as an emotional link between the past and modern times. The stories of "Tevye the Milkman" appeared in many publications between the years 1905 and 1910 in eastern Europe and later in Yiddish publications in America. A series of short plays based on Aleichem's stories were developed in 1953 by Arnold Perl. One called "Tevye and His Daughters" inspired Joseph Stein to write the musical.

Set in 1905 in Tsarist Russia

Zero Mostel as Tevye in the Original Broadway Production

Fiddler was a pioneering musical when it debuted in 1964 not just for its focus on people in poverty but also for the way it dealt with serious historical issues. Initially, the show was criticized by the Broadway community for its "limited appeal." Yet when it opened at the Imperial Theatre on Sept. 22, 1964, it defied the odds and its critics to become a huge hit. Fiddler ran for 3,242 performances — the first show to break 3,000 on Broadway, a record it held for decades until Grease broke it in 1980.

The story centers on Tevye, a dairyman in the small village of Anatevka in pre-revolutionary Russia, and how he struggles to maintain his familial and religious traditions at a time of cultural and political upheaval. Tevye and his wife Golde hire Yente the Matchmaker to find husbands for their five daughters: Tzeitel, Hodel, Chava, Shprintze and Bielke. The three eldest daughters defy the matchmaking and one by one marry for love, moving farther away from the family and customs of their faith. A pogrom (violent riot) staged by order of the Tsar and increasing acts of anti-Semitism force Tevye and his neighbors to seek refuge in other countries, including America. Through it all, Tevye never loses his sense of humor or his ability to reason things out through one-sided conversations with God.

Rich, Melodic, Memorable Score

Original Cast Recording

The beautiful score by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick is filled with memorable tunes that have become standards in popular culture including "If I Were a Rich Man," "Matchmaker, Matchmaker," "Sunrise, Sunset" and "To Life." Not every song from the stage musical made it to the movie.  "Now I Have Everything" and "The Rumor" appear in the musical and not the movie.

"Miracle of Miracles" appears in both the movie and the musical. "Any Day Now" was originally recorded for the film, but cut before the film was released.

Actors Who Have Played Tevye

Harvey Fierstein in the Current Production

Zero Mostel originated the role. Others to take it on include Herschel Bernardi, Theodore Bikel, Alfie Bass, Chaim Topol (also starred in the 1971 film), and in the 21st century Alfred Molina then Harvey Fierstein in this Broadway revival.

According to Harvey Fierstein to play Tevye, "It takes everything you own as an actor." In preparation for the role of Tevye, Fierstein read the original Sholom Aleichem stories, on which Jospeh Stein based the libretto. He watched the 1971 movie and a 1919 silent film of the story, read the book on the making of Fiddler and watched a tape of Zero Mostel's performance.

Jerome Robbins' longtime agent Floria Lasky, who after his death went from production to production to ensure that things were done his way, came to see Harvey Fierstein's performance and pronounced him "the Tevye of today." She called the Lincoln Center Theatre library and arranged for his performance to taped. for their permanent collection. There are now only two Tevyes in the permanent collection:  Zero Mostel and Harvey Fierstein.

Who Knew?

Motel's Tailor Shop by Set Designer Boris Aronson, Inspired by Chagall

The name, Fiddler on the Roof, comes from a painting by Marc Chagall, the surrealistic artist who included a fiddler in his paintings on Eastern European Jewish life.

The original Broadway production of Fiddler on the Roof won nine Tony Awards, including Best Musical.
Best Producer: Hal Prince,
Best Leading Actor: Zero Mostel and Best Supporting Actress: Maria Karnilova,
Best Composer and Lyricist: Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick, Best Musical Author: Jospeh Stein, and
Best Costume Designer: Patricia Zipprodt.

In the 1964 Tony Award-winning production, Bea Arthur originated the role of Yente, Austin Pendleton was the first Motel, and Bert Convy was Perchik. During the original run, Bette Midler played Tzeitel, Adrienne Barbeau was Hodel and Pia Zadora played the youngest daughter Bielke.

The 1971 film starring Topol, won three academy awards, including one for conductor John Williams, the first of five Oscars in his prolific career.

Renowned violin virtuoso Isaac Stern played the violin solo for the Oscar-winning film soundtrack of "Fiddler on the Roof."

For details on the current production at the Golden Gate Theatre. To read more about Fiddler and Jerome Robbins. To listen to the Fiddler podcast with Harvey Fierstein, to hear the Fiddler introductory podcast.

Photo Credits: Top banner photo and production shot of Harvey Fierstein by Carol Rosegg. Zero Mostel by Eileen Darby, Motel's Tailor Shop by Chris J. Arthur. Cast recording courtesy of playbill.com.

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