Guide Note

Fiddler on the Roof is a musical set in 1905 Tsarist Russia that centers on the story of Tevye, the local milkman, his five daughters, and his attempt to maintain his religious and family traditions in a rapidly changing world. As Tevye says in the introduction, the Jews have relied upon tradition to maintain the stability of their way of life for centuries; but as times change, the stability of his world is being shattered on a small scale by the strong-willed actions of Tevye's daughters, and on a large scale by pogroms and revolution in Russia. He learns to cope with his daughters' wishes to marry men not chosen in the traditional way by the matchmaker, each one's choice for a husband moving progressively further from established customs. The final scene shows the family evicted from their village due to the edict of the Tsar.

Fast Facts

1. Music: Jerry Bock
2. Lyrics: Sheldon Harnick
3. Book: Joseph Stein
4. Based on Tevye and his Daughters written in Yiddish by Sholom Aleichem and published in 1894
5. Originally entitled Tevye
6. First Broadway musical to surpass the 3,000 performance mark
7. Original production earned $1,574 for every dollar invested
8. Nominated for ten Tony Awards, winning nine, including Best Musical, score, book, direction and choreography

Productions

1964: Broadway production: Opened September 22, 1964 at the Imperial Theater, transferring in 1967 to the Majestic Theater and in 1970 to The Broadway Theater, and ran for a record-setting total of 3,242 performances. It was the last Broadway staging by director and choreographer Jerome Robbins and starring:

1. Zero Mostel as Tevye the milkman (role later assumed by Herschel Bernardi, Theodore Bikel, and Leonard Nimoy)
2. Maria Karnilova as his wife Golde
3. Beatrice Arthur as Yente, the matchmaker
4. Austin Pendleton as Motel, the tailor
5. Bert Convy as Perchik, the student revolutionary
6. Gino Conforti as the fiddler
7. Julia Migenes as Hodel (role later assumed by Adrienne Barbeau
8. Joanna Merlin as Tzeitel (role later assumed by Bette Midler
9. Pia Zadora as Bielke

1967: London production opened on February 16, 1967 at Her Majesty's Theatre and played for 2,030 performances. It starred Chaim Topol, who would also play Tevye in the 1971 film adaptation and the 1990 Broadway revival

1976: Broadway revival opened on December 28, 1976 and ran for 176 performances at the Winter Garden Theater. Zero Mostel starred as Tevye. Jerome Robbins directed and choreographed

1981: Broadway revival opened on July 9, 1981 and ran for 53 performances at Lincoln Center's New York State Theater starring Herschel Bernardi as Tevye. Jerome Robbins directed and choreographed.

1983: Opened at London's Apollo Victoria Theatrefor four months, starring Topol

1990: Broadway revival opened on November 18, 1990 and ran for 241 performances at the George Gershwin Theater]]. Topol starred as Tevye. The production won the Tony Award for Best Revival.

1994: Opened at the London Palladium for two months and then on tour, starring Topol

2003: UK tour

2004: Broadway revival opened on February 26, 2004 and ran for 36 previews and 781 performances at the Minskoff Theater. Alfred Molina, and later Harvey Fierstein, starred as Tevye; and Rosie O'Donnell, was Golde for a time. The production was nominated for six Tonys.

2007: London revival opened on May 19, 2007 through February 16, 2008 at the Savoy Theatre starring Henry Goodman as Tevye, Beverley Klein as Golde, Alexandra Silber as Hodel, Damian Humbley as Perchik, Victor McGuire as Lazar Wolf and Julie Legrand as Yente.

2008: UK tour

Film Adaptation

The 1971 film follows the original production very closely. It was recorded at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, England, with the exterior shots filmed in Croatia. The film won three Academy Awards, including one for arranger-conductor John Williams. The film starred:

1. Chaim Topol as Tevye
2. Norma Crane as Golde
3. Leonard Frey as Motel Kamzoil
4. Molly Picon as Yente
5. Paul Mann as Lazar Wolf
6. Rosalind Harris as Tzeitel
7. Michele Marsh as Hodel
8. Neva Small as Chava
9. Paul Michael Glaser as Perchik
10. Ray Lovelock as Fyedka
11. Elaine Edwards as Shprintze
12. Candy Bonstein as Bielke
13. Shimen Ruskin as Mordcha
14. Zvee Scooler as Rabbi
15. Louis Zorich as Constable
16. Tutte Lemkow as the Fiddler (playing dubbed by Isaac Stern)