Misplaced Pages

#712287

93-680: It was conceived in 1916 and founded in 1919 by Alexander Granowsky as the Jewish Theatre Workshop in St. Petersburg . Early productions were offered at Maly Theatre, a small, 80-seat space. On April 1, 1920, after the capital was changed to Moscow, the company was moved at the request of Anatoly Lunacharsky and became the Moscow State Jewish Theatre. Lunacharsky, the Soviet Minister of Enlightenment at

186-674: A Rich Man" in which he kicks several chickens off the roof. "The Rosie Show", a 1996 episode of The Nanny , parodied the dream scene, when Mr. Sheffield fakes a dream to convince Fran not to be a regular on a TV show. A 2011 episode of NBC's Community , entitled "Competitive Wine Tasting", included a parody titled Fiddla, Please! with an all-black cast dressed in Fiddler on the Roof costumes, singing "It's Hard to Be Jewish in Russia, Yo". Chabad.org kicked off their 2008 "To Life" telethon with

279-516: A car accident. Afterwards, Stalin's daughter, Svetlana , would attribute his murder directly to her father's paranoia of Zionist plots. After Mikhoels' death, Benjamin Zuskin took became the company's artistic director. Months later, Zuskin was arrested and the theatre received orders to shut down along with all other Yiddish theatre companies in the Soviet Union. In addition, all members of

372-611: A fiddler on a roof (" Tradition "). At Tevye's home, everyone is busy preparing for the Sabbath meal. His sharp-tongued wife, Golde, orders their daughters, Tzeitel, Hodel, Chava, Shprintze and Bielke, about their tasks. Yente, the village matchmaker , arrives to tell Golde that Lazar Wolf, the wealthy butcher, a widower older than Tevye, wants to wed Tzeitel, the eldest daughter. The next two daughters, Hodel and Chava, are excited about Yente's visit, but Tzeitel illustrates how it could have bad results (" Matchmaker, Matchmaker "). A girl from

465-543: A gala celebration and reunion was held at the Town Hall in New York City to benefit National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene , with appearances by many of the cast members of the various Broadway productions and the 1971 film, as well as Sheldon Harnick, Chita Rivera , Karen Ziemba , Joshua Bell , Jerry Zaks and others. The fifth Broadway revival began previews on November 20 and opened on December 20, 2015, at

558-590: A highly successful 1971 film adaptation and has enjoyed enduring international popularity. It has also been a popular choice for school and community productions. Fiddler on the Roof is based on Tevye (or Tevye the Dairyman ) and his Daughters , a series of stories by Sholem Aleichem that he wrote in Yiddish between 1894 and 1914 about Jewish life in a village in the Pale of Settlement of Imperial Russia at

651-522: A large living room that was converted into an auditorium consisting of 90 seats. The kitchen, which was directly adjacent to the new auditorium, was turned into a stage. The first and third floors were reserved for the actors and their families. The house-turned-theatre would later be named Chagall Hall after designer Marc Chagall . The design of the foyer, as well as decorations, sets, and costumes for its first production were done by Chagall. However, this would be Chagall's only collaboration with Granowsky, as

744-511: A limited run (53 performances) at Lincoln Center 's New York State Theater . It starred Herschel Bernardi as Tevye and Karnilova as Golde. Other cast members included Liz Larsen , Fyvush Finkel , Lawrence Leritz and Paul Lipson . Robbins directed and choreographed. The third Broadway revival opened on November 18, 1990, and ran for 241 performances at the George Gershwin Theatre . Topol starred as Tevye, and Marcia Lewis

837-463: A musical theatre and album parody called A Shoggoth on the Roof , which sets music from Fiddler to a story based on the works of H. P. Lovecraft . Spanish comedian and TV-host Jose Mota parodied "If I Were a Rich Man" with the song "Si no fuera rico" ("If I weren't a rich man") during his 2008 New Year's Eve special. References to the musical on television have included a 2005 episode of Gilmore Girls titled "Jews and Chinese Food", involving

930-711: A new director became GOSET . Granowsky's reputation rose quickly over the following years, as he became one of the most celebrated theatre directors in Europe . In 1925 Granowsky directed his first film, a silent , but concentrated his efforts on his stage work. After the Russian Revolution , and the Communist victory in the Russian Civil War , Granowsky continued to live in the country even though he felt himself culturally Western European . Granowsky

1023-425: A nightmare. Golde offers to interpret his dream, and Tevye "describes" it ("Tevye's Dream"). Golde's grandmother Tzeitel returns from the grave to bless the marriage of her namesake, but to Motel, not to Lazar Wolf. Lazar's formidable late wife, Fruma-Sarah (" frum " is a Yiddish word for a devout Jew), rises from her grave to warn, in graphic terms, of severe retribution if Tzeitel marries Lazar. The superstitious Golde

SECTION 10

#1732776798713

1116-400: A pastiche of the fiddle solo and bottle dance from the musical. Broadway references have included Spamalot , where a "Grail dance" sends up the "bottle dance" in Fiddler ' s wedding scene. In 2001, Chicago's Improv Olympic produced a well-received parody, "The Roof Is on Fiddler", that used most of the original book of the musical but replaced the songs with 1980s pop songs. In 2004

1209-463: A poor family must take whatever husband Yente brings, but Tzeitel wants to marry her childhood friend, Motel the tailor. Tevye is delivering milk, pulling the cart himself, as his horse is lame. He asks God: Whom would it hurt " If I Were a Rich Man "? The bookseller tells Tevye news from the outside world of pogroms and expulsions. A stranger, Perchik, hears their conversation and scolds them for doing nothing more than talk. The men dismiss Perchik as

1302-691: A positive enough light and requested they stick to productions retelling events similar to Bar Kochba. Shortly after, Boytre the Bandit 's author, Kulbak, was arrested, prosecuted in a trial for show, and executed. In October 1936, the Committee of Artistic Affairs informed Mikhoels that he must move away from Granowsky's style of "formalism" (defined as a "departure from reality") and limit the company's productions to realistic portrayals of Jewish history, Jewish folklore, or Soviet Jewry. During The Moscow Trials of 1936 to 1938, Mikhoels' daughter confessed that

1395-518: A production of the musical. A skit by The Electric Company is about a village fiddler with a fear of heights, so he is deemed "Fiddler on the Chair". In the Family Guy episode " When You Wish Upon a Weinstein " (2003), William Shatner is depicted as playing Tevye in a scene from Fiddler . The second episode of Muppets Tonight , in 1996, featured Garth Brooks doing a piece of "If I were

1488-457: A radical, but Tevye invites him home for the Sabbath meal and offers him food and a room in exchange for tutoring his two youngest daughters. Golde tells Tevye to meet Lazar after the Sabbath but does not tell him why, knowing that Tevye does not like Lazar. Worried that Yente will find her a husband soon, Tzeitel tells Motel to ask Tevye for her hand before the Sabbath dinner. Motel resists, as he

1581-467: A single dull moment. Unlike many theatre companies, GOSET preferred to train their own performers rather than hire actors and dancers who were already considered professionals. By educating their own, inexperienced actors, the company hoped to avoid performers with the melodramatic style common in other Yiddish theatre troupes. Vsevolod Meyerhold 's " biomechanics " was the preferred acting technique used by company members under Granowsky's direction. In

1674-600: A single of "Matchmaker", and jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery recorded the same tune for his album Movin' Wes . In 1999, Knitting Factory Records released Knitting on the Roof , a compilation CD featuring covers of Fiddler songs by indie and experimental bands such as the Residents , Negativland , and the Magnetic Fields . Indie rock band Bright Eyes recorded an adaptation of "Sunrise, Sunset" on their 2000 album Fevers and Mirrors . Allmusic gave

1767-413: Is afraid of Tevye's temper, and tradition says that a matchmaker must arrange marriages. Motel is also very poor and is saving up to buy a sewing machine before he approaches Tevye, to show that he can support a wife. The family gathers for the "Sabbath Prayer". After the Sabbath, Tevye meets Lazar for a drink at the village inn, assuming mistakenly that Lazar wants to buy his cow. Once the misunderstanding

1860-495: Is appalled that they are flouting tradition by making their own match, especially as Perchik is leaving. When he forbids the marriage, Perchik and Hodel inform him that they do not seek his permission, only his blessing. After more soul searching, Tevye relents – the world is changing, and he must change with it ("Tevye's Rebuttal"). He informs the young couple that he gives them his blessing and his permission. Tevye explains these events to an astonished Golde. "Love", he says, "it's

1953-597: Is cleared up, Tevye agrees to let Lazar marry Tzeitel – with a rich butcher, his daughter will never want for anything. All join in the celebration of Lazar's good fortune; even the Russian youths at the inn join in the celebration and show off their dancing skills (" To Life "). Outside the inn, Tevye happens upon the Russian Constable, who has jurisdiction over the Jews in the town. The Constable warns him that there

SECTION 20

#1732776798713

2046-548: Is determined to join him there. At the railway station, she explains to her father that her home is with her beloved, wherever he may be, although she will always love her family ("Far From the Home I Love"). Time passes. Motel has purchased a used sewing machine, and he and Tzeitel have had a baby. Chava finally gathers the courage to ask Tevye to allow her marriage to Fyedka. Again Tevye reaches deep into his soul, but marriage outside

2139-458: Is going to be a "little unofficial demonstration" in the coming weeks (a euphemism for a minor pogrom ). The Constable has sympathy for the Jewish community but is powerless to prevent the violence. The next morning, after Perchik's lessons with the younger sisters, Tevye's second daughter Hodel mocks Perchik's Marxist interpretation of a Bible story. He, in turn, criticizes her for hanging on to

2232-418: Is terrified, and she quickly counsels that Tzeitel must marry Motel. While returning from town, Tevye's third daughter, the bookish Chava, is teased and intimidated by some gentile youths. One, Fyedka, protects her, dismissing the others. He offers Chava the loan of a book, and a secret relationship begins. The wedding day of Tzeitel and Motel arrives, and all the Jews join the ceremony (" Sunrise, Sunset ") and

2325-538: Is the clear first choice among recordings of this musical, he also likes the Columbia Records studio cast album with Bernardi as Tevye; the film soundtrack, although he feels that the pace drags a bit; and some of the numerous foreign versions, including the Israeli, German and Japanese casts. As of 2020, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and producers Dan Jinks and Aaron Harnick were planning a new film adaptation of

2418-517: Is the perfect match for Tzeitel and that he and Tzeitel gave each other a pledge to marry. He promises that Tzeitel will not starve as his wife. Tevye is stunned and outraged at this breach of tradition, but impressed at the timid tailor's display of backbone. After some soul-searching ("Tevye's Monologue"), Tevye agrees to let them marry, but he worries about how to break the news to Golde. An overjoyed Motel celebrates with Tzeitel ("Miracle of Miracles"). In bed with Golde, Tevye pretends to be waking from

2511-494: The Broadway Theatre , with concept and choreography based on the original by Robbins. Bartlett Sher directed, and Hofesh Shechter choreographed. The cast starred Danny Burstein as Tevye, with Jessica Hecht as Golde, Alexandra Silber as Tzeitel, Adam Kantor as Motel, Ben Rappaport as Perchik, Samantha Massell as Hodel and Melanie Moore as Chava. Judy Kuhn replaced Hecht as Golde on November 22, 2016, for

2604-582: The Cameri Theatre in Tel Aviv for more than six years. It was directed by Moshe Kepten, choreographed by Dennis Courtney and starred Natan Datner. Un violon sur le toît was produced in French at Paris's théâtre Marigny from November 1969 to May 1970, resuming from September to January 1971 (a total of 292 performances) with Ivan Rebroff as Tevye and Maria Murano as Golde. Another adaptation

2697-651: The Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee (also formerly headed by Mikhoels) were arrested. Zuskin was one of at least thirteen prominent Soviet Yiddish artists executed on August 12, 1952 in the event known as " The Night of the Murdered Poets " ("Ночь казненных поэтов"). GOSET may be referred to today as the Moscow State Jewish Theatre, Moscow State Yiddish Theatre, State Yiddish Theatre, Yiddish Chamber Theatre, Yiddish Worker's Theatre, Jewish State Chamber Theatre, State Yiddish Chamber Theatre, or

2790-777: The London Palladium for two months and then on tour, again starring Topol, and directed and choreographed by Sammy Dallas Bayes, recreating the Robbins production. After a two-month tryout at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield , England, a London revival opened on May 19, 2007, at the Savoy Theatre starring Henry Goodman as Tevye, Beverley Klein as Golde, Alexandra Silber as Hodel, Damian Humbley as Perchik and Victor McGuire as Lazar Wolf. The production

2883-523: The Maccabees , were large-scale productions. The company's production of Boytre the Bandit in 1936 was a Robin Hood -like story written by Moshe Kulbak . The show celebrated the proletariat , and while praised by the press, it was condemned by Lazar Kaganovich , the most prominent Jewish figure in government. Kaganovich chided Mikhoels and the company members of GOSET for not portraying Jewish people in

Moscow State Jewish Theatre - Misplaced Pages Continue

2976-484: The Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York City, under the direction of Joel Grey , with a translation by Shraga Friedman that was first used in a 1965 Israeli production. The cast included Jackie Hoffman as Yente, Steven Skybell as Tevye, Daniel Kahn as Pertshik, Stephanie Lynne Mason as Hodel and Raquel Nobile as Shprintze. Previews began on July 4, and opening night was July 15, 2018. The production played through

3069-549: The Pale of Settlement of Imperial Russia in or around 1905. It is based on Tevye and his Daughters (or Tevye the Dairyman ) and other tales by Sholem Aleichem . The story centers on Tevye , a milkman in the village of Anatevka, who attempts to maintain his Jewish religious and cultural traditions as outside influences encroach upon his family's lives. He must cope with the strong-willed actions of his three older daughters who wish to marry for love; their choices of husbands are successively less palatable for Tevye. An edict of

3162-744: The Playhouse Theatre in the West End on March 21, 2019, with an official opening on March 27. Replacement players included Maria Friedman as Golde and Anita Dobson as Yente. The run closed on November 2, 2019. A production played at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre from July 27 to September 28, 2024, directed by Jordan Fein, starring Adam Dannheisser as Tevye, Lara Pulver as Golde, Liv Andrusier as Tzeitel, Georgia Bruce as Hodel, Hannah Bristow as Chava, Beverley Klein as Yente, Dan Wolff as Motel and Daniel Krikler as Perchik. The production

3255-504: The Uzbek people . The company returned to Moscow in late 1943. After World War II, the rise of antisemitism in Russia caused people once referred to as "Brother Jew" to be labeled " Rootless Cosmopolitan ", and members of government began to interpret Mikhoels' artistic choices as proof of Jewish nationalism. In January 1948, Mikhoels was murdered by the MVD , and his death was made to look like

3348-429: The grotesque were common staples of the company's performances in the 1920s. German critic Alfred Kerr wrote that Granowsky's productions were one of a kind and gave them high praise. Kerr, a reviewer with a "hard to please" reputation, found Granowsky's use of sound, movement, colour, music. and imagery to be both comedic and terrifying. The critic likened the performances to a humanity circus, noting they were without

3441-528: The tsar eventually evicts the Jews from their village. The original Broadway production of the show, which opened in 1964, had the first musical theatre run in history to surpass 3,000 performances. Fiddler held the record for the longest-running Broadway musical for almost 10 years until Grease surpassed its run. The production was extraordinarily profitable and highly acclaimed. It won nine Tony Awards , including best musical, score, book, direction and choreography. It spawned five Broadway revivals and

3534-433: The 1930s. In the late 1950s, a musical based on the stories, called Tevye and his Daughters , was produced off-Broadway by Arnold Perl . Rodgers and Hammerstein and then Mike Todd briefly considered bringing this musical to Broadway but dropped the idea. Investors and some in the media worried that Fiddler on the Roof might be considered "too Jewish" to attract mainstream audiences. Other critics considered that it

3627-711: The 1971 film adaptation, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award, and in several revivals over the next four decades. The show was revived in London for short seasons in 1983 at the Apollo Victoria Theatre and in 1994 at the London Palladium . The first Broadway revival opened on December 28, 1976, and ran for 176 performances at the Winter Garden Theatre . Zero Mostel starred as Tevye. Robbins directed and choreographed. A second Broadway revival opened on July 9, 1981, and played for

3720-534: The 2019 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revival of a Musical . The musical was an international hit, with early productions playing throughout Europe, in South America, Africa and Australia; 100 different productions were mounted in the former West Germany in the first three decades after the musical's premiere, and within five years after the collapse of the Berlin Wall , 23 productions were staged in

3813-482: The Jewish faith is a line he will not cross. He forbids Chava to speak to Fyedka again. When Golde brings news that Chava has eloped with Fyedka, Tevye wonders where he went wrong ("Chavaleh Sequence"). Chava returns and tries to reason with him, but he refuses to speak to her and tells the rest of the family to consider her dead. Meanwhile, rumors are spreading of the Russians expelling Jews from their villages. While

Moscow State Jewish Theatre - Misplaced Pages Continue

3906-456: The Roof )—and Avrom Goldfaden —such as Bar Kokhba . Under Mikhoels' direction, the company began to produce works by contemporary Soviet Yiddish writers, such as Shmuel Halkin , Perets Markish , and David Bergelson . Considered their most popular production, in 1935 the theatre produced William Shakespeare 's King Lear to great acclaim with Benjamin Zuskin playing the Fool and Mikhoels in

3999-527: The Roof': The Farewell Tour opened on January 20, 2009, in Wilmington, Delaware . Topol left the tour in November 2009 due to torn muscles. He was replaced by Harvey Fierstein and Theodore Bikel . The cast included Mary Stout, Susan Cella, Bill Nolte , Erik Liberman , Rena Strober, and Stephen Lee Anderson. National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene mounted a Yiddish adaptation, Fidler Afn Dakh , at

4092-515: The Yiddish Theatre-Studio. 55°45′34″N 37°35′52″E  /  55.75944°N 37.59778°E  / 55.75944; 37.59778 Alexis Granowsky Alexis Granowsky ( Russian : Алексей Михайлович Грановский , romanized :  Aleksey Mikhaylovich Granovsky ), born Abram Mikhaylovich Azarkh ( Russian : Абрам Михайлович Азарх ; 23 September [ O.S. 11 September] 1890 – 11 March 1937),

4185-424: The album a favorable review, and the online music magazine Pitchfork Media ranked it at number 170 on their list of top 200 albums of the 2000s. In 2005, Melbourne punk band Yidcore released a reworking of the entire show called Fiddling on Ya Roof . Gwen Stefani and Eve covered "If I Were a Rich Man" as " Rich Girl " for Stefani's 2004 debut solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. in 2004. The song

4278-545: The cast. The remastered CD includes two recordings not on the original album, the bottle dance from the wedding scene and "Rumor" performed by Beatrice Arthur . In 2020, the recording was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". Kenrick writes that while the original Broadway cast version

4371-408: The celebration ("The Wedding Dance"). Lazar gives a fine gift, but an argument arises with Tevye over the broken agreement. Perchik ends the tiff by breaking another tradition: he crosses the barrier between the men and women to dance with Tevye's daughter Hodel. The celebration ends abruptly when a group of Russians rides into the village to perform the "demonstration". They disrupt the party, damaging

4464-455: The committee that led to his blacklisting in the 1950s. ) Other cast members also had run-ins with Robbins, who reportedly "abused the cast, drove the designers crazy [and] strained the good nature of Hal Prince". Tevye, a poor Jewish milkman with five daughters, explains the customs of the Jews in the Russian shtetl of Anatevka in 1905, where their lives are as precarious as the perch of

4557-500: The company continuously endeavored to offer entertainment to keep the population of Moscow calm and give them an escape from hardships. In October 1941, GOSET was officially restructured by the Committee of Artistic Affairs and its planned productions were replaced by Soviet wartime propaganda pieces. After the evacuation of Moscow, most company members took refuge in Tashkent , Uzbekistan, where they continued to present performances to

4650-511: The company. Soon after the theatre's founding, GOSET had attracted Solomon Mikhoels , who eventually became the leading actor; after Granowsky defected to the West, Mikhoels took over as artistic director. The theatre's repertoire included adaptations of classic works by Sholem Asch , Mendele Mocher Sforim , Sholom Aleichem —such as Tevye the Milkman (also adopted in the West as Fiddler on

4743-486: The end of that year. It then transferred to Stage 42 , an off-Broadway theatre, with Skybell, Hoffman, Mason and Nobile reprising their roles. Previews began February 11, with opening night on February 21, 2019. Musical staging was by Staś Kmieć (based on the original choreography by Robbins), with set design by Beowulf Boritt , costumes by Ann Hould-Ward , sound by Dan Moses Schreier and lighting by Peter Kaczorowski . The production closed on January 5, 2020. It won

SECTION 50

#1732776798713

4836-530: The family lived in fear while witnessing the arrests of many friends and colleagues. Despite the uncertainty of government reactions in the late 1930s, Mikhoels found himself in a position to aid Stalin during World War II by organizing a Jewish resistance movement, the aim of which was to mobilize the world's Jewish population in the struggle against fascism . During the war, GOSET's performances were often interrupted by air-raid sirens that caused both performers and audiences to run for cover underground. Despite this,

4929-563: The fiddler, and Julia Migenes as Hodel. Mostel ad-libbed increasingly as the run went on, "which drove the authors up the wall". Joanna Merlin originated the role of Tzeitel, which was later assumed by Bette Midler during the original run. Carol Sawyer was Fruma Sarah, Adrienne Barbeau took a turn as Hodel, and Pia Zadora played the youngest daughter, Bielke. Both Peg Murray and Dolores Wilson made extended appearances as Golde, while other stage actors who have played Tevye include Herschel Bernardi , Theodore Bikel and Harry Goz (in

5022-534: The film version, the character of Yente is reduced, and Perchik's song to Hodel "Now I Have Everything" is cut and replaced by a scene in Kyiv. The "Chagall color palette" of the original Broadway production was exchanged for a grittier, more realistic depiction of the village of Anatevka. Theatre historian John Kenrick wrote that the original Broadway cast album released by RCA Victor in 1964, "shimmers – an essential recording in any show lover's collection", praising

5115-581: The former East Germany; and it was the longest-running musical ever seen in Tokyo. According to BroadwayWorld , the musical has been staged "in every metropolitan city in the world from Paris to Beijing." A Hebrew language staging was produced in Tel Aviv by the Israeli impresario Giora Godik in the 1960s. This version was so successful that in 1965 Godik produced a Yiddish version translated by Shraga Friedman. A 2008 Hebrew-language production ran at

5208-401: The highest-grossing film of 1971 . Fiddler received eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture , Best Director for Jewison, Best Actor in a Leading Role for Topol, and Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Leonard Frey (as Motel; in the original Broadway production, Frey was the rabbi's son). It won three, including best score/adaptation for arranger-conductor John Williams . In

5301-476: The last five weeks of the run. Designers include Michael Yeargan (sets), Catherine Zuber (costumes) and Donald Holder (lighting). Initial reviews were mostly positive, finding Burstein and the show touching. The production was nominated for three Tony Awards but won none. It closed on December 31, 2016, after 463 performances. The U.S./Canadian tour of the Sher-directed production began in 2018 and

5394-538: The lives of Tevye's descendants living in an assimilated 1970s suburban America. In the film Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), Robin Williams parodies "Matchmaker". In a 1994 Animaniacs parody, Pigeon on the Roof , the Goodfeathers decide to marry their girlfriends; song parodies include "Scorsese" ("Tradition"), "Egg Hatcher" ("Matchmaker") and others. In 2001, the H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society published

5487-431: The musical have been covered by notable artists. For example, in 1964, jazz saxophonist Cannonball Adderley recorded the album Fiddler on the Roof , which featured jazz arrangements of eight songs from the musical. In a retrospective review AllMusic awarded the album 4 stars, stating, "Cannonball plays near his peak; this is certainly the finest album by this particular sextet". That same year, Eydie Gormé released

5580-447: The musical, with Thomas Kail directing and co-producing, and Steven Levenson penning the screenplay. The musical's popularity has led to numerous references in popular media and elsewhere. A documentary film about the musical's history and legacy, Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles , was released in 2019. Parodies relating to the show have included Antenna on the Roof ( Mad magazine #156, January 1973), which speculated about

5673-497: The new style." Tevye asks Golde, despite their own arranged marriage, " Do You Love Me? " After dismissing Tevye's question as foolish, she eventually admits that, after 25 years of living and struggling together and raising five daughters, she does. Meanwhile, Yente tells Tzeitel that she saw Chava with Fyedka. News spreads quickly in Anatevka that Perchik has been arrested and exiled to Siberia ("The Rumor/I Just Heard"), and Hodel

SECTION 60

#1732776798713

5766-409: The old traditions of Judaism, noting that the world is changing. To illustrate this, he dances with her, defying the prohibition against opposite sexes dancing together. The two begin to fall in love. Later, a hungover Tevye announces that he has agreed that Tzeitel will marry Lazar Wolf. Golde is overjoyed, but Tzeitel is devastated and begs Tevye not to force her. Motel arrives and tells Tevye that he

5859-476: The original Broadway cast of the musical Avenue Q and the Broadway 2004 revival cast of Fiddler on the Roof collaborated for a Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS benefit and produced an approximately 10-minute-long show, "Avenue Jew", that incorporated characters from both shows, including puppets. The song "Sunrise, Sunset" appears in the direct-to-video animated Disney film " The Lion King 1½ ". Songs from

5952-642: The original Broadway production opened on September 22, 1964, at the Imperial Theatre , transferred in 1967 to the Majestic Theatre and in 1970 to the Broadway Theatre , and ran for a record-setting total of 3,242 performances. The production was directed and choreographed by Jerome Robbins – his last original Broadway staging. The set, designed in the style of Marc Chagall 's paintings, was by Boris Aronson . A colorful logo for

6045-431: The original Broadway run), and Leonard Nimoy . Mostel's understudy in the original production, Paul Lipson , went on to appear as Tevye in more performances than any other actor (until Chaim Topol ), clocking over 2,000 performances in the role in the original run and several revivals. Florence Stanley took over the role of Yente nine months into the run. The production earned $ 1,574 for every dollar invested in it. It

6138-530: The original set design. Contrary to popular belief, the "title of the musical does not refer to any specific painting". During rehearsals, one of the stars, Jewish actor Zero Mostel , feuded with Robbins, whom he held in contempt because Robbins had cooperated with the House Un-American Activities Committee and hid his Jewish heritage from the public. (Mostel, conversely, was admired for his confrontational testimony before

6231-452: The outdoor setting its focus on "the tradition of deflective Jewish humour" and an ending that invites "a broader reflection of displacement and refugee status". The original Australian production opened on June 16, 1967, at Her Majesty's Theatre in Sydney. It starred Hayes Gordon as Tevye and Brigid Lenihan as Golde. The production ran for two years. The first professional revival tour

6324-441: The planned production of Richard III . In 1929, in response to a rise in censorship imposed by the government, the company began offering works of Socialist Realism as expected; however, the artists placed Jewish subtext in each production by hiding it within allegory, symbols, and Jewish cultural archetypes. Works of Soviet realism were modestly funded, while works retelling historical Jewish achievements, such as Bar Kochba and

6417-459: The production, also inspired by Chagall's work, was designed by Tom Morrow . Chagall reportedly did not like the musical. The cast included Zero Mostel as Tevye the milkman, Maria Karnilova as his wife Golde (both won a Tony for their performances), Beatrice Arthur as Yente the matchmaker , Austin Pendleton as Motel, Bert Convy as Perchik the student revolutionary, Gino Conforti as

6510-511: The rest of his life. He produced and directed expensive prestige films The Adventures of King Pausole (1933) and Taras Bulba (1936). He had married a wealthy German woman, but they separated before his death. Despite his lavish lifestyle, Granowsky died comparatively poor. Fiddler on the Roof Fiddler on the Roof is a musical with music by Jerry Bock , lyrics by Sheldon Harnick , and book by Joseph Stein , set in

6603-529: The rest of the family when they have saved up enough money. As Tevye, Golde and their two youngest daughters leave the village for America, the fiddler begins to play. Tevye beckons with a nod, and the fiddler follows them out of the village. All of the characters are Jewish, except as noted: Following its tryout at Detroit's Fisher Theatre in July and August 1964, then Washington in August to September,

6696-517: The right balance for its time, even if not entirely authentic, to become "one of the first popular post-Holocaust depictions of the vanished world of Eastern European Jewry". Harold Prince replaced the original producer Fred Coe and brought in director/choreographer Jerome Robbins . The writers and Robbins considered naming the musical Tevye , before landing on a title suggested by various paintings by Marc Chagall ( Green Violinist (1924), Le Mort (1924), The Fiddler (1912)) that also inspired

6789-549: The summer of 1924 and offered a variety of short sketches called A Carnival of Jewish Comedy in addition to full-length productions, such as The Sorceress , 200,000 , and God of Vengeance . At the end of GOSET's European tour that took place throughout the majority of 1928, Granowsky chose to remain in Germany, never returning to the Soviet Union. The decision came after years of conflict with Russian authorities over artistic and financial decisions that Granowsky had made for

6882-511: The summertime, the company organized tours to the rural provinces where Yiddish theatre was actually more popular than in the larger cities. Shtetl residents looked forward to GOSET performances given near their small towns each year. Audience numbers averaged 1,250 per night on tour, as opposed to the nightly house average of less than 300 for performances in Moscow. One of the best documented tours visited Kiev , Gomel , Odessa , and Kharkov in

6975-539: The time, saw the company's potential to spread the Bolshevik message to the Jewish population of Russia and abroad. Once in Moscow, the company began utilizing a house which was confiscated from a Jewish merchant by the name of L. I. Gurevich who had decided to flee the city around the time of the Russian Revolution . The house, which was built in 1902, consisted of three floors. The second floor featured

7068-480: The title role of Lear. The international success of the production meant that Mikhoels had achieved one of the theatre company's founding goals: to make Yiddish a language of art for countries around the world. Many of the theatre's plays were ostensibly supportive of the Soviet state, but closer readings suggest they actually contained veiled critiques of Stalin 's regime, most notably the production of King Lear and

7161-524: The turn of the 20th century. The stories are based on Aleichem's own upbringing near Kyiv (fictionalized as Yehupetz ). It is also influenced by Life is with People , by Mark Zborowski and Elizabeth Herzog. Aleichem wrote a dramatic adaptation of the stories that he left unfinished at his death, but which was produced in Yiddish in 1919 by the Yiddish Art Theater and made into a film in

7254-492: The two could not get along. January 1, 1921 was the date of GOSET's first performance in Moscow, a production called An Evening of Sholom Aleichem . A year later, the company relocated to a substantially larger auditorium on Malya-Bronnaya Street capable of seating 500 people. Granowsky was heavily influenced by the avant-garde trends of Europe and many of the company's early productions were examples of an expressionistic style. Archetypes, masks, heavy makeup, Cubism , and

7347-650: The villagers are gathered, the Constable arrives to tell everyone that they have three days to pack up and leave the town. In shock, they reminisce about "Anatevka" and how hard it will be to leave what has been their home for so long. As the Jews leave Anatevka, Chava and Fyedka stop to tell her family that they are also leaving for Kraków , unwilling to remain among the people who could do such things to others. Tevye still will not talk to her, but when Tzeitel says goodbye to Chava, Tevye prompts her to add "God be with you." Motel and Tzeitel go to Poland as well but will join

7440-419: The wedding gifts and wounding Perchik, who attempts to fight back, and wreak more destruction in the village. Tevye instructs his family to clean up the mess. Months later, Perchik tells Hodel he must return to Kyiv to work for the revolution . He proposes marriage, admitting that he loves her, and says that he will send for her. She agrees ("Now I Have Everything"). They tell Tevye that they are engaged, and he

7533-408: Was Golde. Barbara Barrie and later Nancy Opel played Yente, Laura Michelle Kelly played Hodel and Lea Michele played Sprintze. It was directed by David Leveaux . This production replaced Yente's song "The Rumor" with a song for Yente and two other women called "Topsy-Turvy". The production was nominated for six Tonys but did not win any. In June 2014, to celebrate the show's 50th anniversary,

7626-539: Was Golde. Robbins' production was reproduced by Ruth Mitchell and choreographer Sammy Dallas Bayes. The production won the Tony Award for Best Revival. A fourth Broadway revival opened on February 26, 2004, and ran for 36 previews and 781 performances at the Minskoff Theatre . Alfred Molina , and later Harvey Fierstein , starred as Tevye, and Randy Graff , and later Andrea Martin and Rosie O'Donnell ,

7719-552: Was a Russian theatre director who later became a film director . Alexis Granowsky was born as Abraham Azarkh into a Jewish family in Moscow . After studying in St. Petersburg , he went to Munich where he gained valuable theatre experience working under Max Reinhardt . He served in the Russian army during the First World War before in 1919 he set up his own Jewish -orientated theatre in St. Petersburg , which under

7812-1069: Was designed by Tom Scutt and choreographed by Julia Cheng. A 2003 national tour played for seven months, with a radical design, directed by Julian Woolford and choreographed by Chris Hocking. The production's minimalist set and costumes were monochromatic, and Fruma-Sarah was represented by a 12-foot puppet. This production was revived in 2008 starring Joe McGann . The show toured the UK again in 2013 and 2014 starring Paul Michael Glaser as Tevye with direction and choreography by Craig Revel Horwood . A revival played at Chichester Festival Theatre from July 10 to September 2, 2017, directed by Daniel Evans and starring Omid Djalili as Tevye and Tracy-Ann Oberman as Golde. A production at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre ran from July 27 to 28 September 28, 2024, directed by Jordan Fein and starring Adam Dannheisser as Tevye. A review by Mark Lawson in The Guardian gave it five stars out of five and praised its use of

7905-476: Was directed by Lindsay Posner. Robbins' choreography was recreated by Sammy Dallas Bayes (who did the same for the 1990 Broadway revival), with additional choreography by Kate Flatt. A revival played at the Menier Chocolate Factory from November 23, 2018, until March 9, 2019, directed by Trevor Nunn and starring Andy Nyman as Tevye and Judy Kuhn as Golde. The production transferred to

7998-577: Was given a touring production in 2004, with Moni Ovadia as Tevye and director; it opened at Teatro Municipale Valli in Reggio Emilia . The musical receives about 500 amateur productions a year in the US alone. A film version was released by United Artists in 1971, directed and produced by Norman Jewison , and Stein adapted his own book for the screenplay. Chaim Topol starred. The film received mostly positive reviews from film critics and became

8091-564: Was initially feted by the Soviet authorities and was awarded a number of honours but he began to find their cultural policies increasingly restrictive, and emigrated to the Weimar Republic in the late 1920s. In Germany Granowsky worked on some theatre productions, but increasingly moved into film. He collaborated with a number of other Russian exiles such as Léo Lania who shared his left-wing political views. He directed two German films, before emigrating to Paris where he lived for

8184-680: Was inspired by the 1993 British Louchie Lou & Michie One ragga version of the same name. Stefani's version reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, where it remained for over six months. It was certified gold by the RIAA and nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration . It was also covered in 2008 and 2009 by the Capitol Steps , poking fun at Illinois politics, especially then-Governor Rod Blagojevich . The Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps performs

8277-529: Was interrupted in March 2020 by the COVID-19 pandemic; it resumed in 2021 and continued into 2023. The role of Tevye has been played by Yehezkel Lazarov into 2022, Danny Arnold then assumed the role for several months, and the last months are being played by Jonathan Hashmonay. Fiddler was first revived in London in 1983 at the Apollo Victoria Theatre (a four-month season starring Topol) and again in 1994 at

8370-504: Was nominated for ten Tony Awards , winning nine, including Best Musical, score, book, direction and choreography, and acting awards for Mostel and Karnilova. The original London West End production opened on February 16, 1967, at Her Majesty's Theatre and played for 2,030 performances. It starred Topol as Tevye, a role he had previously played in Tel Aviv, and Miriam Karlin as Golde. Alfie Bass , Lex Goudsmit and Barry Martin eventually took over as Tevye. Topol later played Tevye in

8463-551: Was produced in 2005 at the théâtre Comédia in Paris with Franck Vincent as Tevye and Isabelle Ferron as Golde. The Stratford Shakespeare Festival produced the musical from April to October 2013 at the Festival Theatre directed and choreographed by Donna Feore. It starred Scott Wentworth as Tevye. An Italian version, Il violinista sul tetto , with lyrics sung in Yiddish and the orchestra on stage also serving as chorus,

8556-644: Was staged by the Australian Opera in 1984 with Gordon again playing Tevye. A young Anthony Warlow played Fyedka. In 1998, 2005, 2006 and 2007, Topol recreated his role as Tevye in Australian productions, with seasons in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Wellington and Auckland. The musical was again revived in Melbourne and Sydney in 2015–2016 with Anthony Warlow as Tevye, Sigrid Thornton as Golde and Lior as Motel. Topol in 'Fiddler on

8649-535: Was too culturally sanitized, " middlebrow " and superficial; Philip Roth , writing in The New Yorker , called it shtetl kitsch . For example, it portrays the local Russian officer as sympathetic, instead of brutal and cruel, as Sholom Aleichem had described him. Aleichem's stories ended with Tevye alone, his wife dead and his daughters scattered; at the end of Fiddler , the family members are alive, and most are emigrating together to America. The show found

#712287