Fiddler on the Roof

Fiddler on the Roof is a well-known Broadway musical that first opened on September 22, 1964, with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and libretto by Joseph Stein. It was later made into a successful movie musical. The original Broadway cast included Zero Mostel as the protagonist Tevye the Milkman, Maria Karnilova as his wife Golde, Beatrice Arthur as Yente the Matchmaker, and Bert Convy as Perchik the student revolutionary.

Originally entitled simply Tevye, the musical is based on Tevye and his Daughters, or Tevye the Milkman originally published by the Russian Jewish author Sholom Aleichem in 1894.

Chaim Topol would play Tevye in later productions; he also starred in the successful 1971 film adaptation by Norman Jewison. Other stage actors to have played Tevye include Alfie Bass, Herschel Bernardi, Theodore Bikel, Leonard Nimoy, Harvey Fierstein and Alfred Molina.

A version of Fiddler on the Roof was created by Joseph Stein called Fiddler on the Roof, Jr. for middle to elementary schools. This version cuts out a few of the scenes, including the dream sequence.

Story

The play is set in the small Jewish shtetl (town) of Anatevka in Tsarist Russia in 1905.

The story centers on Tevye, the father of five daughters, and his attempts to maintain his family and religious traditions while the world and civilization around the shtetl change rapidly. These changes manifest themselves chiefly in the strong-willed actions of Tevye's eldest three daughters — each daughter's choice of husband moves progressively further and further away from established village custom.

The play's title stems from a painting by Marc Chagall, one of many surreal paintings he created of Eastern European Jewish life. The Fiddler is a metaphor of survival, through tradition and joyfulness. In the 1971 film adaptation, the violin music was played by Isaac Stern.

The show begins with a lone fiddler standing on a roof playing a tune, as Tevye tells the audience about the customs of his people and their lives in the village of Anatevka. He equates life in Anatevka with being a "fiddler on a roof": trying to scratch out a simple, pleasant tune without breaking his neck. "How do we keep our balance?" he asks. "That I can tell you in one word: Tradition!."

At Tevye's home, everyone is busy preparing for the Sabbath meal. Golde, the matriarch, is ordering the five daughters about, when Bielke and Sprintze, the youngest daughters, spot Yente, the matchmaker, on her way to their house. Yente tells Golde that Lazar Wolf, the town's wealthy butcher, and older than Tevye, wants to marry Tzeitel, the eldest daughter, but Tevye must first meet Lazar and arrange the deal. Yente leaves, asking Golde to tell her how it goes.

The two middle daughters, Hodel and Chava, talk about their excitement over an arranged marriage, but Tzeitel warns them not be so hasty because they are so poor, that they will probably have no choice but to take whatever husband Yente brings, whether they like him or not. The three then sing Matchmaker, Matchmaker.

Tevye is late arriving home because his horse has broken his foot (a running joke of the play, as the horse never actually appears, although the play takes place over the course of a year). He prays to God and asks him why He could not have made Tevye a rich man. He finds no shame in being poor, but complains that there's no great honour in it either. He imagines how life could be if he had been "blessed with small...fortune". (If I Were a Rich Man)

The men of the village confront Tevye, as he is late delivering their milk and cheese. Avram, the bookseller, has news from the outside world and tells them of pogroms and expulsions. A student from Kiev, Perchik, overhears them and scolds them for doing nothing more than talk. Significantly, Perchik, alone among the men, is clean-shaven; he wears more modern clothing and no tallit katan, the traditional four-cornered garment with tzitzit. The men dismiss Perchik as a radical, but Tevye takes a liking to him and invites him home, offering him room and board in exchange for tutoring his daughters.

The two arrive home to meet the family. Motel Kamzoil, a tailor, who has been friends with Tzeitel since childhood, arrives. Golde tells Tevye to meet Lazar after the Sabbath, she does not tell him what it is about because she knows Tevye does not like Lazar at all, but Lazar is wealthy. Tzeitel tells Motel that he must talk to Tevye that night and ask for his daughter's hand in marriage immediately. This is against tradition, as a matchmaker normally arranges marriages - and Motel is just a poor tailor, so the odds are very unlikely that Tevye will accept. Motel fails to gather the courage to ask, and he runs out of time as everyone settles in for the beginning of the Sabbath meal. (Sabbath Prayer)

After Sabbath, Tevye goes to meet Lazar at Mordcha's inn, where many of the villagers are drinking merrily. After a mistunderstanding about a milk cow, Tevye agrees to let Lazar marry Tzeitel. All of the patrons of the inn, including a group of well-meaning Russians, join in the festivities and everyone celebrates Lazar's good fortune, with the song To Life.

Outside of the inn, a drunken Tevye meets the Russian Constable, who has been assigned to watch over the Jews in the town. He explains to Tevye that there is going to be a "demonstration" in the coming weeks (a euphemism for pogrom). Tevye is distraught, but the Constable says he is powerless to stop it, and that he expects that no one will actually be hurt. This marks the first of an oft-repeated dialogue between Tevye and the Constable. The Constable will come to them with bad news, but since he is their friend and can only do what the Russian government orders him to, he says 'you understand'. Tevye replies respectfuly every time, but with increasing sarcasm with each repetition, 'of course, we understand'. After the Constable leaves, Tevye meets the fiddler and dances home with him.

The next morning, a hungover Tevye delivers the news to Tzeitel and the family that she will be marrying Lazar Wolf. Golde is overjoyed, but Tzeitel is horrified and pleads with Tevye not to make her marry Lazar, for she would be unhappy for the rest of her life. Tevye relents and allows Motel, the tailor, to marry Tzeitel.(Tevye's Monologue) Tevye leaves the happy couple and has a frightening thought: how will he break the news to Golde? An overjoyed Motel celebrates with Tzeitel. (Miracle of Miracles)

At first unsure how to break the news to his wife Golde, Tevye concocts a dream in which Golde's departed Grandmother Tzeitel returns from the grave to bless the marriage of Tzeitel and Motel, not Lazar. In the same dream, Lazar's late wife, Fruma Sarah, warns of severe retribution should Tzeitel marry her husband-in-life Lazar. Golde is so frightened that she agrees that Tzeitel will marry Motel. (Tevye's Dream)

Later, while walking home, Chava is shown being intimidated by some local Russians, until Fyedka, a handsome blond Russian, tells the others to move on. He lets Chava borrow a book, and a secret relationship begins.

The wedding day for Tzeitel and Motel arrives and everyone joins to celebrate. Tevye and Golde marvel at how the two children have grown. Hodel and Perchik ponder whether they will ever be wed. (Sunrise, Sunset)

At the reception, there is much dancing and celebration. (The Wedding Dance) Lazar causes a scene, angry and convinced that it should have been his wedding. Perchik finally ends the fighting by breaking yet another tradition: he crosses the barrier between the men and women and dances with Tevye's daughter Hodel. To save face, Tevye grabs Golde to dance with him and Motel grabs Tzeitel. Soon, everyone, including the Rabbi, is dancing. ("Wedding Dance II") The dance is abruptly stopped by the Constable who says that this is the night for the "demonstration." He apologizes but lets in a mob who destroy almost everything at the wedding and wound Perchik, who attempts to fight back. After they leave, Tevye wearily tells everyone to clean up.

As Act II opens, Tevye prays to God about the events at the wedding. He calls it "quite the dowry." He asks God that if He has the time, to give Motel his new sewing machine to help his struggling business; "Motel is excited about this new sewing machine he is working on. If you had the time, couldn't you, perhaps, get it for him?" Tevye admits that despite their poverty, Motel and Tzeitel are very happy.

Perchik tells Hodel he must return to Kiev to foment the revolution. He explains that the violence at the wedding was not an isolated incident and that it will happen again. Perchik, and others like him, are gathering to stand against the Czar of Russia. Hodel does not like it that Perchik is leaving. He asks if they can be engaged, for he loves her and wants her to know that even though they are apart, he will always be hers. She agrees. (Now I Have Everything)

Tevye is not so agreeable to this news. At first, he will not allow Perchik to be engaged to Hodel, because the first thing he's doing is abandoning her. When he forbids them, they inform him they aren't asking for his permission, only his blessing. This shocks him since this is once again another tradition being broken, but he finally relents. (Tevye's Rebuttal)

Tevye explains these events to Golde, who is not happy with the news either. He says they are powerless to stop it, though, this breaking of tradition. "Love", he says, "it's the new style". Tevye then wonders whether Golde loves him. Golde is at first unwilling to answer as she thinks it is irrelevant at this time with all of her daughters getting married off without her consent and because it's kind of pointless after 25 years of marriage anyway. Tevye explains that even though theirs was an arranged marriage, his parents said they would soon learn to love each other. (Do You Love Me?) At the end of the song, they recognize their love for each other.

News spreads quickly in Anatevka. (The Rumor) Hodel receives word that Perchik has been arrested and exiled to Siberia, and she decides to join him there. Tevye is saddened by this; Hodel explains that her home is no longer with her family but rather with her beloved wherever he may be, yet she will always love her family. It is a difficult decision. (Far from the Home I Love)

Weeks pass. Soon the entire village is buzzing with the news: there is a new arrival at Motel and Tzeitel's. A crowd gathers at Motel's tailor shop to congratulate the couple on the latest addition to the family: a sewing machine. After a quick blessing from the rabbi, a distressed Fyedka enters to pick up a shirt. He exits the shop to speak with Chava, who promises to tell her father of their secret: they have been seeing each other and wish to be married. Tevye enters, sees them together and receives an awkward handshake from Fyedka as he leaves. She finally gathers the courage to ask Tevye to allow the marriage, but this is a line that Tevye will not cross. He will not allow Chava to marry outside of the faith. Chava disobeys and elopes with Fyedka before running off. Tevye wonders where he went wrong. (Chava Sequence)

When Chava asks Tevye to accept the marriage, Tevye struggles with his conscience in the climactic frozen-time sequence — "on the one hand… on the other hand… on the other hand" — until he realizes that "there is no other hand." He turns his back on Chava in favor of his faith.

Meanwhile, rumors are spreading throughout Anatevka of Russians forcing villagers to leave their homes. Several members of the town gather at Tevye's home. The meeting is disrupted by the entrance of the Constable who tells everyone they have three days to pack everything and leave the town. After they recover from the shock, they sing about how miserable their town was, but about how it is still their home. (Anatevka)

And so the Jews of Anatevka leave. Lazar Wolf is going to Chicago to live with his brother-in-law. Tzeitel and Motel are going to Warsaw until they can come to America to live with Tevye and his family, who are all going to live with Uncle Avram in New York. Hodel is still in Siberia with Perchik. Chava and Fyedka are going to Krakow to escape the troubles of the world. Yente is going to the Promised Land (Israel, then part of the Ottoman Empire) to arrange matches there.

Chava returns with Fyedka one last time during the exodus. Though he does not speak directly to her, Tevye tells Tzeitel, as Chava is leaving, that he hopes "God will be with them."

[In both the original theatre ending and the movie, everyone says their good-byes and the Fiddler is invited to go along with Tevye. In the 2004 revival the audience sees the shadow of the fiddler in the village, left behind. A child then runs up to the figure and the older man hands him the fiddle.]

• The revival also features a song sung by Yente and some women of the village entitled "Topsy Turvy," discussing the disappearing role of the matchmaker in society.
• The 2004 revival also features a third reprise chorus of Tradition after Tevye sings Chavaleh and then rejects his daughter's marriage to Fyedka. Tevye declares that she is dead to him and walks away, as the chorus swells and Chava is carried in as the ensemble chorus marching across the stage.

Songs

Act I

1. Tradition — Tevye and the Company
2. Matchmaker, Matchmaker — Tzeitel, Hodel, and Chava (sometimes, Tevye's youngest two daughters are also included in the chorus of the number)
3. If I Were a Rich Man — Tevye
4. Sabbath Prayer — Tevye, Golde, and the Company
5. To Life — Tevye, Lazar Wolf, and the Company
6. Tevye's Monolgue — Tevye
7. Miracle of Miracles — Motel, Tzeitel
8. Tevye's Dream — Tevye, Golde, Grandma Tzeitel, Fruma Sarah, and the Company
9. Sunrise, Sunset — Tevye, Golde, Perchik, Hodel, and the Company
10. The Bottle Dance — Instrumental, but four (though the number can be up to seven) dancers will balance bottles on their head as they perform a balancing act and dance

Act II

1. Now I Have Everything — Perchik and Hodel
2. Tevye's Rebuttal — Tevye
3. Do You Love Me? — Tevye and Golde
4. The Rumor — Yente and Avram
5. Far From the Home I Love — Hodel
6. Yente — Yente and the Women
7. Little Chaveleh — Tevye, while Golde and the three daughters and their husbands traditionally dance in the background
8. Anatevka — The Company

The best-known songs from the tuneful but unconventional score are "If I Were A Rich Man", "Sunrise, Sunset" and "Matchmaker, Matchmaker". In 1993, British reggae duo, Louchie Lou And Michie One released a reggae adaptation of "If I Were A Rich Man" entitled "Rich Girl", which became a dancehall hit in America and was popular across Europe. In November 1999, Knitting Factory Records released the Knitting On The Roof compilation CD, featuring covers of Fiddler songs by alternative bands such as The Residents, Negativland, and The Magnetic Fields. In late 2004, Gwen Stefani released a hit song called "Rich Girl" which was based on Louchie Lou And Michie One's earlier single. Indie rock band Bright Eyes recorded an adaptation of Sunrise, Sunset on their 2000 album Fevers and Mirrors. In 2005, Melbourne punk band Yidcore released a reworking of the entire show called Fiddling On Ya Roof.

Awards

The Broadway production won nine Tony Awards:

• Best Musical
• Composer and lyricist: Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick
• Leading actor: Zero Mostel
• Featured actress: Maria Karnilova
• Author: Joseph Stein
• Producer: Harold Prince
• Director: Jerome Robbins
• Choreographer: Jerome Robbins
• Costume designer: Patricia Zipprodt

Instrumentation

The usual instrumentation for Fiddler on the Roof is:

• Reeds
  • Reed I Piccolo and Flute
  • Reed II Clarinet
  • Reed III Clarinet and Bass Clarinet
  • Reed VI Bassoon
  • Reed V Oboe/English horn

• Horns
  • Horn in F
  • Trumpet I, II, III
  • Trombone

• Strings
  • Violins I - VI
  • Cellos I, II
  • Double Bass

• Other
  • Accordion
  • Guitar
  • Piano
  • Percussion

Film version

Main article: Fiddler on the Roof (film)

It has been suggested that Fiddler on the Roof (film) be merged into this article or section. (Discuss)

The film won three Academy Awards, including one for arranger-conductor John Williams.

Recording was done at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, England. Most of the exterior shots were done at Gorica, Lekenik, Mala, and Zagreb, all in Croatia.

Trivia and references

• The H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society published a parody of "Fiddler on the Roof", called "A Shoggoth on the Roof", which incorporates the works of H. P. Lovecraft. Defiant Theatre in Chicago announced it as part of their subscription series, but attempts to stage the show were met with legal challenges from the creators of "Fiddler on the Roof". A more successful attempt to stage the parody, translated into Swedish, was made by the Swedish amateur theatrical company Teater Tentakel. "A Shoggoth on the Roof" (sw. "En shoggoth på taket") was played three nights in a row during a Lovecraft convention called MiskatoniCon in 2005. It was a huge hit. "A Shoggoth on the Roof" was finally performed in English at Leprecon, the Trinity College, Dublin Gamers society convention, on the 23rd and 25th February 2007, but now with a new original musical score.
• A novelty rap act, Two Live Jews recorded an album entitled "Fiddling With Tradition" in 1991 which featured rap interpretations of the musical's numbers, often incorporating the original choruses.
• A CD produced by New York jazz club, titled Knitting on the Roof, contained reinterpretations of the score, many pushed so far stylisticly and lyrically that they could be considered parody. For example "Matchmaker" as reinterpreted by The Residents tells an entirely new tale similar to "The Little Match Girl."
• The Broadway cast of the smash hit "Avenue Q, and the Broadway cast of "Fiddler on the Roof" got together for an AIDS benefit and produced an approximately 5-minute long show called "Avenue Jew" that incorporated both puppets and actors.
• Guards can be heard humming "If I Were A Rich Man" on the Defense Ministry level of the video game Splinter Cell.
• In the Red Dwarf episode "Timeslides," Arnold Rimmer sings "If I Were a Rich Man" when he thinks he's altered history to make himself wealthy.
• On an episode of Seinfeld, George Costanza starts whistling "If I Were A Rich Man" when he is stuck in a limo with Neo-Nazis.
• In an episode of Will & Grace, Will says "Don't do Fiddler with me" when Grace returns his question of "Do you love him?" with "Do I what?", regarding Grace's then-boyfriend played by Woody Harrelson.
• In the wedding scene of Addams Family Values, "Sunrise, Sunset" is played in a funeral dirge style as the bride walks down the aisle.
• Gwen Stefani's song "Rich Girl" is based on "If I Were a Rich Man".
• The Bright Eyes song "Sunrise, Sunset" takes both its title and its melody from the song of the same title in Fiddler.
• In the The Lion King 1½ when Simba is growing up "Sunrise, Sunset" is played.
• Coincidentally, in Mrs. Doubtfire, Harvey Fierstein (who would later go on to star as Tevye on Broadway) and Robin Williams sing lines from "Matchmaker" as they make a mask for Williams' character.
• In Full House when it's the first day of school for Stephanie, Joey and Jesse sing, "Sunrise Sunset" as they exit.
• Zero Mostel, the original Tevye on Broadway, was outraged when Norman Jewison chose Israeli actor Chaim Topol to play Tevye in the movie version of "Fiddler." A few years later, when Zero's son, Josh Mostel, was given the role of King Herod in Jewison's movie version of Jesus Christ Superstar, Zero Mostel screamed at Josh, "Tell him to go hire Topol's son!"
• The commonly used phrase, "A fish and a bird may fall in love, but where will they make their home?" is from this play.
• An episode of The Electric Company, a children's show from the 1970s, featured a performance of "Fiddler on the Chair."
• Paul Jennings' story Piddler on the Roof is a pun on the movie's name.
• In the Friends episode The One With The Holiday Armadillo, in which Ross tries to teach his son about the Jewish holiday Hanukkah, "Tradition" is played during the last scene.
• In the Simpsons Episode Bart's Girlfriend, when Homer is musing over Bart's first date, he begins to sing 'Sunrise Sunset' (which quickly turns into "Cat's in the Cradle", and then "We have no bananas").
• In The Nanny, two refferences to "Fiddler" are made. The first was a direct quotation from the film, while in another Fran Fine is only able to calm her mother by singing part of "Sunrise, Sunset" while wearing a hankerchief opon her head.
• The Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps often performs music from Fiddler on the Roof, and the Bottle Dance has become one of the songs connected with the corps.
• An Easter Egg on the DVD of Spider-Man 2 shows Alfred Molina as Doctor Octopus singing part of the song, "If I Were a Rich Man". Molina was in the Broadway revival of the musical.
• In the Family Guy episode, "When you wish Upon a Weinstein", there is a reference to the musical, and a reference to William Shatner's famous "KHAN!" line from Star Trek.

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