Fiddler On the Roof

Fun Fiddler Facts

v    Fiddler on the Roof is based on the short story "Tevye and His Daughters" by Sholom Aleichem

v    Sholom Aleichem’s name literally and ironically means, “peace be with you.”

v    The stories of “Tevye the Milkman” appeared in many publications in eastern Europe and later Yiddish publications in America between the years 1905 and 1910.

v    In 1953, Arnold Perl put together a series of short plays based on Aleichem’s stories, producing a play called “Tevye and His Daughters.” This encouraged Joseph Stein to produce the musical.

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

v    The Fiddler is a metaphor of survival through tradition and joyfulness, not intended by the author of “Fiddler” to actually be seen but to be a symbol in the minds of the Jewish people.

v    Fiddler was one of the first musicals to focus on people in poverty.

v    Fiddler was a pioneer among musicals for dealing with serious historical issues

v    Fiddler was at first criticized by critics for its “limited appeal”

v    Fiddler was for decades the longest running show in Broadway history

v    Fiddler on the Roof opened on September 22, 1964 with Zero Mostel in the leading role.

v    It ran for 3,242 performances at the Imperial Theatre

v    The film came out in 1971, starring Topol in the leading role

v    The Broadway production of Fiddler on the Roof won nine Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Composer, Best Lyricist, Best Leading Actor, Best Leading Actress, Best Author, Best Producer, Best Director, Best Choreographer, Best Costume Designer. The film won three academy awards, including one for conductor John Williams.