Fiddler on the Roof

Promotional picture for "Fiddler on the Roof" at Broadway Theatre

I knew nothing about Fiddler on the Roof going into the theatre. Two of my roommates chose the show and I went along with them since I want to see as much theatre as I can while I'm in New York and I'm glad I decided to join them.

The show stars Danny Burstein as Tevye, a dairyman living in Anatevka with his wife and five daughters. Tevye is a poor man trying to survive in his small town while political unrest against Jews grows and his three eldest daughters all start finding men they want to marry. Burstein has a larger than life personality and it shows in his portrayal of Tevye which is both funny and heart wrenching. The way he transitions from conversations with his wife, to conversations with his daughters and to his conversations with God are seamless.

The show is directed by Bartlett Sher and is being presented at Broadway Theatre. With a book by Joseph Stein and music by Jerry Bock the show was first performed on Broadway in 1964. A film version was released in 1971 and now it has found its way back to Broadway.

The play is set in 1905 in Imperial Russia and it follows Tevye's family and his neighbors all Jews. Burstein is a veteran actor and it is obvious with how easily he portrays this character. Jessica Hecht, whom I had the pleasure meeting this past summer in Williamstown, plays Golde his wife. She is also a brilliant actress. She and Burstein have great chemistry and they play off of each other well.

Everything seems to be going well in the village until non-Jewish Russians come to Tevye's daughter's wedding and disrupt the party while destroying the presents. After that, Tevye's other daughter marries a non-Jewish man causing her to be disowned. Then the Jews are told they have to leave the village.

Cue the sadness. The audience was sniffling from there to the end.

The actors got a well-deserved standing ovation.

The show is beautiful and the two leads add so much to the show. If anything watch the show for the choreography which is nothing short of mind-blowingly incredible.