Back to Kids' Activities

Tremont High School May 1, 2, 3, 8 & 9, 2003

"Fiddler on the Roof" takes place in Anatevka, a small turn-of-the-century peasant Jewish village in Czarist Russia.  The story revolves around the poor milkman/philosopher Tevye, who schemes to marry off his five daughters according to his family's "traditions". Tevye is a religious Jew who has personal conversations with God.  When his eldest daughter, Tzeitel, begs him to let her marry a poor tailor with whom she has fallen in love (rather than the middle-aged butcher chosen for her) Tevye must choose between his daughter's happiness and his beloved beliefs.  Meanwhile, there are oppressive forces at work in Anatevka which force Tevye and his fellow villagers from their homes.  When the community realizes that their world has changed, they set out to find new lives in a new land, taking with them their few possessions and their abiding faith. Several musical hits were born in "Fiddler" including "Tradition" ... "Matchmaker, Matchmaker" ... "If I were a Rich Man" and "Sunrise, Sunset".  There are many memorable scenes, including "Do You Love Me" sung by Tevye to his wife of three decades, Golde; the wedding scene with its bottle dance (which Drew was in); the moment of parting when daughter Hodel goes, as the song puts it, "Far From the Home I Love" and the wild, ghostly dream scene.  "Fiddler on the Roof" opened in 1964 and is the eighth longest running musical.  It is based on the short story "Tevye and His Daughters".  Unlike previous musicals "Fiddler" dealt with serious issues such as persecution, poverty, and the struggle to hold onto one's beliefs.  The story strikes a universal chord of hope, love and acceptance.