Tony Tuesday: FIDDLER ON THE ROOF

Fiddler on the Roof is a staple in the historical musical theatre catalogue. Based on texts by Sholem Aleichem, including Tevye and his Daughters, the story focuses on Tevye and his family who live in Anatevka. Tevye attempts to maintain his Jewish traditions whilst the outside world influences his family’s lives, as his daughters wish to marry for love.

The musical first opened on Broadway in 1964 where it ran for almost 10 years. The production was directed and choreographed by Jerome Robbins and Fiddler on the Roof would be his last original Broadway staging. The original West End production opened in 1967 and starred Topol as Tevye who would later go on to play the role in the 1971 film adaptation of the musical. Since the original runs, there have been five Broadway revivals (1976, 1981, 1990, 2004, 2015) and four West End revivals (1983, 1994, 2007, 2019), in addition to numerous US and UK tours and a Yiddish production in 2018.

Fiddler on the Roof has been nominated for and has won many awards, including a large number of Tonys (including a special Tony Award in 1972 for the longest running musical in Broadway history), several Oliviers and the film received nods from a wide range of film awards.

FACTS:

Music: Jerry Bock

Lyrics: Sheldon Harnick

Book: Joseph Stein

Original Broadway Theatre: Imperial Theatre, moving to the Majestic Theatre in 1967 and then to the Broadway Theatre in 1970

Original Broadway Run: 22 September 1964 to 2 July 1972 (3,242 performances)

TONYS:

Original Broadway production

Nominated: Best Scenic Design – Boris Aronson

Won: Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical – Joseph Stein, Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical – Zero Mostel, Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical – Maria Karnilova, Best Producer – Harold Prince, Best Director – Jerome Robbins, Best Composer and Lyricist – Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick, Best Choreography – Jerome Robbins, Best Costume Design – Patricia Zipprodt

1981 Broadway revival

Nominated: Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical – Herschel Bernardi

1990 Broadway revival

Nominated: Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical – Topol

Won: Best Revival of a Musical

2004 Broadway revival

Nominated: Best Revival of a Musical, Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical – Alfred Molina, Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical – John Cariani, Best Scenic Design – Tom Pye, Best Lighting Design – Brian MacDevitt, Best Orchestrations – Don Walker and Larry Hochman

2015 Broadway revival

Nominated: Best Revival of a Musical, Best Actor in a Musical – Danny Burstein, Best Choreography – Hofesh Shechter

At 1965’s Tony Awards, Tony Award winner Zero Mostel performed ‘If I Were a Rich Man’:

At 2016’s Tony Awards, the cast of Fiddler on the Roof performed ‘Sunrise, Sunset’: