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{{about|the 1964 musical|the film|Fiddler on the Roof (film)}}
{{Infobox Musical
|name= Fiddler on the Roof
|image=Fiddler on the roof poster.jpg
|caption= Original Broadway Windowcard evoking the artwork of [[Marc Chagall]], source of the title.
|music=[[Jerry Bock]]
|lyrics=[[Sheldon Harnick]]
|book=[[Joseph Stein]]
|basis=''[[Tevye|Tevye and his Daughters]]'' by [[Sholem Aleichem]]
|productions= 1964 [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] <br> 1967 [[West End theatre|West End]] <br>1971 [[Fiddler on the Roof (film)|film]] <br> 1976 [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] [[Revival (play)|revival]] <br> 1981 [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] [[Revival (play)|revival]] <br> 1983 [[West End revival]] <br>1990 [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] [[Revival (play)|revival]] <br> 1994 [[West End revival]] <br> 2003 [[UK]] [[Concert tour|Tour]] <br> 2004 [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] [[Revival (play)|revival]] <br> 2007 [[West End theatre|West End]] [[Revival (play)|revival]] <br> 2008 [[UK]] [[Concert tour|Tour]] <br> 2009 US Tour
<!-- Please do not include production-specific (acting, directing, etc.) awards -->
|awards= [[Tony Award for Best Musical]] <br> [[Tony Award for Best Original Score|Tony Award for Best Score]] <br> [[Tony Award for Best Book]]
}}
'''''Fiddler on the Roof''''' is a [[musical theatre|musical]] with music by [[Jerry Bock]], [[lyrics]] by [[Sheldon Harnick]], and book by [[Joseph Stein]]. [[Harold Prince]] replaced the original producer [[Fred Coe]] and brought in director/choreographer [[Jerome Robbins]]<ref>[http://www.mtishows.com/show_detail.asp?showid=000036 ''Fiddler on the Roof'']. Additional Facts, MTI, accessed May 6, 2010</ref>.

It is set in [[Tsardom of Russia|Tsarist]] [[Russia]] in 1905, and based on ''Tevye and his Daughters'' (or ''Tevye the Milkman and Other Tales'') by [[Sholem Aleichem]]. The story centers on [[Tevye]], the father of five daughters, and his attempts to maintain his family and [[Jewish]] religious traditions while outside influences encroach upon their lives. He must cope both with the strong-willed actions of his three older daughters—each one's choice of husband moves further away from the customs of his faith—and with the edict of the [[Nicholas II of Russia|Tsar]] that evicts the Jews from their village.

The original [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] production of the show, which opened in 1964, had the first musical theatre run in history to surpass 3,000 performances. ''Fiddler'' held the record for the longest-running Broadway musical for almost 10 years until ''[[Grease (musical)|Grease]]'' surpassed its run. It remains Broadway's [[List of the longest-running Broadway shows|fifteenth longest-running show]] in history. The production was extraordinarily profitable and highly acclaimed. It was nominated for ten [[Tony Award]]s, winning nine, including Best Musical, score, book, direction and choreography. It spawned four Broadway revivals, a successful [[Fiddler on the Roof (film)|1971 film adaptation]], and the show has enjoyed enduring international popularity. It is also a very popular choice for school and community productions.<ref>''[[Time (magazine)|TIME magazine]]'' reported in its May 26, 2008, issue, p. 51, that this musical ranked as the seventh most frequently produced musical by U.S. high schools in 2007.</ref>

==Background==
{{Expand section|date=March 2009}}

''Fiddler on the Roof'' was originally titled ''Tevye''. It is based on ''[[Tevye|Tevye and his Daughters]]'' (or ''Tevye the Milkman'') and other tales by [[Sholem Aleichem]] that he wrote in [[Yiddish]] and published in 1894.<ref>[http://www.mtishows.com/show_history.asp?ID=000036 Information from the MTI website]</ref> The musical's title stems from the painting "The Fiddler" by [[Marc Chagall]],<ref>Miri Ben-Shalome, [http://www.jewish-theatre.com/visitor/article_display.aspx?articleID=650 Kaleidoscope with Stewart Lane speaking to Miri Ben-Shalom on his ''Fiddler on the Roof'' production], ''All About Jewish Theatre'', accessed 6 December 2007.</ref> one of many surreal paintings he created of Eastern European Jewish life, often including a fiddler. The Fiddler is a metaphor for survival, through tradition and joyfulness, in a life of uncertainty and imbalance.

==Productions==
===Original productions===
The original Broadway production opened on September 22, 1964, at the [[Imperial Theatre (Broadway)|Imperial Theatre]], transferred in 1967 to the [[Majestic Theatre (Broadway)|Majestic Theatre]] and in 1970 to [[The Broadway Theatre]], and ran for a record-setting total of 3,242 performances. The production was directed and choreographed by [[Jerome Robbins]] – his last original Broadway staging.<ref>He staged [[Jerome Robbins' Broadway]], a "greatest hits" collection of some of his most famous stagings, at the Imperial Theatre on February 26, 1989, which ran for 633 performances.</ref> The set, designed in the style of [[Marc Chagall]]'s paintings, was by [[Boris Aronson]].<ref>Rich, p. 172</ref> A colorful logo for the production, also inspired by Chagall's work, was designed by [[Tom Morrow (artist) |Tom Morrow]].

The cast included [[Zero Mostel]] as Tevye the milkman, [[Maria Karnilova]] as his wife Golde (each of whom won a Tony for their performances), [[Beatrice Arthur]] and later [[Florence Stanley]] as Yente the [[Shidduch|matchmaker]], [[Austin Pendleton]] as Motel, [[Bert Convy]] as Perchik the student revolutionary, [[Gino Conforti]] as the fiddler, and [[Julia Migenes]] as Hodel. [[Joanna Merlin]] originated the role of Tzeitel, which was later assumed by [[Bette Midler]] during the original run. [[Carol Sawyer]] was Fruma Sarah, [[Adrienne Barbeau]] took a turn as Hodel, and [[Pia Zadora]] played the youngest daughter, Bielke. Both [[Peg Murray]] and [[Dolores Wilson]] made extended appearances as Golde, while other stage actors who have played Tevye include [[Herschel Bernardi]] (in the original Broadway run), [[Theodore Bikel]] and [[Leonard Nimoy]]. Mostel's understudy in the original production, [[Paul Lipson]], went on to appear as Tevye in more performances than any other actor, clocking over 2,000 performances in the role in the original run as well as several revivals.<ref name="Lipson obit">{{cite news|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F06E0DB1239F936A35752C0A960958260 | title= Paul Lipson, 82, Who Appeared As Tevye Over 2,000 Times | author=Mel Gussow | publisher='[[The New York Times]]'' (paid archive) | date=1996-01-05 | accessdate=2008-12-22}}</ref> The production earned $1,574 for every dollar invested in it.<ref>Kantor, p. 302: "The 1960s was the decade that nurtured long-running blockbusters in unprecedented quantities: ten musicals passed the rarefied 1,000 performance mark, three of them passed the 2,000 mark (''Hello, Dolly!'', a Merrick smash, grossed $27 million on Broadway), and one, ''Fiddler on the Roof'', passed the 3,000 mark, earning back $1,574 for every dollar put into it."</ref>

The original [[West End theatre|West End]] production opened on February 16, 1967, at [[Her Majesty's Theatre]] and played for 2,030 performances. It starred [[Chaim Topol]], who would also play Tevye in the 1971 film adaptation and the 1990 Broadway revival, and [[Miriam Karlin]] as Golde. [[Alfie Bass]], [[Lex Goudsmit]] and [[Barry Martin]] eventually took over as Tevye. The show was revived in London in for short seasons in 1983 at The Apollo Victoria Theatre and in 1994 at The London Palladium.

===Broadway revivals===
The first Broadway revival opened on December 28, 1976, and ran for 176 performances at the [[Winter Garden Theatre]]. [[Zero Mostel]] starred as Tevye. Robbins directed and choreographed. A second Broadway revival opened on July 9, 1981, and played for a limited run (53 performances) at [[Lincoln Center]]'s [[David H. Koch Theater|New York State Theater]]. It starred [[Herschel Bernardi]] as Tevye and Karnilova as Golde. Other cast members included [[Liz Larsen]], [[Fyvush Finkel]], [[Lawrence Leritz]] and [[Paul Lipson]]. Robbins directed and choreographed. The third Broadway revival opened on November 18, 1990, and ran for 241 performances at the [[George Gershwin Theatre]]. Topol starred as Tevye, and [[Marcia Lewis]] was Golde. Robbins' production was reproduced by Ruth Mitchell and choreographer Sammy Dallas Bayes. The production won the Tony Award for Best Revival.

A fourth Broadway revival opened on February 26, 2004, and ran for 36 previews and 781 performances at the [[Minskoff Theatre]]. [[Alfred Molina]], and later [[Harvey Fierstein]], starred as Tevye, and [[Randy Graff]], and later [[Andrea Martin]] and [[Rosie O'Donnell]], was Golde. [[Lea Michele]] played Sprintze.<ref>[http://www.ibdb.com/production.php?id=13483 ''Fiddler on the Roof'' (2004)], IBDB database, accessed July 22, 2012</ref> It was directed by [[David Leveaux]]. This production replaced Yente's song "The Rumor" with a song for Yente and two other women called "Topsy-Turvy". The production was nominated for six Tonys but did not win any.

===London revivals===
''Fiddler'' was first revived in London in 1983 at the [[Apollo Victoria Theatre]] (a four-month season starring Topol) and again in 1994 at the [[London Palladium]] for two months and then on tour, again starring Topol, and directed and choreographed by Sammy Dallas Bayes, recreating the Robbins production.<ref>[http://homepage.mac.com/kierancreggan/Productions-Theatre/fiddlerontherooa.html Information on the 1994 production]</ref>

After a two-month tryout at the Crucible Theatre in [[Sheffield]], England, a London revival opened on May 19, 2007, at the [[Savoy Theatre]] starring [[Henry Goodman]] as Tevye, Beverley Klein as Golde, Alexandra Silber as Hodel, Damian Humbley as Perchik and [[Victor McGuire]] as Lazar Wolf. The production was directed by Lindsay Posner. Robbins' choreography was recreated by Sammy Dallas Bayes (who did the same for the 1990 Broadway revival), with additional choreography by Kate Flatt.<ref>[http://www.thisistheatre.com/londonshows/fiddlerontheroof.html Information about the 2007 London production of ''Fiddler on the Roof'']</ref>

===UK tours===
A 2003 national tour played for seven months, with a radical design, directed by [[Julian Woolford]] and choreographed by Chris Hocking. The production featured a minimalist setting, and the costumes and set were monochromatic. Fruma-Sarah was represented by a 12 foot puppet. This production was revived in 2008 starring [[Joe McGann]] and toured until September 2008.<ref>[http://www.thisistheatre.com/regional/fiddler-on-the-roof.html thisistheatre listing for 2008 tour]</ref>

===Australian and U.S. tours===
For two years, beginning in 2005, Topol recreated his role as Tevye in an Australian production, with seasons in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Wellington and Auckland.

''Topol in 'Fiddler on the Roof': The Farewell Tour'' opened on January 20, 2009, in [[Wilmington, Delaware]]. Topol left the tour in November 2009 due to torn muscles in his arms. He was replaced by [[Harvey Fierstein]].<ref>Jones, Kenneth. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/134532-Harvey_Fierstein_to_Replace_Topol_in_Touring_Fiddler_on_the_Roof "Harvey Fierstein to Replace Topol in Touring ''Fiddler on the Roof''"], playbill.com, November 11, 2009</ref>

===International productions===
Among the many versions produced around the world is a [[Hebrew language]] staging produced by the Israeli [[impresario]] [[Giora Godik]] in the 1960s.<ref name="Nahshon">Nahshon, Edna. [http://www.jewish-theatre.com/visitor/article_display.aspx?articleID=1544 "Israeli Theater: The revival of the Hebrew Language"]. ''All About Jewish Theatre'', accessed January 14, 2011</ref> The Hebrew version of "Fiddler on the Roof" was so successful that Godik decided to produce a second version, this time in [[Yiddish]], the language in which the original Sholem Aleichem stories upon which the musical was based were written. The translation was by Shraga Friedman.<ref name="Almagor">Almagor, Dan; (translated to English by Jay Shir). [http://www.jewish-theatre.com/visitor/article_display.aspx?articleID=342 "Musical Plays on the Hebrew Stage"]. ''All About Jewish Theater'', accessed January 14, 2011</ref>

''Un Violinista sobre el Tejado'' was produced in Spanish at Panama's [[National Theatre of Panama]] from October 11 to 15, 2012, starring [[Aaron Zebede]] as Tevye.<ref>[http://www.teatrodepanama.com/Violinista.html ''Un Violinista sobre el Tejado''], Teatro Nacional de Panama, 2012</ref>

==Synopsis==
===Act I===
Tevye, a poor Jewish milkman with five daughters, explains the customs of the Jews in the Russian [[shtetl]] of Anatevka in 1905, where their lives are as precarious as the perch of a fiddler on a roof ("Tradition"). At Tevye's home, everyone is busy preparing for the [[Shabbat|Sabbath]] meal. His sharp-tongued wife, Golde, orders their daughters, Tzeitel, Hodel, Chava, Shprintze and Bielke, about their tasks. Yente, the village [[Shidduch|matchmaker]], arrives to tell Golde that Lazar Wolf, the wealthy butcher, a widower older than Tevye, wants to wed Tzeitel, the eldest daughter. The next two daughters, Hodel and Chava, are excited about Yente's visit, but Tzeitel is unenthusiastic ("Matchmaker, Matchmaker"). A girl from a poor family must take whatever husband Yente brings, but Tzeitel wants to marry her childhood friend, Motel the tailor.

[[File:Image-Chagall Fiddler.jpg|thumb|upright|right|''The Fiddler'' by [[Marc Chagall]], from which the musical takes its name]]
Tevye is delivering milk, pulling the cart himself, as his horse is lame. He asks God, whom would it hurt "[[If I Were a Rich Man (song)|If I Were a Rich Man]]"? Avram, the bookseller, has news from the outside world about [[pogroms]] and expulsions. A stranger, Perchik, hears their conversation and scolds them for doing nothing more than talk. The men dismiss Perchik as a radical, but Tevye invites him home for the Sabbath meal and offers him food and a room in exchange for tutoring his two youngest daughters. Golde tells Tevye to meet Lazar after the Sabbath but does not tell him why, knowing that Tevye does not like Lazar. Tzeitel is afraid that Yente will find her a husband before Motel asks Tevye for her hand. But Motel resists: he is afraid of Tevye's temper, and tradition says that a matchmaker arranges marriages. Motel is also very poor and is saving up to buy a sewing machine before he approaches Tevye, to show that he can support a wife. The family gathers for the "Sabbath Prayer."

After the Sabbath, Tevye meets Lazar at Mordcha's inn, assuming mistakenly that Lazar wants to buy his cow. Once the misunderstanding is cleared up, Tevye agrees to let Lazar marry Tzeitel – with a rich butcher, his daughter will never want for anything. All join in the celebration of Lazar's good fortune; even the Russian youths at the inn join in the celebration and show off their dancing skills ("To Life"). Outside the inn, Tevye happens upon the Russian Constable, who has jurisdiction over the Jews in the town. The Constable warns him that there is going to be a "little unofficial demonstration" in the coming weeks (a [[euphemism]] for a minor [[pogrom]]). The Constable has sympathy for the Jewish community but is powerless to prevent the violence.

The next morning, after Perchik's lessons with her young sisters, Tevye's second daughter Hodel mocks Perchik's Marxist interpretation of a Bible story. He, in turn, criticizes her for hanging on to the old traditions of Judaism, noting that the world is changing. To illustrate this, he dances with her, defying the prohibition against opposite sexes dancing together. The two begin to fall in love. Later, a [[Hangover|hungover]] Tevye announces that he has agreed that Tzeitel will marry Lazar Wolf. Golde is overjoyed, but Tzeitel is devastated and begs Tevye not to force her. Motel arrives and tells Tevye that he is the perfect match for Tzeitel and that he and Tzeitel gave each other a pledge to marry. He promises that Tzeitel will not starve as his wife. Tevye is stunned and outraged at this breach of tradition, but impressed at the timid tailor's display of backbone. After some soul-searching ("Tevye's Monologue"), Tevye agrees to let them marry, but he worries about how to break the news to Golde. An overjoyed Motel celebrates with Tzeitel ("Miracle of Miracles").

In bed with Golde, Tevye pretends to be waking from a nightmare. Golde offers to interpret his dream, and Tevye "describes" it ("Tevye's Dream"). Golde's grandmother Tzeitel returns from the grave to bless the marriage of her namesake, but to Motel, not to Lazar Wolf. Lazar's formidable late wife, Fruma-Sarah, rises from her grave to warn, in graphic terms, of severe retribution if Tzeitel marries Lazar. The superstitious Golde is terrified, and she quickly counsels that Tzeitel must marry Motel. While returning from town, Tevye's third daughter, the bookish Chava, is teased and intimidated by some Russian youths, but one of them, [[Fyedka]], protects her, dismissing the others. He offers Chava the loan of a book, and a secret relationship begins.

The wedding day of Tzeitel and Motel arrives, and all the Jews join the ceremony ("Sunrise, Sunset") and the celebration ("The Wedding Dance"). Lazar gives a fine gift, but an argument arises with Tevye over the broken agreement. Perchik ends the tiff by breaking another tradition: he crosses the barrier between the men and women to dance with Tevye's daughter Hodel. The celebration ends abruptly when a group of Russians rides into the village to perform the "demonstration". They disrupt the party, damaging the wedding gifts and wounding Perchik, who attempts to fight back, and wreaking more destruction in the village. Tevye instructs his family to clean up the mess.

===Act II===
[[File:PikiWiki Israel 17388 Fiddler on the Roof in Netanya.JPG|thumb|right|''Fiddler On the Roof'' by Lev Segal in [[Netanya]]]]
Months later, Perchik tells Hodel he must return to Kiev to work for the [[1905 Russian Revolution|revolution]]. He proposes marriage, admitting that he loves her, and says that he will send for her. She agrees ("Now I Have Everything"). They tell Tevye that they are engaged, and he is appalled that they are flouting tradition by making their own match, especially as Perchik is leaving. When he forbids the marriage, Perchik and Hodel inform him that they do not seek his permission, only his [[blessing]]. After more soul searching, Tevye relents – the world is changing, and he must change with it ("Tevye's Rebuttal"). He informs the young couple that he gives them his blessing ''and'' his permission.

Tevye explains these events to an astonished Golde. "Love", he says, "it's the new style." Tevye asks Golde, despite their own arranged marriage, "Do You Love Me?" After dismissing Tevye's question as foolish, she eventually admits that, after 25 years of living and struggling together and raising five daughters, she does. Meanwhile, Yente tells Tzeitel that she saw Chava with Fyedka. News spreads quickly in Anatevka that Perchik has been arrested and exiled to [[Siberia]] ("The Rumor/I Just Heard"), and Hodel is determined to join him there. At the railway station, she explains to her father that her home is with her beloved, wherever he may be, although she will always love her family ("Far From the Home I Love").

Time passes. Motel has purchased a used sewing machine, and he and Tzeitel have had a baby. Chava finally gathers the courage to ask Tevye to allow her marriage to Fyedka. Again Tevye reaches deep into his soul, but marriage outside the Jewish [[faith]] is a line he will not cross. He forbids Chava to speak to Fyedka again. When Golde brings news that Chava has [[eloped]] with Fyedka, Tevye wonders where he went wrong ("Chavaleh Sequence"). Chava returns and tries to reason with him, but he refuses to speak to her and tells the rest of the family to consider her dead. Meanwhile, rumors are spreading of the Russians expelling Jews from their villages. While the villagers are gathered, the constable arrives to tell everyone that they have three days to pack up and leave the town. In shock, they reminisce about "Anatevka" and how hard it will be to leave what has been their home for so long.

As the Jews leave Anatevka, Chava and Fyedka stop to tell her family that they are also leaving for [[Krakow]], unwilling to remain among the people who could do such things to others. Tevye still will not talk to her, but when Tzeitel says goodbye to Chava, Tevye prompts her to add "God be with you". Motel and Tzeitel go to Poland but will join the family when they have saved up enough money. As Tevye, Golde and his two youngest daughters leave the village for America, the fiddler begins to play. Tevye beckons with a nod, and the fiddler follows them out of the village.

==Musical numbers==
{{main|Fiddler on the Roof songs}}
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
;Act I
* Prologue: [[Tradition (song)|Tradition]] – Tevye and the Company
* Matchmaker, Matchmaker – Tzeitel, Hodel and Chava
* [[If I Were a Rich Man (song)|If I Were a Rich Man]] – Tevye
* Sabbath Prayer – Tevye, Golde and the Company
* To Life – Tevye, Lazar Wolf and the Company
* Tevye's Monologue – Tevye
* Miracle of Miracles – Motel
* Tevye's Dream – Tevye, Golde, Grandma Tzeitel, Fruma-Sarah<br />and the Company
* Sunrise, Sunset – Tevye, Golde, Perchik, Hodel and the Company
* The Bottle Dance – Instrumental
{{col-break}}

; Act II
* Entr'acte – Orchestra
* Now I Have Everything – Perchik and Hodel
* Tevye's Rebuttal – Tevye
* Do You Love Me? – Tevye and Golde
* The Rumor/I Just Heard§ – Yente and villagers
* Far From the Home I Love – Hodel
* Chavaleh (Little Bird) – Tevye
* Anatevka – The Company
{{col-end}}

§ The 2004 revival featured a song sung by Yente and some women of the village (Rivka and Mirala) titled "Topsy Turvy", discussing the disappearing role of the [[Matchmaking|matchmaker]] in society. The number replaced "The Rumor/I Just Heard."

==Principal characters==
* [[Tevye]], a poor milkman
* Golde, Tevye's wife
* Tzeitel, their oldest daughter, about nineteen. Loves Motel.
* Hodel, their daughter, about seventeen. Falls in love with Perchik.
* Chava, their daughter, about fifteen. Falls in love with Fyedka.
* Shprintze their daughter about twelve
* Bielke, their youngest daughter about nine
* Motel Kamzoil, the tailor, who loves, and later marries, Tzeitel
* Perchik, a student and [[Bolshevik]] revolutionary, who falls in love with Hodel
* Fyedka, a young Christian man who marries Chava
* Lazar Wolf, the butcher that Tzeitel was supposed to marry
* Yente, the gossipy village matchmaker who matches Tzeitel and Lazar
* Fruma-Sarah, Lazar Wolf's dead wife, who rises from the grave in Tevye's nightmare
* Grandma Tzeitel, Golde's dead grandmother
* Mordcha, the innkeeper
* Rabbi, the village rabbi
* Constable, the head of the Russian authority in Anatevka
<!-- Please do not list chorus and very minor roles here -->

==Film adaptation==
{{Main| Fiddler on the Roof (film)}}
The film version was released in 1971, and won three [[Academy Awards]], including one for arranger-conductor [[John Williams]]. [[Chaim Topol]] played the role of Tevye.

==Cultural influence==
The musical's popularity has led to numerous references in popular media and elsewhere.<ref name=Solomon>Solomon, Alisa. [http://forward.com/articles/2422/tevye-today-and-beyond/ "Tevye, Today and Beyond"], Part 2 of 2, ''The Jewish Daily Forward'', September 8, 2006, accessed March 30, 2012</ref> The show or its songs have been parodied and covered widely:

===Parodies===
Parodies relating to the show have included ''Antenna on the Roof'' (''[[Mad Magazine]]'' #156, January 1973), which speculated about the lives of Tevye's descendants living in an assimilated 1970s suburban America.<ref name=Solomon/> The [[H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society]] published a musical theatre and album parody of ''Fiddler on the Roof'' called ''[[A Shoggoth on the Roof]]'', which incorporates the works of [[H. P. Lovecraft]].<ref>[http://www.cthulhulives.org/shoggoth/ ''A Shoggoth on the Roof''], H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society, March 30, 2012</ref> In the film ''[[Mrs. Doubtfire]]'' (1993), [[Robin Williams]] parodies "Matchmaker".<ref>Willistein, Paul. [http://articles.mcall.com/1993-11-25/features/2946014_1_mrs-doubtfire-euphegenia-doubtfire-hillard "''Mrs. Doubtfire'' Offers Williams At His Best"], ''The Morning Call'', November 25, 1993, accessed March 30, 2012</ref>

References to the musical on television have included a 2005 episode of ''[[Gilmore Girls]]'' titled "Jews and Chinese Food", involving a production of the musical.<ref>[http://www.tv.com/shows/gilmore-girls/jews-and-chinese-food-396577/recap/ "Episode Recap: ''Gilmore Girls'': 'Jews and Chinese Food'"], TV.com, accessed March 30, 2012</ref> A skit by ''[[The Electric Company]]'' about a village fiddler with a fear of heights, so he is deemed "Fiddler on the Chair". In the ''[[Family Guy]]'' episode "[[When You Wish Upon a Weinstein]]" (2003), [[William Shatner]] is depicted as playing Tevye in a scene from ''Fiddler''.<ref>[http://www.sfjff.org/film/detail?id=5876 "When You Wish Upon a Weinstein"], ''San Francisco Jewish Film Festival'', 2009, accessed April 3, 2012</ref> The second episode of ''[[Muppets Tonight]]'', in 1996, featured [[Garth Brooks]] doing a piece of "If I were a Rich Man" in which he kicks several chickens off the roof. "The Rosie Show", a 1996 episode of ''[[The Nanny]]'', parodied the dream scene, when Mr. Sheffield fakes a dream to convince Fran not to be a regular on a TV show. A 2011 episode of NBC's ''[[Community_(TV_series)|Community]]'', entitled "Competitive Wine Tasting", included a parody of ''Fiddler'' titled, "Fiddler, Please!", with an all-black cast dressed in ''Fiddler on the Roof'' costumes singing "It's Hard to Be Jewish in Russia, Yo". [[Chabad.org]] kicked off their 2008 "To Life" Telethon with a pastiche of the fiddle solo and bottle dance from the musical<ref>[http://www.bottledancers.com/2008_chabad_telethon.html Bottledancers.com]</ref> called "Telethon!" rather than "Tradition!"<ref>[http://www.tolife.com/ Tolife.com]</ref>

Broadway references have included ''[[Spamalot]]'', where a "Grail dance" sends up the "bottle dance" in ''Fiddler's'' wedding scene.<ref>Demers, Ben. [http://dctheatrescene.com/2012/03/15/monty-pythons-spamalot/ "''Monty Python’s Spamalot''"], DCTheatreScene.com, March 15, 2012</ref> [[The Producers (musical)|''The Producers'']] (2001) includes a musical number in the style of Jerry Bock that features an actual fiddler on a roof. Also in 2001, Chicago's Improv Olympic produced a well-received parody, "The Roof Is on Fiddler", that used most of the original book of the musical but replaced the songs with 1980's pop songs.<ref>Jones, Chris. [http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2001-06-28/features/0106280001_1_sabbath-prayer-tevye-fiddler "Parody hits the ''Roof''"], ''Chicago Tribune'', June 28, 2001, accessed January 25, 2012</ref> The original Broadway cast of the musical ''[[Avenue Q]]'' and the Broadway 2004 revival cast of ''Fiddler on the Roof'' collaborated for a Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS benefit and produced an approximately 10-minute-long show, "Avenue Jew", that incorporated characters from both shows, including puppets.

===Covers===
Songs from the musical have been covered by notable artists. For example, in 1964, jazz saxophonist [[Cannonball Adderley]] recorded the album ''[[Cannonball Adderley's Fiddler on the Roof|Fiddler on the Roof]]'', which featured jazz arrangements of eight songs from the musical. ''[[Allmusic]]'' awarded the album 4 stars and states "Cannonball plays near his peak; this is certainly the finest album by this particular sextet".<ref>Yanow, S. [{{Allmusic|class=album|id=r641146|pure_url=yes}} "Cannonball Adderley's ''Fiddler on the Roof''"], Allmusic, accessed March 30, 2012</ref> In 1999, [[Knitting Factory|Knitting Factory Records]] released ''Knitting on the Roof'', a compilation CD featuring covers of ''Fiddler'' songs by alternative bands such as [[The Residents]], [[Negativland]], and [[The Magnetic Fields]].<ref>Kim, Wook. [http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,275033,00.html "Music Review: ''Knitting on the Roof''"], ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'', January 7, 2000, accessed March 30, 2012</ref><ref>Layne, Joslyn. [http://www.allmusic.com/album/knitting-on-the-roof-r443780 "Review: ''Knitting on the Roof''"], Allmusic, accessed March 30, 2012</ref>
[[Indie rock]] band [[Bright Eyes (band)|Bright Eyes]] recorded an adaptation of "Sunrise, Sunset" on their 2000 album ''[[Fevers and Mirrors]]''. ''Allmusic'' gave the album a favorable review,<ref>[{{Allmusic|class=album|id=r480663|pure_url=yes}} ''Fevers and Mirrors''], Allmusic, accessed March 30, 2012</ref> and the online music magazine ''[[Pitchfork Media]]'' ranked it at number 170 on their list of top 200 albums of the 2000s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/7706-the-top-200-albums-of-the-2000s-200-151/4/|work=[[Pitchfork Media]]|author=Pitchfork staff|title=The Top 200 Albums of the 2000s: 200-151|date=September 28, 2009|accessdate=March 30, 2012}}</ref> In 2005, Melbourne [[punk rock|punk]] band [[Yidcore]] released a reworking of the entire show called ''[[Eighth Day Slice/Fiddlin on ya Roof|Fiddling on Ya Roof]]''.<ref>Shand, John. [http://www.smh.com.au/news/music/yidcore-eighth-day-slicefiddlin-on-ya-roof/2005/10/20/1129775889450.html "Yidcore: Eighth Day Slice/Fiddlin' on Ya Roof"], ''Sydney Morning Herald'', October 20, 2005, accessed March 30, 2012</ref>

[[Gwen Stefani]] and Eve covered "If I Were a Rich Man" as "[[Rich Girl (Gwen Stefani song)|Rich Girl]]" for Stefani's 2004 debut solo album ''[[Love. Angel. Music. Baby.]]'' in 2004. The song was inspired by the 1993 British [[Louchie Lou & Michie One]] [[ragga]] version "[[Rich Girl (Louchie Lou & Michie One song)|of the same name]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Ives |first=Brian |last2=Bottomley |first2=C. |url=http://www.vh1.com/artists/interview/1495320/20050105/stefani_gwen.jhtml |title=Gwen Stefani: The Solo Express |publisher=[[VH1]]. [[MTV Networks]] |date=January 5, 2005 |accessdate=May 22, 2007}}</ref> Stefani's version reached #7 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] chart, where it remained for over six months.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.billboard.com/#/song/gwen-stefani-featuring-eve/rich-girl/5649382 |title=Rich Girl – Gwen Stefani |work=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |publisher=[[Prometheus Global Media]] |accessdate=October 21, 2010}}</ref> It was certified gold by the [[Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?artist=%22Rich+Girl%22 |title=Gold & Platinum |publisher=[[Recording Industry Association of America]] |date=March 29, 2005 |accessdate=April 20, 2010}}</ref> and nominated for a [[Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/music/bal-grammys-winners0209,0,2679275.htmlstory |title=Complete list of 2006 Grammy winners |work=[[The Baltimore Sun]] |publisher=[[Tribune Company]] |date=February 9, 2006 |accessdate=March 14, 2007}}</ref> It was also covered in 2008 and 2009 by the [[Capitol Steps]], poking fun at Illinois politics, especially then-Governor [[Rod Blagojevich]].<ref>Lariviere, John. [http://www.talkinbroadway.com/regional/sfla/sfla228.html "The Capitol Steps"], Talkin' Broadway, accessed March 30, 2012 </ref> The [[Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps]] performs the "Bottle Dance" from ''Fiddler'' as a "recurring trademark", including at [[Drum Corps International World Class Champions|Drum Corps International World Championships]].<ref>Boo, Michael. [http://www.dci.org/news/view.cfm?news_id=6947d237-f5cc-4b43-8d38-658061892a58 "''Fanfare'': Five great DCI color guard moments"], Drum Corps International News, April 6, 2011, accessed March 30, 2012</ref>

==Awards==
{{Main|List of awards and nominations for the musical ''Fiddler on the Roof''}}
''Fiddler'''s original [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] production in 1964 was nominated for ten [[Tony Award]]s, winning nine, including Best Musical, score, and book, and Robbins won for best direction and choreography. Mostel and Karnilova won as best leading actor and actress. In 1972, the show won a special Tony on becoming the longest-running musical in Broadway history.

Its revivals have also been honored. At the 1981 Tony Awards, Bernardi was nominated as best actor. Ten years later, the 1991 revival won for best revival, and Topol was nominated as best actor. The 2004 revival was nominated for six Tony Awards and three Drama Desk Awards but won none. The 2007 West End revival was nominated for [[Olivier Awards]] for best revival, and Goodman was nominated as best actor.

== References ==
{{reflist|2}}

==Bibliography==
*Altman, Richard ''The Making of a Musical: Fiddler on the Roof''. (1971). Crown Publishers.
*{{cite book | title = Broadway: the American musical | author = Kantor, Michael | coauthors = Laurence Maslon | location = New York, New York | publisher = Bulfinch Press | year= 2004 | isbn = 0-8212-2905-2}}
*Rich, Frank. ''The Theatre Art of Boris Aronson'' (1987), Knopf ISBN 0-394-52913-8
*[http://www.playbill.com/news/article/84588.html Playbill article about the original Broadway production]
*{{cite book|last=Whitfield|first=Stephen J|title=Key texts in American Jewish culture|year=2003|publisher=Rutgers University Press|location=New Brunswick, NJ|isbn=0-8135-3221-3|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=2EXMH9rxlQoC&lpg=PA105&dq=fiddler%20on%20the%20roof&pg=PA105#v=onepage&q&f=false|chapter=Fiddling with Sholem Aleichem: A History of Fiddler on the Roof}}

==External links==
*{{ibdb show|3513}}
*[http://www.broadway.tv/broadway-features-reviews/Hidden-Broadway-Treasures-Revealed Broadway.tv article noting that Mostel’s script is held at The New York Library of The Performing Arts]
*[http://www.ovrtur.com/content/show.php?id=119518 ''Fiddler on the Roof''] at Ovrtur
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3slFq8ubq4 YouTube video: "Sunrise, Sunset," from the Japanese stage production.]
*[http://www.world-theatres.com/longruns.html#longruns.london.html Longest-running plays on Broadway, Off-Broadway, London, Toronto, Melbourne, Paris, Vienna, and Berlin]
*[http://www.playbill.com/celebritybuzz/article/75222.html List of longest-running Broadway productions from Playbill.com]

{{TonyAward Revival}}
{{TonyAwardBestMusical 1947-1975}}
{{TonyAward MusicalScore 1947-1975}}
{{TonyAward MusicalBook 1947-1975}}
{{Longest-running Broadway shows}}
{{Bock and Harnick}}
{{Joseph Stein}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fiddler On The Roof}}
[[Category:1964 musicals]]
[[Category:Broadway musicals]]
[[Category:West End musicals]]
[[Category:Musicals based on short fiction]]
[[Category:Tony Award winning musicals]]
[[Category:Yiddish culture]]
[[Category:Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients]]
[[Category:Jewish theatre]]
[[Category:Musicals directed by Jerome Robbins]]

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Revision as of 14:56, 10 January 2013

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