Stratford Festival: Fiddler on the Roof

Steve Ross (left) as Lazar Wolf and Scott Wentworth as Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof. Photo by Cylla von Tiedemann.

"A fiddler on the roof. Sounds crazy, no? But in our little village of Anatevka, every one of us is a fiddler on the roof trying to scratch out a pleasant, simple tune without breaking his neck. It isn't easy. You may ask, why do we stay here if it's so dangerous? We stay because Anatevka is our home. And how do we keep our balance? That I can tell you in one word: Tradition!"

The opening lines of The Fiddler on the Roof sum up the determined spirit of the popular 1964 musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, now on stage at the Stratford Festival. Almost 50 years after the show premiered on Broadway, this uplifting and tragic story continues to captivate audiences with the strength of its message.

Set in Tsarist Russia in 1905, the story follows Tevye (played by the charismatic Scott Wentworth), a milkman and father of five daughters as he struggles to maintain the family's traditional shtetl (Yiddish for "town") way of life. Together with his hardworking wife Golde (the always endearing Kate Hennig), Tevye must learn to accept the independent decisions made by his three older daughters—Tzeitel (Jennifer Stewart), Hodel (Jacquelyn French) and Chava (Keely Hutton)—as each one marries further outside of his cutoms and faith.

Shirking the role of Yente (Gabrielle Jones), the village matchmaker, Tzeitel marries Motel, a poor tailor (Andre Morin) who she has loved since childhood; Hodel falls for a passionate student activist, Perchick (Mike Nadajewski), and follows him to Siberia; and Chava runs away with Fyedka (Paul Nolan), a Russian gentile.

Meanwhile, darker forces threaten the safety of the Jews in the village and eventually they are forced to pack up and leave. As always, the community does what it must do to survive. They move on to the bittersweet tune of the fiddler (played beautifully by Anna Atkinson).

Set designer Allen Moyer creates a charming atmosphere with miniature houses dotting the stage. The cast towers over the birds-eye-view village scene, singing and dancing under the natural scenery of the heavens above.

Director Donna Feore gets excellent performances out of the committed cast. Wentworth is a masterful storyteller, leading the charge with his powerful vocals and floor stomping dance moves. The choreography in the scene at the inn where the butcher Lazar Wolf (Steve Ross) and Tevye encounter a group of local Russians is an unforgettable, high-flying thrill.

Fast-paced and fluidly staged, this Fiddler certainly pulls at the heartstrings. Don't miss it!

Visit stratfordfestival.ca for more information and to buy tickets. Toronto audiences should check out the Stratford Direct bus ($20 return from downtown to the Stratford theatres).