Fiddler on the Roof
— the story
Set in 1905 in the Jewish community in Anatevka, a small Russian village, just before the Russian revolutionary period, the story's theme is how Tevye, the main character, attempts to balance his religious beliefs and traditions with the demands made on him by a changing world. This is symbolised by the image of a Fiddler balanced precariously on the roof of his house. The Fiddler is an actual character who appears at 3 or 4 key moments throughout the play.
Instead of an overture, the show opens with a Prologue in which Tevye, a poor milkman, introduces us to the villagers and explains how their lives are governed by Tradition.
We are in an era when marriages were always arranged by the parents and, as the scene changes to Tevye's house, Yente, the village matchmaker, tells Golde (Tevye's wife) that she has found a suitor for their eldest daughter, Tzeitel. Golde is happy that the suitor is Lazar Wolf, the village butcher who, by their standards, is a wealthy man. She is not concerned that he is also an old man!
Tzeitel, Hodel and Chava, the eldest of Tevye's 5 daughters, sing about their dreams of a good marriage in Matchmaker.
Tevye tells of his dreams in If I Were a Rich Man. With typical Jewish humour, he then discusses news from the outside world with some of the village men. During this Perchik, a student who is passing through the village, enters and Tevye invites him to join his family for the evening meal.
As the family gather, we meet Tzeitel's timid childhood sweetheart, Motel the tailor. The scene ends as Tevye's family sing the haunting Sabbath Prayer echoed by other families of the village.
Tevye goes to meet Lazar Wolf at the inn to discuss his marriage to Tzeitel and all the men join in the ensuing celebration To Life.
This is a time of anti-Semitism in Russia and, on his way home, the village Constable warns Tevye that there is trouble coming.
The next day, Tevye tells Tzeitel that she is to be married. Tzeitel is distraught and pleads that she be allowed to marry Motel. Tevye is stunned as it is unheard of for youngsters to have their own ideas on such matters. But he can see the love in his daughter's eyes and battles with his conscience Monologue, finally relenting. Motel and Tzeitel are overjoyed. Miracle of Miracles.
This leaves the problem of persuading Golde! Tevye awakes her that night and describes The Dream in which both Golde's Grandmother and Lazar Wolf’s long dead first wife FrumaSarah, and the entire company, come from the grave to tell Tevye that Tzeitel must marry Motel, not Lazar.
Golde is convinced by this subterfuge and, after a brief scene at Motel's shop during which Chava meets Fyedka, a young Russian man, the wedding proceeds.
The scene starts with a procession and a silent wedding ceremony during which we hear one of the most beautiful songs in the show, Sunrise, Sunset. The guests then settle down for the celebration, observing the tradition of the men and women being strictly separated.
Perchik, the revolutionary student, challenges this tradition by inviting Hodel to dance with him. Everyone is horrified, but then Tevye dances with Golde and another tradition is broken.
At the height of the celebration, the Constable arrives with several Russians and they wreck the party, clubbing Perchik to the ground in the process, bringing Act 1 to a dramatic close.
The blossoming romance between Hodel and Perchik opens Act 2 as they agree to marry. Now I Have Everything. They announce their engagement to Tevye who now faces an even greater challenge to his traditions. Unlike Tzeitel and Motel, they are not even seeking his permission, merely his blessing.
Again Tevye battles with his conscience Tevye's Rebuttal, and, seeing that they obviously love each other, again he relents. But this new way of doing things brings a question to his mind. Golde, whose marriage to Tevye was, of course, arranged, enters and is amazed when Tevye asks her Do You Love Me?
News of Perchik's subsequent arrest for revolutionary activities spread through the village in The Rumour.
Hodel is leaving the village to join Perchik in Siberia and is taken to the railway station by Tevye where she sings the bitter-sweet Far From the Home I Love.
But another challenge awaits Tevye when Chava tells him that she wishes to marry Fyedka. This is too much even for Tevye as it means that she would be marrying outside the faith and he absolutely forbids it.
Some time later, as he wends his weary way home, Golde finds him and tells him that Chava and Fyedka have been secretly married. This is a devastating blow for Tevye as he announces "Chava is dead to us! We will forget her".
He expresses his grief in the haunting Chavaleh Ballet.
Back home, the villagers gather to discuss rumours of anti-Semitic troubles in other villages. The Constable arrives and tells Tevye and the villagers that they have 3 days to pack up and leave the village. With typical Jewish fatalism, they ask themselves what is so wonderful about life in Anatevka.
In the final scene, Tevye's family are completing their packing. Villagers pass by and there is talk of their new lives in various countries. Chava and Fyedka arrive to announce that they have also chosen to leave. Tevye appears to ignore them but, as they leave, he mutters "God be with you."
The packing finished, Tevye and his family start to leave, pausing to watch the other villagers pass by. The Fiddler (representing all of their Jewish traditions) appears and Tevye beckons to him to come with them as they set off for their new lives in America.
This has been a much condensed synopsis of a long show. Space has prevented me from covering the wealth of dry humour arising from Tevye's frequent monologues with God and in scenes involving the other villagers.
There is lots of work for the chorus, numerous character parts and more roles for the ladies than any other show that I know. Thumbnail sketches of the cast appear on here.
The strong Jewish flavour makes for a wonderful and challenging score, even in the less well known numbers.
No-one can deny that it is an emotional show, ranging from comedy to pathos, but 'depressing' it most certainly is not.
Ian Stretch