Aleichem's stories introduced the world to Tevye the Milkman and inspired the landmark Broadway musical, Fiddler on the Roof. Bikel played Tevye more than 2,000 performances onstage. As playwright and star, Bikel will bring back to life one of literature's most beloved authors and many of the characters he created. "He tells their stories… he sings their songs… he magically melds times long gone with matters that tug at our heartstrings even today," according to Folksbiene. "Singing in English and Yiddish, Bikel captivates his audience with an enchanting trove of music from Eastern Europe played live onstage by world-renowned musical director Tamara Brooks and acclaimed accordionist Merima Kljuco."

Laughter Through Tears played Washington, DC's Theater J in late 2008, followed by an engagement in Florida.

Austrian-born Bikel, now an octogenarian, was nominated for Tony Awards as 1960's Best Featured Actor in a Musical (he created the role of Capt. Von Trapp in The Sound of Music) and as 1958's Best Featured Actor in a Play (for The Rope Dancers). Bikel, a world-renowned stage and screen actor and singer of folk music, is especially known for his vast knowledge of international songs. For the past 50 years, Bikel has appeared in concerts, plays, films, and on television throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, Israel and New Zealand. He is also a translator of song lyrics and has recorded over 20 albums.

For ticket information visit www.folksbiene.org or call (646) 312-5073 or (646) 312-4085.

Baruch Performing Arts Center is located at 55 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY. *

The Folksbiene Yiddish Theatre is a non-profit organization whose mission is "to preserve, promote, and develop Yiddish Theater for current and future generations to enhance the understanding and appreciation of Yiddish culture as a necessary component of Jewish Life."