By Kenneth Jones
20 Jan 2005

Harvey Fierstein and Andrea Martin in Fiddler on the Roof
photo by Joan Marcus

Anatevka, the Russian shtetl filled with yearning Jewish families and antsy outsiders, got two new residents Jan. 4 toward the Jan. 20 re-opening at the Minskoff Theatre.

Harvey Fierstein and Andrea Martin took on the roles of Tevye and his wife, Golde, in Broadway's Fiddler on the Roof. A collection of new newspaper reviews are expected in the coming days.

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Both performers are Tony Award winners: She for My Favorite Year and he for multiple categories, including Best Book of Musical (La Cage aux Folles), Best Actor in a Musical (Hairspray), Best Actor in a Play (Torch Song Trilogy) and Best Play (Torch Song Trilogy).

At the Minskoff, where the new David Leveaux-directed revival has been playing for a year, Fierstein and Martin replaced Alfred Molina and Randy Graff, who exited the show Jan. 2 when their contracts expired (they are heard on the new cast album, as well). Molina was Tony-nommed for his performance.

Effusive Fierstein was thrilled to be asked to play Tevye. "It's an iconic role, there are very few Tevyes in the world," he previously told Playbill On-Line. "It's a role that requires everything that an actor can keep in his arsenal: You've got to do standup comedy — y'know, there's direct address to the audience; there's regular monologues — because he talks to God, which is a whole different thing; you've got to do real comedy with other actors; and then you also have to, at the same time, switch into the reality of a family life, which is basically what the play's about, and deal with the family relationship - a wife and five daughters. On top of that you've got the philosophical side of what's going on in Fiddler: Does God give a flying f--- if we live or not? Does he care?"

Andrea Martin's Broadway credits also include Oklahoma! (Tony award nomination) and Candide (Tony award nomination).

The company also includes Sally Murphy, Laura Shoop, Tricia Paoluccio, Alison Walla, Betsy Hogg, Nancy Opel, David Wohl, Yusef Bulos, Philip Hoffman, Mark Lotito, David Rossmer, Bruce Winant, Barbara Tirrell, Ann Van Cleave, Rita Harvey, Joy Hermalyn, John Cariani, Robert Petkoff, Chris Ghelfi, Enrique Brown, Randy Bobish, Jeff Lewis, Francis Toumbakaris, Melissa Bohon, Haviland Stillwell, Tom Titone, Nick Danielson, Michael Tommer, Sean Curley, Stephen Lee Anderson, Patrick Heusinger, Jonathan Sharp, Ward Billeisen, Keith Kuhl, Craig Ramsay, Rachel Coloff, Gina Lamparella, Roger Rosen and Gustavo Wans.

This new production of the Joseph Stein-Jerome Bock Sheldon Harnick musical opened Feb. 26, 2004, and is produced by James L. Nederlander, Stewart F. Lane/ Bonnie Comley, Harbor Entertainment, Terry Allen Kramer, Bob Boyett/Lawrence Horowitz and Clear Channel Entertainment.

Fiddler has scenic design by Tom Pye, costume design by Vicki Mortimer, lighting design by Tony Award winner Brian MacDevitt, and sound design by Acme Sound Partners. Hair design is by David Brian Brown, with musical staging by Jonathan Butterell and musical direction by Kevin Stites, leading a 25-piece orchestra featuring the original orchestrations by Don Walker. Jerome Robbins choreography is on display.

Tickets range from $35-$100, and are available through Ticketmaster.com at (212) 307-4100.

Harvery Fierstein leads the company of Fiddler on the Roof
photo by Joan Marcus