National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene is set to present the American premiere of the Yiddish-language adaptation of Fiddler on the Roof in summer 2018. This version of the beloved musical has not been staged since its world premiere in Israel more than 50 years ago.
The Yiddish Fiddler will be staged in the Edmond J. Safra Theatre at the Museum of Jewish Heritage beginning in July. Casting, a full creative team, and dates will be announced in the future.
In the coming months, NYTF will consult with Fiddler’s Pulitzer Prize, Grammy, and Tony Award-winning lyricist Sheldon Harnick in the development of the production. Tony-winning director Jerry Zaks, who was recently honored at the company’s winter gala, will serve as artistic consultant, along with The Jerome Robbins Foundation, who will consult on the production’s choreography.
“The National Yiddish Theatre’s version of the production will be presented in the context of a historical retrospective hypothetically introducing the idea in that Sholem Aleichem has been present at the conception of the adaptation of his work for the musical stage. The idea we are putting forth would be an accurate re-creation of how this musical might look in its native Yiddish tongue,” said NYTF’s Christopher Massimine in a statement.
Massimine is NYTF’s CEO, Zalmen Mlotek is the artistic director, Motl Didner is the associate artistic director, and Jamibeth Margolis, CSA, is the theatre’s general manager and casting director.
Fiddler on The Roof has music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein. The original Broadway production of the show, which opened in 1964, was the first musical theatre production in history to surpass 3,000 performances. The show won the 1965 Tony Award for Best Musical in addition to eight other Tony Awards that year.
Advance sale tickets are on sale now to NYTF members only and on sale February 1 to the general public. For advance sales call (212) 213-2120, ext. 206 or (866) 811-4111.
Check out photos from the 2015 Broadway revival of Fiddler on the Roof starring Danny Burstein, Jessica Hecht, and more.
