Based on Sholom Aleichem’s story, Tevye and his Daughters, Fiddler on the Roof is the beloved story of the small, tradition-steeped town of Anatevka in 1905 Imperial Russia, where Jews and Russians live in delicate balance. During the course of the show, the time honored traditions of Anatevka are both embraced and challenged by Tevye and his colorful community, as they witness his daughters, Tzeitel, Hodel, and Chava, grow up and fall in love in a time of extraordinary change.

VOPA director Dylan F. Thomas characterizes the show as being about “tradition in transition”, and points out that the story’s setting, 1905 Imperial Russia, is now modern day Ukraine, which just happens to be struggling with the same existential challenges today as it did in 1905, with its rightful citizens fighting for their mere existence.

Fiddler on the Roof’s Broadway premier became the longest-running Broadway musical in history, a title it maintained for almost 10 years. It is a story that captures the essential human longings for love, community, success, freedom, family, and meaning. Fiddler features such iconic songs as the beautiful “Sunrise, Sunset,” the boisterous “If I Were a Rich Man”, and the classic “Matchmaker, Matchmaker.”