The Hamilton College Choir will present the timeless classic, Fiddler on the Roof, Friday and Saturday, Feb. 8 and 9 at 8 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 10 at 2 p.m. in Wellin Hall, Schambach Center for Music and the Performing Arts.
With music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, Fiddler on the Roof is based on the short story "Tevye and His Daughters" by Sholom Aleichem. Fiddler was one of the first musicals to defy Broadway's established rules of commercial success. It dealt with serious issues such as persecution, poverty, and the struggle to hold on to one's beliefs in the midst of a hostile and chaotic environment. Criticized at first for its "limited appeal," Fiddler on the Roof struck such a universal chord in audiences that it became, for a time, the longest running production in the history of Broadway.
Set in 1905, Fiddler on the Roof takes place in Anatevka, a small Jewish village in Russia. The story revolves around the dairyman Tevye and his attempts to preserve his family's traditions in the face of a changing world. When his eldest daughter, Tzeitel, begs him to let her marry a poor tailor rather than the middle-aged butcher that he has already chosen for her, Tevye must choose between his own daughter's happiness and those beloved traditions that keep the outside world at bay. Meanwhile, there are other forces at work in Anatevka, dangerous forces which threaten to destroy the very life he is trying to preserve.
Hamilton College students with principal roles in the production include: David Steadman '03 playing the part of Tevye, a dairyman; Laura O'Brien '04 playing the part of Golde, Tevye's, wife; Elizabeth Padin '03 playing the part of Tzeitel, Tevye's daughter; Julia Berger '04 playing the part of Hodel, Tevye's daughter; Sarah Ziegler playing the part of Chava, Tevye's daughter; David Kolb '02 playing the part of Motel Kamzoil, a tailor; and Michael O'Leary '04 playing the part of Perchik, a student.
This production of Fiddler on the Roof, performed by the Hamilton College Choir, is directed by G. Roberts Kolb, and choreographed by Nichole Caporusso '02 . The performance runs Friday and Saturday, Feb. 8 and 9 at 8 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 10 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $7 adult, $5 senior and students, and $3 Hamilton College students. To reserve tickets or for more information, call the performing arts ticket office at 859-4331.
