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The Fiddler on the Roof – at least the more famous version – is a 1964 musical play with music by Jerry Bock and lyrics written by Sheldon Harnick. The story for the play was written by Joseph Stein but is based on a story by Sholem Aleichem called “Tevye and his Daughters”. The play was a commercial and critical success, garnering 9 Tony Awards and becoming the first musical to be performed more than 3,000 times. It later spawned a movie adaptation that was also a success, winning 3 Academy Awards.

The story centers around a Russian Jew, Tevye, and his five daughters: Tzeitel, Hodel, Chava, Shprintze and Bielke. Tevye attempts throughout the play to teach his daughters about the Jewish culture and national identity. There is an arranged engagement that between Tzeitel, his eldest daughter, and another man. Tzeitel is still in love with her childhood love. There is love, political strife, social commentary and a lot more in this plot that would take far to much time to discuss in this brief article. This play is, hands down, one of the very best musicals – indeed, plays of any genre – of all time, and it is well worth the money to have a chance to see it, whether live or on film.