Fiddler On The Roof Background Information

Fiddler on the roof based on the short story tevye and his daughters by sholom aleichem 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.

Fiddler on the roof background information.

A cultural history of fiddler on the roof. Fiddler on the roof is based on tevye or tevye the dairyman and his daughters a series of stories by sholem aleichem that he wrote in yiddish between 1894 and 1914 about jewish life in a village in the pale of settlement of imperial russia at the turn of the 20th century. It is also influenced by life is with people by mark zborowski and elizabeth herzog. From 1880 to 1920 when there was a political social crisis the russian government would incite the population against the jews trying to divert its attention from the real problems.

With topol norma crane leonard frey molly picon. Directed by norman jewison. Fiddler on the roof is a 1971 american epic musical comedy drama film produced and directed by norman jewison it is an adaptation of the 1964 broadway musical of the same name with music composed by jerry bock lyrics by sheldon harnick and screenplay by joseph stein and based on stories by sholem aleichem starring topol norma crane leonard frey molly picon and paul mann the film. In prerevolutionary russia a jewish peasant contends with marrying off three of his daughters while growing anti semitic sentiment threatens his village.

The events related in the fiddler on the roof take place in anatevka a fictional town inside the pale during the year of 1905. Songwriters jerry bock and sheldon harnick. Fiddler on the roof was based on a series of stories written by the jewish mark twain like samuel clemens sholem rabinovich was better known by his pen name. Touching audiences worldwide with its humor warmth and honesty this universal show is a staple of the musical theatre canon.