On January 5, 2020, A Fiddler Afn Dakh, better known as Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish, will play its final performance Off-Broadway at Stage 42 in Midtown.
The production from National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene was a surprise smash hit in the summer of 2018 when it began performances in a limited run at the Museum of Jewish Heritage downtown. The production extended four times before transferring to Stage 42, where it officially re-opened February 21, 2019. The Off-Broadway run then extended from June 30, 2019, to September 1, 2019, and then again to its final date: January 5.
Directed by Oscar and Tony winner Joel Grey, the production stars Steven Skybell as Tevye, Jennifer Babiak as his wife Golde, and Emmy nominee and Broadway veteran Jackie Hoffman as village gossip and matchmaker Yente. Skybell was nominated for a 2019 Drama Desk Award for his performance and won the 2019 Lucille Lortel Award for Best Lead Actor in a Musical.
READ: After a Lifelong Quest to Play Tevye, Steven Skybell's Prayers Were Answered
The production won the 2019 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revival of a Musical, the 2019 Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Musical Revival, and a 2019 New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award Special Citation.
READ: Why Off-Broadway’s Fiddler on the Roof Is the Most Authentic Production You’ll See
The cast also features Joanne Borts, Michael Einav, Lisa Fishman, Kirk Geritano, Abby Goldfarb, Samantha Hahn, Cameron Johnson, John Giesige, Ben Liebert, Moshe Lobel, Stephanie Lynne Mason, Evan Mayer, Rosie Jo Neddy, Raquel Nobile, Jonathan Quigley, Nick Raynor, Grant Richards, Bruce Sabath, Kayleen Seidl, Drew Seigla, Adam B. Shapiro, Jodi Snyder, James Monroe Števko, Ron Tal, Lauren Jeanne Thomas, Bobby Underwood, Mikhl Yashinsky, and Rachel Zatcoff.
Written by Joseph Stein with music by Jerry Bock and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, the production from NYTF is presented in Yiddish with English and Russian supertitles. Harnick and original producer Harold Prince consulted on this production.
The creative team also features Tony-winning set designer Beowulf Boritt, Tony-winning costume designer Ann Hould-Ward, choreographer Staś Kmieć, Tony-nominated sound designer Dan Moses Schreier, and Tony-winning lighting designer Peter Kaczorowski. Casting is by Jamibeth Margolis, C.S.A, and Zalmen Mlotek is NYTF's artistic director.
Throughout its run, Fiddler partnered with numerous organizations as part of a mission of outreach to the community. In honor of World Refugee Day June 20, the production welcomed an audience of refugees to attend the show and engage in community-building activities around their immigration experiences. In November, Fiddler partnered with the YES Project for a benefit performance and event to support the initiative that joins mental health, legal, and human rights experts to address prejudices and increased risks for the LGBTQ+ community.
NYTF’s Fiddler released a cast recording August 23, 2019. The cast also performed at the 2018 Red Bucket Follies and 2019 Easter Bonnet competition. Most recently, they won the award for Best Onstage Presentation at the 2019 Red Bucket Follies; they were also named the first runner-up fundraiser in the Off-Broadway Play or Musical category, having raised $68,295 for Broadway Cares.
