FIDDLER ON THE ROOF With Harvey Fierstein Plays The Ellie Caulkins Opera House, 5/18-5/23

"Without our traditions, our lives would be as shaky as...as a FIDDLER ON THE ROOF," announces Tevye, a humble milkman from the Russian village of Anatevka. And so begins a tale of love and laughter, devotion and defiance, and changing traditions.

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, the Tony Award®-winning musical that has captured the hearts of people all over the world with its universal appeal, embarks on its North American tour. In what is a huge theatrical feat, audiences will have a once in a lifetime opportunity to see Jerome Robbins' original Broadway direction and choreography, complete with the star of the record-breaking Broadway production, Harvey Fierstein. FIDDLER ON THE ROOF plays the Ellie Caulkins Opera House May 18-23. Single tickets go on sale Sunday, April 4 at www.denvercenter.org or by phone and walk-up Monday, April 5 at 10am.

Denver audiences now have the rare opportunity to see the Tony Award-winner embrace one of his favorite roles in this Jerome Robbins-inspired production. Taking a revolutionary look at the doting father, Mr. Fierstein appeals to a whole new generation with his reinvention of the character. Having won four Tony Awards including Best Book of a Play and Best Actor in a Play for Torch Song Trilogy, Mr. Fierstein recreated the role in the film adaptation of that script, winning him an Independent Spirit Award nomination as Best Male Lead. His most recent win was the 2003 Tony for Best Actor in a Musical for the Broadway production of Hairspray. In addition to his stage appearances, Mr. Fierstein can be seen on the upcoming seasons of Nurse Jackie and How I Met Your Mother.

A perennial hit since it first opened in 1964, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF has enjoyed critical acclaim for bringing to the stage a poignant story about the enduring bonds of the family. Now, the national touring production of this timeless musical brings the wit and wisdom of Tevye and his family to audiences throughout the United States with the reproduction of Jerome Robbins' famous masterpiece.

In 1965 Jerome Robbins won matching Tony Awards for his direction and choreography of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF. In this national tour, both are recreated by director Sammy Dallas Bayes, choreographer of the Broadway revival.

Tevye's wrestling with the new customs of a younger generation is punctuated by an unforgettable score that weaves the haunting strains of "Sunrise, Sunset" and the rousing "If I Were A Rich Man" with the exuberant "Matchmaker, Matchmaker" and triumphant "Tradition." When his daughters choose suitors who defy his idea of a proper match, Tevye comes to realize, through a series of incidents that are at once comic and bittersweet, that his children will begin traditions of their own. At the story's close, the villagers of Anatevka are forced to leave their homes and even the sturdy mores that have guided everyday life begin to crumble. Paradoxically, it is the enforced loss of the rigid traditions and home life that Tevye has tried so tenaciously to preserve that leads the family to reconcile and draw closer still.

Single tickets for FIDDLER ON THE ROOF start at just $15. To charge by phone, call Denver Center Ticket Services at 303.893.4100. TTY (for Deaf and hard-of-hearing patrons): 303.893.9582. Groups of 15 or more, please call 303.446.4829. Tickets may also be purchased at the Denver Center Ticket Office, located at the Helen Bonfils Theatre Complex Lobby, or at TicketsWest outlets, located in all King Soopers stores. Buy and print online at www.denvercenter.org.

A VIP Evening, complete with a pre-show cocktail party, catered dinner and orchestra seats, is scheduled for Friday, May 21. Tickets are $225 and available at 303.446.4815 or denvercenter.org/vipevenings.

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF is sponsored in Denver by HealthONE and is an added attraction in the Denver Center Attractions 2010 season, which is generously supported by United Airlines. Media sponsorship for DCA is provided by The Denver Post, CBS4 and Denver Magazine. The Denver Center for the Performing Arts is supported in part by the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District. Please visit our website at www.denvercenter.org.

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