OCPAC presents FIDDLER ON THE ROOF Starring Film Star Topol in Farewell Tour

COSTA MESA, CA -- FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, heralded as one of the great masterpieces in American theater, will visit the Orange County Performing Arts Center August 11 - 23. Based on the Tevye stories of Sholom Aleichem, the classic musical has received a warm welcome on stages around the world since its debut. From Broadway to Finland to Japan to Mexico and South Africa, the lovable, engaging milkman named Tevye has delighted audiences with his comical and wise observations on the family, marriage and traditions.

In what is a huge theatrical feat, Chaim Topol, the man who embodied the role of Tevye in the 1971 Oscar®-nominated film, will reprise his iconic role for this national tour stop. He joins this tour on the heels of a successful short tour in the South Pacific. In the Spring of 1972, Topol won a Golden Globe® Award and was nominated for an Oscar® in the Best Actor category for his performance in the film version. In 1983, he reprised the role of Tevye in a London revival and in 1990, he again played the part in a Broadway revival and was nominated for a Tony® Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical.

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF boasts a familiar score, written by composer Jerry Bock and lyricist Sheldon Harnick. The musical is comprised of a string of hits including “Sunrise, Sunset,” “Matchmaker, Matchmaker,” “If I Were A Rich Man” and “Do You Love Me?” One of the longest running musicals during its original Broadway run in 1964, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF enjoyed renewed success in its recent 2004 revival starring Alfred Molina (and later Harvey Fierstein and Rosie O'Donnell), proving that this show, with its universal themes, transcends the times in which it was written and is destined to be a favorite for generations.

Faithfully recreating Jerome Robbins’ award-winning direction and choreography for this tour is director Sammy Dallas Bayes, choreographer of the recent Broadway revival. In 1965, Robbins won matching Tony® Awards for his direction and choreography of the original Broadway production. It won a total of nine Tony® Awards including Best Musical. The show ran a then record-setting total of 3,242 performances (it remains in the top 15 longest running shows on Broadway). The original cast included Tony® winner Zero Mostel as Tevye, Tony® winner Maria Karnilova as Golde, Bea Arthur as Yente the matchmaker (later replaced by Florence Stanley), and Bert Convy as Perchik. Joanna Merlin originated the role of Tzeitel, but was later replaced by a young Bette Midler.

Tickets to FIDDLER ON THE ROOF performances at the Orange County Performing Arts Center are $20 – $75 and are available online, in-person at the Center’s Box Office at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa, or by calling (714) 556-2787.

Visit www.ocpac.org for more information. For information on the national tour, visit www.fiddlerontour.com

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Photo: Topol as Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof.
Photo credit: Joan Marcus.

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