FIDDLER ON THE ROOF to Close The Encore Musical Theatre Company's Season

The Encore Musical Theatre Company will close its 2025/26 Main Stage season with one of the most enduring and beloved musicals ever written, Fiddler on the Roof, running June 4 through July 19 in The Maas Theatre in Dexter. This new production is directed by Dan Cooney and features a cast led by Broadway veteran and renowned Cantor, Daniel Eli Friedman, as Tevye.

Set in the small village of Anatevka, Fiddler on the Roof follows Tevye, a Jewish milkman, as he struggles to balance faith, family, and tradition while his daughters challenge long-held customs in a rapidly changing world. Featuring iconic songs including "Tradition," "If I Were a Rich Man," "Matchmaker," and "Sunrise, Sunset," the musical remains as timely and moving today as when it first premiered in 1964.

"There's a reason Fiddler on the Roof has never left us," said Cooney. "It doesn't ask whether you belong - it asks how you hold on when the world insists you let go. That question feels just as urgent now as it did in 1964, and it's why we knew this had to be on our stage."

This production was inspired by contemporary stagings that revealed new layers within the classic musical. Scenic designer Sarah Tanner created an abstract ribbed roof structure that hangs over the stage throughout the production, symbolizing both shelter and pressure for the people of Anatevka.

At the center of the production is Friedman, whose personal and professional connection to the material brings added depth to the role of Tevye. A graduate of UCLA's School of Theatre, Film and Television, Friedman spent 15 years performing professionally in New York before entering the Cantorate. His theatrical credits include LES MISERABLES, Cats, and Forever Plaid. He currently serves as Cantor at Temple Ramat Zion in Northridge, California.

The cast also features Elizabeth Jaffe as Golde, Rebekah Geller as The Fiddler, and Lila Rose Harris, Lily Rosenberg, and Lily Wright as Tevye's daughters Tzeitel, Hodel, and Chava. Eve Dahlia plays Shprintze, while the role of Bielke is shared by Olive Donow and Frankie McElroy.

Additional cast members include Fred Buchalter as the Rabbi, Jason Briggs as Lazar Wolf, Erit Gill as Yente, Hayden Steiner as Motel, Kiran Behr as Perchik, Caleb Smith as Fyedka, and Keith Kalinowski as the Constable, alongside Emmanuel Morgan, David Roden, Katherine Clemons, Beth Harris, Neri Frank, Trey Perlut, Joe Solomon, and Jessie Alagna.

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