THE VIOLINIST ON THE ROOF

A two-act musical performed in Lithuanian Music by Jerry Bock Libretto by Joseph Stein (based on Sholem Aleichem’s novella “Tevye the Milkman”) Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick Libretto and lyrics translated from English by Aleksas Dabulskis The production uses original material provided under license from Music Theatre International. The musical “Fiddler on the Roof,” written in 1964 by American composer Jerry Bock, librettist Joseph Stein, and lyricist Sheldon Harnick, written in 1964, is part of the golden canon of this genre, just like the famous musicals *My Fair Lady*, “Hello, Dolly!,” “West Side Story,” and “The Sound of Music,” belongs to the golden canon of this genre. When J. Bock and S. Harnick made their debut as co-authors in 1958, they had both already achieved some success. And although the duo’s first work—the musical *The Beauty Contest*—was not a success, it drew the attention of the artistic community to this talented creative team. A year later came their great success: the musical *Fiorello!*. In it, the authors used music, poetry, and dance to tell the story of one of the most popular politicians of the time, Fiorello La Guardia, who served as mayor of New York from 1933 to 1945. The music and lyrics caused a sensation, especially the satirical scenes in the production. This stage work earned the writers, directors, and performers the highest acclaim and numerous awards. After two more, not particularly successful musicals (“The Little Match Girl” and “She Loves Me”), the writing duo turned to the short stories by the Jewish literary classic Sholem Aleichem about the life of the milkman Tevye and his family (his wife Golda and daughters Tzeitel, Hodel, Chava, Sprinze, and Bielke) in the small town of Anatevka during the Tsarist era, with the foreboding of the 1905 Revolution already in the air. The premiere of *Fiddler on the Roof* took place in September 1964. It marked the birth of one of the most striking and innovative musical theater productions, imbued with powerful humanistic ideals and accessible to audiences worldwide, regardless of race or nationality. It is a musical whose music is full of temperament and passion. In it, the listener recognizes elements of stylized Jewish folklore and old Russian romances, alongside typical contemporary themes with their characteristic rhythms, melodies, and harmonies. Many of the musical’s numbers have become universally recognized hits. These include the “Tradition” theme heard as early as the prologue, Tevye’s song “If I Were a Rich Man…,” the song “The Sun Rises, the Sun Sets…” performed by all the characters, and others. The success of this lyrical, humorous production was largely due to the mastery of director and choreographer Jerome Robbins, so it features not only singing and acting but also dance. The musical *Fiddler on the Roof* earned its co-creators numerous prestigious awards and brought them worldwide fame. In the first Broadway production, the role of Tevye was played by the renowned Zero Mostel, while his wife, Golde, was portrayed by the dancer Maria Karnilova. Encouraged by their success, the creators decided to tackle a Jewish theme again—and this time, they failed. The musical *The Rothschilds*, staged in 1970, depicted the famous Rothschild banking family from 1772 to 1818. However, the creators failed to rise above the factual narrative illustrated by songs. *The Rothschilds* lacked a surreal violinist on the roof… “Fiddler on the Roof” broke all records for success, achieving a phenomenal number of Broadway runs: over the course of nine years, it was performed 3,242 times! After its premiere, it was staged in 32 other countries, and the musical’s characters spoke 16 different languages on stage. The musical vividly captures the atmosphere of Jewish life in a small town. The leitmotif of *Fiddler on the Roof* is tradition. It is very important to the musical’s main character—the milkman Tevye. However, the old customs cannot withstand the confrontation with the younger generation, which views the world differently…