Wonder of Wonders: A Cultural History of ‘Fiddler on the Roof’

After Fiddler on the Roof opened on Broadway in 1964, it became the longest-running show of its day, winning Tony Awards in nine categories in 1965. NPR called it one of the “100 most important American musical works of all time,” and the American Film Institute named the movie version one of the “100 most inspiring films of all times.” Long after Sholem Aleichem wrote a story in 1894 featuring Tevye the milkman, the tale about Jewish identity, the conflict between generations, and the deep importance of community and family lives on in several hundred annual theatrical performances by local theaters, and the movie version spawned numerous kitschy keepsakes as well as a MAD magazine parody. In this flat study, drama critic Solomon traces in exhaustive and exhausting detail the life of Aleichem’s story from its earliest production to its time on Broadway and subsequent movie version, covering its production and reception abroad as well. She carefully describes Jerome Robbins’s direction and choreography, and his brilliant casting of Zero Mostel as Tevye, as well as Jerry Bock (music) and Sheldon Harnick’s (lyrics) contribution of such songs as “Sabbath’s Prayer,” “Tevye’s Dream,” and “Sunrise, Sunset” to the world of popular music. Although Solomon’s telling lacks cohesion, she nevertheless captures the fascination and wonder that Fiddler on the Roof continues to exert over us. (Oct.)