The Fiddler on the Roof

Fiddler on the Roof
Playbill from the Original Broadway Production
Music	Jerry Bock
Lyrics	Sheldon Harnick
Book	Joseph Stein
Basis	Tevye and His Daughters by Sholem Aleichem
Productions	1964 Broadway 1967 West End 1971 film 1976 Broadway revival 1981 Broadway revival 1983 West End revival 1990 Broadway revival 1994 West End revival 2003 UK tour 2004 Broadway revival 2007 West End revival 2008 UK tour 2009 US Tour 2015 Broadway revival
Awards	Tony Award for Best Musical Tony Award for Best Score Tony Award for Best Book

Fiddler on the Roof is a musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in the Pale of Settlement of Imperial Russia in 1905. It is based on Tevye and his Daughters (or Tevye the Dairyman) and other tales by Sholem Aleichem. The story centers on Tevye, the father of five daughters, and his attempts to maintain his Jewish religious and cultural traditions as outside influences encroach upon the family's lives. He must cope both with the strong-willed actions of his three older daughters, who wish to marry for love – each one's choice of a husband moves further away from the customs of his faith – and with the edict of the Tsar that evicts the Jews from their village.

The original Broadway production of the show, which opened in 1964, had the first musical theatre run in history to surpass 3,000 performances. Fiddler held the record for the longest-running Broadway musical for almost 10 years until Grease surpassed its run. It remains Broadway's sixteenth longest-running show in history. The production was extraordinarily profitable and highly acclaimed. It won nine Tony Awards, including Best Musical, score, book, direction and choreography. It spawned five Broadway revivals and a highly successful 1971 film adaptation, and the show has enjoyed enduring international popularity. It is also a very popular choice for school and community productions.