Fiddler On The Roof

"The superb new production certainly honors the show’s ebullience of spirit…But as directed by Bartlett Sher with his customary sensitivity, this multihued staging moves to a heart-stopping conclusion.…It’s just a musical, no? Yes, but what a musical. The score enters your bloodstream, indelibly, upon a single hearing...And Joseph Stein’s book miraculously blends borscht belt humor with a moving depiction of Tevye’s conflicted heart." Full Review

"Positively transcendent — a luminous new view on a timeless tale…No element of the production better represents the happy synthesis of old and new than Hofesh Shechter's vibrant choreography…Shechter and Sher offer this story of a traditional society at the precipice as something universal, without negating the play's indelible Jewish identity...Sher endows this beautiful and timely production with a sense of optimism and continuity." Full Review

"An exemplary revival, especially focused on the solidly acted and deeply thoughtful performances...This time around there's more grounded focus on Tevye's emotional conflict….A wonderful, character-driven score...Sung and acted splendidly. 'Fiddler' is a great example of intelligent, literate musical theatre that invigorates the heart and entertains the spirit. But it has to be done right. Some details can be argued, but overall, Bartlett Sher has done it right." Full Review

"Bartlett Sher’s magnificent, life-affirming revival…Rich ambivalence runs through much of Sher’s elegant and deeply satisfying staging…This revival is splendidly acted…Revelatory direction, eloquent visuals and that sublime klezmer-inflected score —what more do you need? A great Tevye, and Burstein is nothing short of a miracle, finding the modern mensch in Tevye, as well as the hard-nosed, belief-bound peasant." Full Review

"The best 'Fiddler' we've seen since the original…'Fiddler' continues Sher's streak with revivals of musical classics…The new dances are lively and evocative…The company is generally strong, although Burstein is in a class by himself…Here we have a new 'Fiddler' which should thrill audiences who are getting their first look at the iconic favorite, while at the same time reinforcing the wonders of Bock & Harnick's classic for old friends and fans." Full Review

"Some may take exception to some of Sher’s tinkering with the template of the beloved title, but few will find fault in Burstein’s gentle, lovable man of faith…Other touches seem unfinished, unclear or labored…Registering strongest among the new perspectives are the new movements and dances…Most of the cast breathes natural air into the production — sometimes with idiosyncratic touches that pop, and a few that fall flat…But in the end it’s Burstein who carries the show." Full Review

"That red parka even lends a splash of color to Sher’s elegant, well-acted, if not especially distinct revival...He conjures graceful and truthful performances from his actors and draws humor from their humanity." Full Review

"The biggest surprise of a production directed by Bartlett Sher, is how ultimately unexceptional his 'Fiddler' feels...I wondered during the show whether the cast had been under-rehearsed...The fiddler in this production at one point flies in the air. This is again, perhaps a way to underscore how rootless Tevye and the rest of the villagers are – and again, an embellishment not needed, given the clear message from the script...But Danny Burstein does make this 'Fiddler' worth seeing." Full Review

"A new production of that oft-revived classic, 'Fiddler on the Roof,' that is original, vibrant, and, at times, surprisingly disturbing...Everything in Sher's production feels freshly imagined; everyone involved seems determined to scrub away any excessive nostalgia...There is plenty here to entice the most ardent fan of 'Fiddler on the Roof'...But never before has the sense been so strongly articulated that time is running out on Tevye, Golde, their daughters, and their neighbors." Full Review

"Sher's staging mines every dramatic nuance and every ounce of character-based humor in Joseph Stein's indestructible book…The dancing is simply extraordinary…The revival owes much of its emotional heft to impeccable casting..The duality of humor and horror is essential to 'Fiddler,' and as in every other aspect, this superb production captures that balance with enormous soulfulness...The show also closes the Broadway year on a magnificent note." Full Review

“This production, intelligent and imaginative though it is, falls short of the mark, and the reasons why it does so say something revealing about the appeal of the show itself...Such things ought to make us weep—and in this production, they don’t... mostly, I think, because Mr. Sher has throttled back the feelings too far. One feels distant from his 'Fiddler,' neatly framed as it is by the vaulting proscenium arch of the Broadway Theatre, which is too big for the show." Full Review

"Bartlett Sher respects the material while enlivening it. The scenes are staged with acute sensitivity, while a full orchestra plays the timeless score…Less successful is the spare visual design, in which two-dimensional, floating pieces of scenery are pitted against a gray brick wall…Bottom line: except for the questionable design, this is a superb production of one of the greatest musicals of all time with an exceptional cast." Full Review

"This return to Tevye and his isolated, increasingly beleaguered Anatevka is perfectly respectful. It should more than satisfy those audiences familiar with it as well as audiences who’ve never seen it before...Burstein also fronts a cast in which every member is up to the task...Sher and Shechter stage a tableau that instantly conjures the refugees from the Syrian conflict now treading across Europe. If only for this reason, this 'Fiddler' is forever." Full Review

"Works well enough in the dialogue scenes, admittedly among the very best I've seen in any 'Fiddler'…But when the music starts, Sher and his choreographer, Hofesh Shechter make sure any and all energy and feeling evaporate...Flaccid new dance arrangements and uninspired new orchestrations further denude the show. Michael Yeargan's scenic design is lazy, too…Most of the performances are uncomfortably in line with Sher's depressive vision." Full Review

"It is a sober revival, unsentimental, yet headstrong and emotionally charged...The down side of staging a mostly serious 'Fiddler' is that the more broadly comic characters pay a price...Act One takes its sweet time in surrendering its pleasures...Act Two, on the other hand, feels in a hurry to get the audience out before the three hour mark...Hofesh Shechter’s sharp-edged choreography is thrilling." Full Review

"One of the great and most enduring Broadway musicals. The new revival does a fine job mining this rich vein of material…Performances are very good, as is the lively dancing choreographed by Hofesh Schechter that taps tradition and some contemporary moves. But the curious scenery often gets in the show’s way. It makes for a distracting, busy and slow-pokey production of a tightknit musical." Full Review

"A well-meaning but only intermittently inspired production...Choreographer Schechter has replaced Robbins’ evocative physical lyricism with caricature...Too often I had the impression of lines being recited rather than felt, and of lyrics being presented, rather than sung...In making a blunt connection between the deported Jews of Anatevka and today’s global tragedy of exile and dislocation, Sher does himself and this indestructible show a disservice. We’re smarter than that." Full Review

"As he did with 'The King and I', 'South Pacific' and 'Golden Boy' Bartlett Sher has brought his own vision to this production and yet remained true to the show's view of tradition as ongoing, changing and ever meaningful to people of all faiths…Despite more than a quarter century of Teyves, the role now seems written for Danny Burstein...He connects so fully and naturally with the audience that his comic reflections on life seem as much with them as with God." Full Review

"If the show has one flaw it is that the one hour and 40 minute first act seems long, but the shorter, fast-moving second act with its many events surely makes up for it. The ending is extremely moving and will have many theatergoers on the brink of tears...Bartlett Sher’s revival has the depth of a straight play and may be the best sung 'Fiddler' in recent memory. Danny Burstein, Jessica Hecht and cast make one fall in love with this musical all over again." Full Review

"Vibrant and brilliant and heartfelt...The only odd note in this show is Golde, who is too shrill and one dimensional, and struggles with the vocal requirements. She never reveals her crusted-over warmth and her duet with Tevye is consequently underwhelming. But brilliant touches are everywhere elsewhere...It all adds up to a remarkable achievement. From the first moment to the profound last, this 'Fiddler on the Roof' is a triumph. The show is the star." Full Review

"Broadway has seen more visually beautiful stagings of 'Fiddler,' and there definitely have been funnier ones. But Sher achieves a dramatic coherence that appreciates the musical’s showbiz qualities but honors the authenticity of its humanity…What the production does not have is the stunning originality that made Sher’s other big revivals singular. Michael Yeargan’s sets lack character...Worse, much worse, are the busy, wiggly-armed, contorted dances." Full Review

"With its wonderful music and lyrics the show is virtually indestructible…Bartlett Sher, who has so adeptly directed revivals of classic musicals at Lincoln Center, does not disappoint...Ultimately, the show’s success rests on its Tevye. Danny Burstein is superb, offering more humanity and less shtick than some of his predecessors…The show’s emotional highlights worked their usual magic on me. It’s good to have this stellar example of the golden age of American musicals back in town." Full Review

"The revival of 'Fiddler on the Roof' is wonderful — not because it offers a wildly different take on the popular musical, but by revealing the heart and soul of the story in such a fresh way...The production runs almost three hours, but it moves so smoothly, it seems much shorter." Full Review

"This new 'Fiddler,' gorgeous and affecting, is a respectful staging of the Jerry Bock-Sheldon Harnick classic, with modernities here and there to keep us on our toes…Burstein is the real deal, a vital, yet eminently relatable Tevye...Sher’s 'Fiddler' is a directorial feat, even if some of his choices will spark debate. I had mixed feelings about Michael Yeargan’s scene design…Sher’s staging was a welcome reminder of the ways the musical has permeated into our lives." Full Review

"When done properly, 'Fiddler on the Roof' has a spectrum of ingredients that make one laugh, cry and appreciate the struggles of Jews. In this production, the added wrap-around intro and closing are superfluous...The power of the show speaks for itself, as art should, and an aware audience can make the connection without the need for a contrived exclamation point." Full Review