Fiddler on the Roof (In Yiddish)

See it if You want to be moved by Theatre that has heart & soul & oodles of talent. Great acting, singing, staging, dancing. Beautifully done!

Don't see it if You’re antisemetic or believe there were good people on both sides in Charlottesville.

See it if You feel like you are in the town whereas the big Broadway show did not. Great singing, production.

Don't see it if If you do not like musicals.if you do not like the story.

See it if Yiddish version has an authentic feel. Excellent direction & performances. Fully fledged 3 hour version. Powerful exhibit in the lobby.

Don't see it if Given all the praise, I expected an epiphany. The show was fun but familiar. Distracting captions.

Also The lobby exhibit includes acerbic 1920’s political cartoons, and background about cruel anti-immigration sentiment at that time. Striking parallels to today.... Read more Read less

See it if u want to see a fresh (odd word, I know, for a 55yo musical set in 1905 translated into a 1000yo language) & poignant revival of a classic.

Don't see it if ur not willing to read subtitles; u seek lavish, extravagant staging & high production values; [I'm struggling for reasons not to see it.]

Also I have seen at least a dozen productions of Fiddler (including Bartlett Sher's recent Bway production). It is nothing short of a "miracle of miracles" that Joel Grey & The National Yiddish Theatre turned this classic into a refreshing and revelatory evening of theatre. The Yiddish language added a whole 'nother layer of authenticity, purity & poignancy to a time-honored musical that is already a "wonder of wonders".... Read more Read less

See it if Iconic Broadway musical goes minimal & Yiddish to exceptional results Native tongue of Tevye & Co proves to be dramatically stirring & funny

Don't see it if A non-showy production; fairly "rustic & homey" to winning results Grey's simple direction lets show breathe with migration theme resonating

See it if Yiddish Fiddler shows Jewish shtetl at turn of 20th century as world apart, movingly shows traditions under assault; excellent Tevye

Don't see it if tho not as polished as Bdway version, this stripped-down, Yiddish version goes 2 heart of show/like Yiddish, shtetl life is coming to an end

See it if you’ve seen Fiddler a hundred times but never in Yiddish. It’s its own experience. The intimacy of the theatre only enhances it.

Don't see it if you might have trouble reading supertitles for three hours.

See it if You are curious what Fiddler would have sounded like in an authentic depiction of the time and place of the show.

Don't see it if I expected to love this, but I found the subtitled English incredibly distracting. Seemed like a good HS production. Very simple sets.

Also I expected to love this show but I did not. I found listening to the Yiddish incredibly distracting. I don't need the subtitles to know what is happening in Fiddler, or even to know the words, but it was distracting to always be thinking "oh, that's how you say that in Yiddish!" Hard not to notice the subtitles half the time while watching the show. For me reading took away from the power of the show. Somehow I could not forget that I have SEEN this show in English. So hearing the other language seemed more artificial than it would if the play had originally been written in Yiddish.
I saw an understudy play Tevye. I thought he was very good, but maybe the usual Tevye would have been better?... Read more Read less

See it if you'd like a joyous evening of familiar music and extraordinary dance. It is a window into a lost culture.

Don't see it if you are put off by having to read translations while watching a live production. You are not prepared for a long evening.

See it if you'd enjoy a fine version in which the actors are young with fine dancing and singing all bringing the story a truer feel in Yiddish.

Don't see it if you do not know the story and cannot keep up with the subtitles or you cannot sit for a very long first act.

See it if Great pains taken to preserve the integrity of the piece with its Lower East Side roots. This is Skybell's and Grey's show w/ comic Hoffman.

Don't see it if Simple crumpled set could use a starch and press. The superscripts are no different from an outing to the opera or an arty film w/ captions.

Also At least one prior refresher reading or viewing of the source material is mandatory. When put into context of Yiddish and the LES, this version is a fascinating historical document.... Read more Read less

See it if A brilliant, absolutely perfect production that grabs you the second the music starts and doesn’t let go ! Yiddish a genius idea ! See it !

Don't see it if You can’t deal with a show that uses English subtitles. That is honestly the ONLY reason I can give to not see this spectacular musical !

See it if You want to see the best Tevye and cast that I have seen in any Fiddler. Yiddish adds to the authenticity. Performance is energetic!

Don't see it if You expect an elaborate set, and dislike subtitles on the sides of the stage.

See it if you want to hear the score and book in the language its characters would have spoken.

Don't see it if you don't like "Fiddler" or if you don't like reading surtitles.

Also Everything somehow seems purer and more emotionally accessible in Yiddish. The musical arrangement is excellent and the reworking of Robbins' choreography is wonderful.... Read more Read less

See it if Best of the four productions I've seen, including those w/big name superstars; excellent lovable Tevye; Yiddish makes the era more realistic

Don't see it if you do not like musicals or reading subtitles; you prefer bold, colorful sets to minimalism; This is a terrific production produced w/love.

See it if Want tender, powerful, funny, sad musical w gorgeous score, delicate direction, fine dancing. It's a timeless tale about the ties that bind.

Don't see it if If haven't liked Fiddler before, Stylized, non-existent set. It's hard to read small, dim type on side panels & watch the show at same time.

See it if The familiar musical seems a Hundert un Tsvansik times more real when performed in Yiddish, the language of Anatevke.

Don't see it if It helps to have a little Yiddish (common phrases) but not necessary since there are English subtitles and you probably know the songs.

Also Hebrew characters for Torah printed on brown paper backdrop remind how important tradition is for Tevye and his community.... Read more Read less

See it if You haven’t seen it already. Tour de force!! It’s like an opera in Yiddish w/subtitles. Choreography is brill as is direction .

Don't see it if There’s no reason shy of racism or you’re not deserving to experience it.

See it if You love Fiddler and don’t mind subtitles.

Don't see it if You mind subtitles.

See it if you love Fiddler.This is an interesting production.The kept the original Robbins choreo!!Subtitles are mildly annoying, but not too bad.

Don't see it if you want a show where you don't need to look around the characters to find the subtitles.Good production.Great choreo.

See it if you’ve never seen Fiddler done really well. It’s one of the best American musicals.

Don't see it if the gorgeous Bartlett Sher production from a couple of seasons ago is still fresh in your mind.

Also I don’t know Yiddish so to me this is like seeing any great show in translation (like The Birds in Greek or Hamlet in Danish). I can’t say the language changed my reaction to this musical—it's otherwise a very traditional production. But if you don’t mind supertitles, this is pretty much a sure bet. I tried to keep it together this time but it inevitably squeezed a few tears out of me. Skybell is an incredible Tevye.... Read more Read less

See it if even if you have seen Fiddler before. Performing it in Yiddish creates a new dimension and seems like this is the way the play should be.

Don't see it if you have a cold heart.

See it if you enjoy a great play with a deserved interpretation. Tevye steals the play, but that is how it supposed to be. A wonder.

Don't see it if dealing with subtitles is not your thing

See it if you want to see a minimalist production of Fiddler in Yiddish (with surtitles) that is inventively staged & brilliantly performed by all.

Don't see it if you think that reading surtitles would compromise your enjoyment. It didn't bother me. I can think of no other reason not to see this.

Also Joel Grey's direction & Stas Kmiec's staging were spot on. Steven Skybell was wonderfully human as Tevye. The dancing was terrific. Bravo!... Read more Read less

See it if you want the definitive Fiddler that Shalom Aleichem would have loved. Joel Grey's production is flawless.

Don't see it if reading super titles bothers you.

Also Not understanding Yiddish should not interfere with enjoying this heartfelt production. The titles are wonderfully integrated into the wings of the stage.... Read more Read less