Fiddler on the Roof (In Yiddish) NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (1,152)
See it if you know Fiddler well and want to see a different, more minimalist take on the show with excellent acting.
Don't see it if you aren't familiar with the show and dislike reading subtitles.
See it if You want a joyous (at times) production of a classic and you don’t mind supertitles
Don't see it if Reading supertitles is a problem for you
See it if you are a fan of this musical and want to see the Yiddish version which does not disappoint. Reading translation isn't an obstacle to enjoy.
Don't see it if you don't like to read supertitles, don't like musicals, don't care about Jewish life and traditions, or you are ignorant of history. Read more
See it if you are interested in seeing a new take on a true classic. Hearing the characters speak the language they would've spoken really impacts.
Don't see it if You're unfamiliar with the story and you don't want to read through a show. Or if you're looking for a spectacle production of Fiddler.
See it if Feel like experiencing live Jewish history, the joyful wedding the painful eviction, yet relatable for a non-Jewish. Superb ensemble numbers
Don't see it if Lines/lyrics are fast, reading subtitles will miss some stage actions. Set is bare, just chairs mainly. All great actors, some sing better. Read more
See it if you love the musical
Don't see it if you do not want to read subtitles on stage
See it if Captured from the first song! well placed subtitles
Don't see it if Only critical comment is that they recited Yiddish as a foreign language...not any inflection or accent.
See it if You are familiar with the show and ready for a new prospective.
Don't see it if You don’t like to read supertitles
Critic Reviews (50)
"It is a wonder to behold...'Fiddler' is being played in the language in which it was meant to be, and it seems thoroughly natural in this appealing staging directed with sensitivity, humor, pathos and dignity by distinguished actor Joel Grey...Steven Skybell is a great Tevye. He makes the character come realistically alive...The large cast does an excellent job all around...The dancing is creative and exuberant, and the singing is tops."
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"It took me awhile to establish the right rhythm of reading and watching. But once that kicked in, I was transported...I marveled at how perfect a musical 'Fiddler on the Roof' is...This revival's success is mainly due to the direction of Joel Grey. Having his production performed in Yiddish, the language that Fiddler's characters would have spoken, obviously helps. But Grey also walks the talk and he has brought out every ounce of the underlying melancholy in this story."
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“National Yiddish Theatre Folksbeine’s glorious production of ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ in Yiddish breathes fresh life into a treasured property from the golden age of musical comedy, forcing audiences to interact anew with what is now one of the most well-known and performed musicals of all time, and providing, in return, a host of vital performances and resonant insights. It is, in short, a revelation. See it, or regret it.”
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"If you know Yiddish, it is, without question, a must-see. And if you have any hesitation about attending a three-hour show in a language you don’t speak, let me assuage your concerns immediately. You don’t have to be of any particular linguistic base, ethnicity, or religious affiliation to comprehend the beauty and significance of this work or to be touched by the characters and their story; you just have to be human...Everything is this production bespeaks accuracy and authenticity."
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"Grey sensitively gleans the right amount of comedy and drama, and knockabout humor and gnarlier pathos, from the text without overindulging any extreme...Feels like an honoring reclamation of a version of 'Fiddler,' and its real-life historical context in the Russian Pale of Settlement, rather than anything dramatically opportunistic or theatrically kitschy...The most exuberant and fabulous dance sequences this critic has seen in New York in months."
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“Dazzling...Directed with verve and style by Tony and Oscar winner Grey...The Yiddish version offers neat little twists on the language...and reconfigures numerous lines to match the rhythm and meaning in Yiddish...Excellent cast...Could have felt dated and old-fashioned, instead is very much of the moment in the wake of the immigrant and refugee crisis currently going on in America and around the world...Another big hit for the talented troupe.”
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“Under the sensitive leadership of director/actor Joel Grey, ‘Fiddler’ remains as touching as ever...You don't have to understand Yiddish to appreciate this extraordinary work about surviving the upheavals of life...You can glance at the Supertitles in English and Russian, but the show is as authentic as the language heard on the streets of Borough Park...The music is stirring with emotion.”
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"The show travels well and now resonates with a deeper emotional wallop, the actors having settled into the intricacies of performing in a language not their own...After more than six months in the role, Steven Skybell is becoming a Tevye that rivals greats like Zero Mostel and Herschel Bernardi...Tony winner Joel Grey directs with loving reverence to the show's history, but also a keen sense of its enduring relevance."
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