Fiddler on the Roof

Authors

Original Authors

...
Book
...
Lyrics
...
Music
...
Source Material

Later Contributors

This list represents writers who contributed to revisions, etc. following the original production.

...
Book (translation)
...
Lyrics (translation)
Genre: Musical Play

Score

Click on the title for info on the song.

Original score

Listed as a musical number in some productions

Cut prior to Broadway

Cut After Washington, D. C.

Cut prior to rehearsals

Cut during rehearsal

Derived from show music

Written for film version, but unused

Added to 2004 Broadway Revival

Studio Cast Recordings

Recordings listed here were done in the studio specifically to release as recordings. They do not represent cast recordings of a particular production.

Demos & Pre-Production Recordings

Authors

Original Authors

...
Book
...
Lyrics
...
Music
...
Source Material

Later Contributors

This list represents writers who contributed to revisions, etc. following the original production.

...
Book (translation)
...
Lyrics (translation)
Genre: Musical Play

Source

Based on Sholem Aleichem's Tevye Stories with permission from Arnold Perl.

Synopsis

Attempting to live a normal life filled with Jewish traditions in early twentieth century Russia, Tevye , a dairyman, is searching for appropriate husbands for his three eldest daughters – Tzeital, Hodel and Chava. In a break of tradition, his daughters refuse to accept the wishes of the matchmaker, Yente, and their father. Instead, the marry men that they love. Meanwhile, Russians are instigating terrible pogroms against the Jewish people in Russia. In the end, the Jews of Anatevka are forced to leave their homes and Tevye is determined to start a better life in a new land.

Trivia & History

  • The first version of “Anatevka'” was a happy song, a portion of which was slowed down and became the basis for the final version. It was always thought to be titled 'Letters from America' because those words begin the first stanza and the very last stanza. Sheldon Harnick, in checking his records, found (to his own surprise) that “Letters from America” (written in 1962) was never the title and that it was called “Anatevka” from the very beginning (including the Detroit tryout program).
  • It should be noted there were five versions of “Anatevka.” Some were very similar to others, and all of them used some of the same elements. Yet the first version is so different from the final they might as well be two different songs.
  • The song “Fiddler on the Roof” was not written for the show. Rather, it was a song written for the vocal-selections book, using the music sometimes called the “Fiddler's Theme,” used at the start of “Tradition,” in the daughters section of “Tradition,” and in the “Epilogue.” While the music was used in the show, the lyrics for the song titled “Fiddler on the Roof” in sheet music were not. The music for the theme was also used in the middle section of a cut song titled "We've Never Missed a Sabbath Yet."
  • In early Detroit programs, “A New World” was in the list of musical numbers, but no song with that title was ever written. It was a provisional title for a song that the authors thought they might write in time for the Detroit opening, but the song was never written.
  • There were many additional unused songs. Most were written very early and were discarded before rehearsals started. 

Other Titles

  • Anatevka (German title)
  • El violinista en el tejado (Spanish title)
  • Fiedler auf dem Dach (Title of some German-language productions)
  • Sumar na Strese (Czech title)
  • Tevye (working title)
  • Tevye and his Daughters (working title)
  • Un violon sur le toit (French title)

Audio Clips

No audio yet.