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The Jewish Chronicle

On this day: Fiddler on the Roof opens on Broadway

September 22 1934: A tradition begins

September 22, 2010 11:32
Fiddler Zero Mostel

By

Jennifer Lipman,

Jennifer Lipman

1 min read

With songs including If I were a rich man and Matchmaker, Matchmaker, it has become one of most popular shows in history and been revived across the world.

Set against the backdrop of Tsarist Russia and the pogroms, the show had its origins in the Shalom Aleichem story Tevye and his daughters, and took its title from Marc Chagall’s painting The Fiddler.

The tale of family life in Anatevka became the first musical in Broadway history to run for more than 3,000 performances and won nine Tony awards.