Fiddler on the Roof – A Musical

Media Release – (August 2008)

Fiddler on the Roof – A Musical

With assistance from Showbiz Christchurch, 2nd year students from CPIT’s National Academy of Song and Dramatic Art (NASDA) will perform one of the most cherished musicals of all time, the internationally acclaimed, Fiddler on the Roof.

After weeks of rehearsals, the students are now ready to perform their modest interpretation of the award-winning Broadway musical that, even though will be short of the glamorous trimmings of an actual Broadway show, is predicted to captivate audiences from start to finish.

For those unfamiliar with the story, director Angela Johnson’s synopsis of the musical is compelling to say the least.

“Fiddler on the Roof is a story that is as relevant today as the time it was written. It’s about a group of people displaced from their home and traditions, and about values at a time, like today, where there is confusion over those values. Essentially, it’s about the breaking down of traditions when some are still trying to uphold these traditions,” she says.

"It’s about a man and his relationship with his family, his people, the enemies of his people and his special relationship with God. It’s about love of man, woman, of men for their fellow men, and for their birthplace. It’s about pride, dignity, sorrow and oppression. It actually takes place in a small village in Czarist, Russia, called Anatevka, but actually, it takes place everywhere.”

As part of their research during the rehearsal process, both production staff and students sought guidance from the local Hebrew community to ensure the authenticity of their performance.

“We involved members of the Hebrew congregation in our research. They helped us with the Jewish customs and traditions which we needed to faithfully reproduce in the piece, and they also helped us with the Yiddish/Russian accent,” says Angela.

During its time, Fiddler on The Roof has collected a phenomenal amount of stage and screen awards including five Oscars and nine Tony awards. It is one of the longest running musicals in Broadway history with more than 3,400 international stage performances to its name.

“This is a much-loved musical and story based on the story written by Sholom Aleichem, a composer of Yiddish tales. The music is beautiful and also much-loved, with many well known songs coming from it such as Sunrise, Sunset and If I Were a Rich Man.”

• Fiddler on the Roof opens on Monday, September 20 and runs until Thursday, September 25. For booking enquiries please see www,,,, or call ,,,,,.

ENDS

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