"Fiddler on the Roof" opens at Golden Gate with Sunrise, Sunset; Matchmaker; Rich Man

Fiddler on the Roof/Golden Gate Theater/Jessica Scholl, Rena Strober, Katie Babb & the Company/Photo: Joan Marcus

"Fiddler on the Roof" with Jessica Scholl, Rena Strober, Katie Babb & the Company. Photo: Joan Marcus

Harvey Fierstein in North American Tour of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF
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PLAYING THE GOLDEN GATE THEATRE
JANUARY 27 – FEBRUARY 21, 2010
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SAN FRANCISCO…Harvey Fierstein the Tony Award winner appears in the North American tour of the Tony award-winning musical FIDDLER ON THE ROOF. Chaim Topol, regrettably informed the show’s producers he would have to leave the production due to a shoulder injury requiring emergency long term treatment.

Fiddler on the Roof/GG Theater/Harvey Fierstein/Photo: FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, the perennial and poignant musical about the enduring bonds of the family, will play the Golden Gate Theatre beginning January 27 through February 21. FIDDLER ON THE ROOF is presented as a part of the 2009-2010 Citibank Best of Broadway series under the direction of Carole Shorenstein Hays.

Mr. Fierstein starred as the iconic milkman, Tevye in the recent critically acclaimed Broadway production. Audiences now have the rare opportunity to see this Tony Award-winning actor embrace one of his favorite roles in this Jerome Robbins inspired production.

Mr. Fierstein has won four Tony awards including two for Torch Song Trilogy as both writer (Best Book of a Play) and actor (Best Actor in a Play). His most recent win was the 2003 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for the Broadway production of Hairspray. In addition to his Tony Award-winning role in the Torch Song Trilogy, Mr. Fierstein recreated the role in the film adaptation. Other film work includes, Mrs. Doubtfire, Woody Allen’s Bullets Over Broadway and Independence Day.

Fiddler on the Roof/GG Theater/Harvey Fierstein and the Company/Photo: Carol Rosegg

A perennial hit since it first opened in 1964, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF has enjoyed critical acclaim for bringing to the stage a passionate story about the ups and downs of family life. Now, the national touring production of this timeless musical brings the wit and wisdom of Tevye and his family to audiences throughout the United States with the reproduction of Jerome Robbins’ famous masterpiece.

In 1965 Jerome Robbins won matching Tony Awards for his direction and choreography of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF. In this National Tour, both are recreated by Director Sammy Dallas Bayes, choreographer of the Broadway Revival.

Tevye’s wrestling with the new customs of a younger generation is punctuated by an unforgettable score that weaves the haunting strains of “Sunrise, Sunset” and the rousing “If I Were A Rich Man” with the exuberant “Matchmaker, Matchmaker” and triumphant “Tradition.” When his daughters choose suitors who defy his idea of a proper match, Tevye comes to realize, through a series of incidents that are at once comic and bittersweet, that his children will begin traditions of their own. At the story’s close, the villagers of Anatevka are forced to leave their homes and even the sturdy mores that have guided everyday life begin to crumble. Paradoxically, it is the enforced loss of the rigid traditions and home life that Tevye has tried so tenaciously to preserve that leads the family to reconcile and draw closer still.

To experience what goes on backstage at SHN shows, go to http://shnsf.com/podcast/index.asp and listen to Backstage, the SHN podcast series, to hear interviews with members of the creative teams or actors for all SHN productions.

Tickets for FIDDLER ON THE ROOF range in price from $30 to $99 and beginning Sunday, Nov. 22 and may be purchased online at shnsf.com, through Ticketmaster by calling (415) 512-7770, at all Ticketmaster TicketCenters and at the Orpheum Theatre Box Office (1192 Market at 8th St., Mon-Sat 10am – 6pm). Groups of 15 or more may order now by calling Group Sales at (415) 551-2020. To learn more about FIDDLER ON THE ROOF and other SHN shows, please visit www.shnsf.com

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:
TUE – SAT @ 8PM; WED, SAT & SUN @ 2PM

SHN is the pre-eminent theatrical entertainment company in San Francisco and owns and operates the Curran, Orpheum and Golden Gate Theatres—San Francisco’s premier theatrical venues. SHN’s Best of Broadway theater series provides Bay Area audiences with pre-Broadway world premieres, original Broadway cast productions, award-winners and current hits fresh from Broadway. For information on all SHN shows, please visit shnsf.com.

Fiddler on the Roof/Harvey Fierstein as Tevya/Photo: Carol Rosegg