Fiddler on the Roof begins performances this week at Barrington Stage Company, the Berkshire theatre company that is best known for its sterling revivals of classic musicals. BSC also schedules interesting special events around them to bring its supporters closer to each musicals place in history. Needless to say, Fiddler has its own unusual events, including – such a deal – lower ticket prices for opening weekend, cajoling Fiddler’s lyricist Sheldon Harnick to make the trek to Pittsfield to talk with us, and hosting a celebration of Yiddish folklore and klezmer music with Seth Rogovoy.

These have been in the works for weeks, but have finally been confirmed by Julianne Boyd, Artistic Director, and Tristan Wilson, Managing Director of Barrington Stage Company.

June 17 at 3pm
Conversations with….Fiddler on the Roof Lyricist Sheldon Harnick

Moderated by Tony-winning Composer/Lyricist William Finn. Join us at the Mainstage for a once-in-a-lifetime event! Tony-winning composer/lyricist William Finn (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee) interviews the great American lyricist and three-time Tony Award-winner Sheldon Harnick on his life and career and his experience creating Fiddler on the Roof with composer Jerry Bock and librettist Joseph Stein. BSC Mainstage, 30 Union Street, FREE; general admission seating. While all “Conversations with…” events are free, reservations are highly recommended and can be made by calling the Box Office at 413-236-8888.

June 26
Post Show Discussion

Following the Tuesday 7pm performance.

July 8
A Celebration of Yiddish Folkore and Music

New Riffs on Everyone’s Favorite Yiddish Story with Aaron Lansky, Founder and President, Yiddish Book Center, Amherst, MA. Sunday at 3pm. Mainstage, 30 Union Street, Pittsfield. Fiddler on the Roof is warm, familiar and fun – but it’s a far cry from the stories by Sholom Aleichem on which it’s based. In this lively presentation Lansky will explore the deeper meaning of those rollicking and often profoundly unsettling tales. Free (reservations recommended).

July 9
Fiddler Off The Roof

A Klezmer Event with Golem and host Seth Rogovoy. Mainstage, 30 Union Street, Pittsfield. Monday at 7pm. Hailing from New York City, the acclaimed band Golem entertains with its brash, unique style of old-time klezmer, Yiddish theater music and Eastern European folk juiced with rock ‘n’ roll energy and a 21st century sensibility. Preceding the concert, host Seth Rogovoy puts the music of Fiddler on the Roof and Golem into context of hundreds of years of klezmer history in a multimedia program. This event is presented in coordination with the Yiddish Book Center’s YIDSTOCK: Festival of New Yiddish Music. Tickets: $30 and $25.

“A Celebration of Yiddish Folklore & Music” is supported in part by a grant from the Harold Grinspoon Foundation and by a grant from the Wassermann-Streit Y’DIYAH Memorial Fund (administered by the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation).

About Fiddler on the Roof

A timeless classic, Fiddler on the Roof features a score by Jerry Bock (music) and Sheldon Harnick (lyrics), with a book by Joseph Stein, based on the stories of Sholom Aleichem. One of the beloved musical scores in the history of the American theatre includes “Tradition,” “Matchmaker, Matchmaker,” “If I Were a Rich Man,” and “Sunrise, Sunset.”

Directed and choreographed by Gary John La Rosa, with music direction by Darren R. Cohen, Fiddler on the Roof stars Tony nominee Brad Oscar as Tevye. Joanna Glushak, last seen in BSC’s world premiere Ciao!, returns in the role of Golde. Also featured in the cast are: Rebecca Kuznick (Tzeitel), Dawn Rother (Chava), Stephanie Lynn Mason (Hodel), Colin Israel (Motel), Gordon Stanley (Rabbi), Rachel Coloff (Yente), Abbey Schilling (Bielke), Alex Levin (Perchik), Emma Foley (Shprintze), Travis Nesbitt (Fyedka), Jason Simon (Lazar Wolf), and Michael Scott (Constable). The ensemble includes Adam Brown, Erica Cenci, Taylor Hilt Mitchell, Jesse Coleman, Michael J. Farina (BSC’s Company, Mack and Mabel), Hannah Kiem, Andrew Mayer, Rusty Mowery, Matthew Rickard, Rebecca Stavis (Fruma Sarah), making their BSC debuts as musical theatre apprentices are Ben Holtzman, Danny Harris Kornfeld, Rebecca Kuznick, and Meagan Michelson.

About Sheldon Harnick

Sheldon Harnick (born April 30, 1924) is an American lyricist best known for his collaborations with composer Jerry Bock on hit musicals such as Fiddler on the Roof. They became what is arguably the most important musical partnership of the ’60s. Their first musical was The Body Beautiful, running for only 60 performances in 1958, but Fiorello! (1959) ran for 795 performances and won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. He also wrote two other favorites of mine, Tenderloin (1960) and She Loves Me (1963). Fiddler on the Roof (1964) became one of the most cherished of all Broadway musicals and has not been seen around these parts in a big production for quite some time.

The Schedule, Ticket Information

Fiddler on the Roof will be presented at Barrington Stage Mainstage, 30 Union Street, Pittsfield. Performances Tuesday and Wednesday at 7pm, Thursday-Saturday at 8pm, Wednesday and Friday matinees at 2pm (excluding June 13 and June 15), Sunday at 5pm. Additional Saturday matinee July 14 at 2pm. Fiddler First Weekend Special! Performances June 15-17 tickets are $30-$40. Opening Night: Sunday, June 17 at 5pm. Tickets: $15-$62. Seniors: $38 all matinees. Youth 18 and under $15 all performances except Saturday evenings. Ticket information: barringtonstageco.org. You can also call the Box Office at 413-236-8888.