# Fidler Afn Dakh

Fidler Afn Dakh (פידלער אויפן דאך) is a Yiddish-language adaptation of the musical Fiddler on the Roof translated and adapted by Shraga Friedman. The adaptation revisits the 1894 collection of Yiddish short stories on which Fiddler on the Roof is based, about Tevye the Dairyman. Friedman created the translation for a 1965 Israeli production. It was produced by the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene (NYTF) in New York City in 2018 and transferred off-Broadway to Stage 42 in 2019.

## Productions
### Original Production (Israel)

The first Yiddish-translated production opened on June 7, 1965 at the Alhambra Theatre in Tel Aviv.
The production was directed by Richard Altman and choreographed by Tom Abbott.
A cast recording, published by Columbia Records, was released the same year.

### North American Premiere

The first North American production was produced by the NYTF at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York City, directed by Joel Grey, featuring musical staging and choreography by Staś Kmieć in the style of the original. Motl Didner and Sabina Brukner served as Yiddish coaches.
The production was accompanied by English and Russian supertitles.
The first preview was on July 4, 2018. Opening night was July 15, 2018. The show was scheduled to run for 6 weeks until August 26, 2018, but was extended three times, through the end of 2018, until it was transferred uptown to a commercial Off-Broadway theatre. (See below)

### Off Broadway Commercial Premiere

After 4 successful extensions, the Folksbiene's production was converted to a commercial run and transferred to Stage 42 by producers Hal Luftig and Jana Robbins in February 2019. The production featured new musical staging and choreography by Staś Kmieć set design by Beowulf Boritt, costumes by Ann Hould-Ward, sound by Dan Moses Schreier and lighting by Peter Kaczorowski. The production continued to be accompanied by English and Russian supertitles.
A cast recording was released digitally on August 9, 2019 and was released physically on August 23 that same year. The production was announced to close January 5, 2020.

### Other Productions

In August 2019 it was announced that the production would have its Australian premiere, to be staged by Opera Australia and the Gordon Frost Organisation. The Australian production was scheduled to open at the Sydney Opera House in September 2020, followed by a run in Melbourne at the Comedy Theatre in November. However, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the cancellation of both openings.

### Off-Broadway 2022 Revival

On July 25, 2022, the NYTF announced a revival of the production featuring Steven Skybell returning as Tevye and Joel Grey as director. It ran from November 13, 2022 through January 1, 2023 at New World Stages.

## Casts

| Role | Original Production (Israel, 1965) | North American Premiere (National Yiddish Theater Folksbiene, 2018) | Off-Broadway (Stage 42, 2019) | Off-Broadway Revival (New World Stages, 2022) |
| Tevye | Shmuel Rodensky | Steven Skybell | Steven Skybell | Steven Skybell |
| Golde | Lya Dulitzkaya | Jennifer Babiak | Jennifer Babiak | Jennifer Babiak |
| Tsaytl | | Rachel Zatcoff | Rachel Zatcoff | Rachel Zatcoff |
| Hodl | Etty Grottes | Stephanie Lynne Mason | Stephanie Lynne Mason | Stephanie Lynne Mason |
| Khava | Tirza Arbel | Rosie Jo Neddy | Rosie Jo Neddy | Rosie Jo Neddy |
| Yente | | Jackie Hoffman | Jackie Hoffman | Lisa Fishman |
| Motl Kamzoyl | Albert Cohen | Ben Liebert | Ben Liebert | Ben Liebert |
| Pertshik | | Daniel Kahn | Drew Seigla | Drew Seigla |
| Fyedka | | Cameron Johnson | Cameron Johnson | Michael Nigro |
| Lazar-Volf | Chaim Polani | Bruce Sabath | Bruce Sabath | Bruce Sabath |
| Bubbe Tsaytl | Rosa Barenblatt | Mary Illes | Lisa Fishman | |
| Fruma-Sore | | Jodi Snyder | Jodi Snyder | Jodi Snyder |
| Sheyndl | | Joanne Borts | Joanne Borts | |
| Chaim | | Josh Dunn | | |
| Avram | | Kirk Geritano | Kirk Geritano | Kirk Geritano |
| Mordcha | | Michael Yashinsky | Mikhl Yashinsky | Mikhl Yashinsky |
| Bielke | | Samantha Hahn | Samantha Hahn | |
| Sasha | | Evan Mayer | Evan Mayer | Jonathan Cable |
| Shprintze | | Raquel Nobile | Raquel Nobile | Raquel Nobile |
| Yosl | | Nick Raynor | Nick Raynor | Nick Raynor |
| Der Rov | | Adam B. Shapiro | Adam B. Shapiro | Adam B. Shapiro |
| Mendl | | James Monroe Števko | James Monroe Števko | James Monroe Števko |
| Der Fidler | Yaacov Maman | Lauren Jeanne Thomas | Lauren Jeanne Thomas | Lauren Jeanne Thomas |

## Awards

The production won the 2019 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revival of a Musical, the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Revival of a Musical, and the New York Critics Circle citation for Best Revival of a Musical.