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Tradition!: The Highly Improbable, Ultimately Triumphant Broadway-to-Hollywood Story of Fiddler on the Roof, the World's Most Beloved Musical
Since it first opened on Broadway in September, 1964, Fiddler on the Roof has constantly been onstage somewhere, including four Broadway revivals, four productions on London's West End and thousands of schools, army bases and countries from Argentina to Japan. Barbara Isenberg interviewed the men and women behind the original production, the film and significant revivals-- Harold Prince, Sheldon Harnick, Joseph Stein, Austin Pendleton, Joanna Merlin, Norman Jewison, Topol, Harvey Fierstein and more-- to produce a lively, popular chronicle of the making of Fiddler . Published in celebration of Fiddler' s 50th anniversary, Tradition! is the book for everyone who loves Fiddler and can sing along with the original cast album.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published September 2, 2014
16 people are currently reading
673 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Isenberg
20 books2 followersBARBARA ISENBERG,is an award winning journalist and author who has been writing about theater, art, music and arts personalities for over three decades. She is the author of the Los Angeles Times best-sellers Tradition! The Highly Improbable, Ultimately Triumphant Broadway-to-Hollywood Story of "Fiddler on the Roof," The World's Most Beloved Musical, and "Conversations with Frank Gehry," as well as "Making It Big: The Diary of a Broadway Musical," and "State of the Arts: California Artists Talk About Their Work ." Her writing has appeared in the LA Times, the Wall Street Journal, Time, Esquire, The Huffington Post, and London's Sunday Times. She received a Distinguished Artist Award from the Los Angeles Music Center and has been a Visiting Scholar at the Getty Research Institute. She lives in Los Angeles.
Her newest book, Tradition!: The Highly Improbable, Ultimately Triumphant Broadway-to-Hollywood Story of Fiddler on the Roof, The World's Most Beloved Musical, is now available in paperback as well as hardback. It was first published by St. Martin's Press to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the iconic musical's Broadway debut, and is also available as an audio book from LA Theatre Works and online.
Her newest book, Tradition!: The Highly Improbable, Ultimately Triumphant Broadway-to-Hollywood Story of Fiddler on the Roof, The World's Most Beloved Musical, is now available in paperback as well as hardback. It was first published by St. Martin's Press to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the iconic musical's Broadway debut, and is also available as an audio book from LA Theatre Works and online.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
August 2, 2014
When I entered this Goodreads giveaway it was motivated by the fact I grew up in Manhattan and going to Broadway shows was as natural for me as going to the movies was to kids growing up in areas far less rich with cultural opportunities. Of course I didn't know then that not every kid had Broadway actors in their classes and that they were a couple of Peter's Lost Boys. Not every kid believed that Peter could fly but I knew he could--he flew right over my head in a darkened theatre. And not every kid saw her mother hugged by Una Merkel backstage at Mr Pennypacker, or visited with glamorous Martha Scott or twinkly Burgess Meredith.
And onward through the years, I sat enthralled or stood, in my college poor years, at the back of Broadway theatres having paid $1 for a standing room only ticket. Once, a couple who hated Stop The World, left before intermission and gave my roommate and me third row center orchestra seats for free! It was our sixth time at the show and these people hated it! LOL
But, in June 1963 I graduated college and headed off to Albany and graduate school. So when Fiddler opened I was gone. I had no interest in heading down to see it since Zero Mostel was one of my least favorite actors. I found him overblown and so much the center of attention that the rest of anything he was in was lost --the cast, the story, the sets, the music--everything and I didn't think he was funny. Around 1973 or so some friends, Jewish, wanted to go down to the city to see it. We tried but couldn't get tickets so we went to see Cabaret instead. We loved it and forgot about Fiddler.
When the movie came out, I went to see it and fell head over heels in love with everything about it. Notified I'd won the book, I began to think about the show and wondered why I, a Catholic Irish-German girl from the west side, loved this story of Jewish Russian life so much. And I realized there were several reasons---we Catholics have tons of traditions and I love the ritual of them, the Irish were treated terribly by the Brits at home and weren't very welcomed when they came to this country and boy, oh, boy my Irish-German father who was 40 when I was born wasn't having an easy time of having a 20 year old daughter in the '60's. Mom was doing better but not by much.
And then the book arrived---what a wonderful book! The play is built stone by stone--the "boys" who wrote it--Stein, Bock, Harnick--Jewish all; Jerome Robbins! an incredible choreographer; Harold Prince--a name that at the time was synonymous with Broadway--they are all there.
The casting once the show was a go, the out of town runs in Detroit and Washington DC with all the rewrites, particularly the second act. What an experience. As the book talked about all the songs that were written for the show and discarded I went in search of my vinyl cast album. Couldn't find it so stopped reading and went to Amazon, ordered the CD and downloaded it and sat listening to the whole thing. How I wish I could hear some of the rejects. But when the opening violin played and then Tradition came blasting from the speakers of my computer I knew that nothing could have been better and that the song embodied the theme of the play. And there, in that moment, like I had to agree with Sister Mary Immaculate who said the show was the most catholic musical with a little c!
The book goes on to describe the opening on Broadway, the various actors who appeared in the original run of eight years, the many permutations of the play throughout the world and the years and in every aspect the excitement keeps pace with the story.
Once Norman Jewison, not Jewish, is engaged to direct the movie version, the story becomes interesting in a whole different way. The stage, even with revolving concentric sections, is so small and limiting. It is a close, personal experience shared by actors and audience; it is intimate and emotional. A movie is more wide open and allows the story's setting to be much more defined. The actors have a much larger canvas on which to perform and the music is larger, too. Added to the art of Chagall whose work influenced so much of the staging and the writings of Sholom Aleichem which really were a very, very skeletal basis of the story,is the violin of Isaac Stern and the composition of John Williams to fill in the new spaces a movie creates. Here the excitement revolves around an international search for setting and players and it is every bit as engrossing as the back story of the Broadway production.
The coda summarizes all the various forms the revivals and world-wide productions that have ensued from the original production which opened 50 years ago.
It is a fabulous book that anyone interested in how a play is created, how it is adapted into a movie (in this case successfully, unlike the Unsinkable Molly Brown!), how it is cast and what it is like to be part of a production that has itself become part of musical theatre tradition would thoroughly enjoy. Now I'm going to YouTube to see if I can find the video of the production number the man who is responsible for In the Heights pulled together for his wife at their wedding. He used the song To Life to involve wedding party members, guests, both fathers in a huge celebration of the day. I'm dying to see Miranda's " To Life: Vanessa's Wedding Surprise"(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgZ4Z...), then I'm grabbing some popcorn and wine and settling in to watch Fiddler on the Roof for three hours. L'chaim!!
And onward through the years, I sat enthralled or stood, in my college poor years, at the back of Broadway theatres having paid $1 for a standing room only ticket. Once, a couple who hated Stop The World, left before intermission and gave my roommate and me third row center orchestra seats for free! It was our sixth time at the show and these people hated it! LOL
But, in June 1963 I graduated college and headed off to Albany and graduate school. So when Fiddler opened I was gone. I had no interest in heading down to see it since Zero Mostel was one of my least favorite actors. I found him overblown and so much the center of attention that the rest of anything he was in was lost --the cast, the story, the sets, the music--everything and I didn't think he was funny. Around 1973 or so some friends, Jewish, wanted to go down to the city to see it. We tried but couldn't get tickets so we went to see Cabaret instead. We loved it and forgot about Fiddler.
When the movie came out, I went to see it and fell head over heels in love with everything about it. Notified I'd won the book, I began to think about the show and wondered why I, a Catholic Irish-German girl from the west side, loved this story of Jewish Russian life so much. And I realized there were several reasons---we Catholics have tons of traditions and I love the ritual of them, the Irish were treated terribly by the Brits at home and weren't very welcomed when they came to this country and boy, oh, boy my Irish-German father who was 40 when I was born wasn't having an easy time of having a 20 year old daughter in the '60's. Mom was doing better but not by much.
And then the book arrived---what a wonderful book! The play is built stone by stone--the "boys" who wrote it--Stein, Bock, Harnick--Jewish all; Jerome Robbins! an incredible choreographer; Harold Prince--a name that at the time was synonymous with Broadway--they are all there.
The casting once the show was a go, the out of town runs in Detroit and Washington DC with all the rewrites, particularly the second act. What an experience. As the book talked about all the songs that were written for the show and discarded I went in search of my vinyl cast album. Couldn't find it so stopped reading and went to Amazon, ordered the CD and downloaded it and sat listening to the whole thing. How I wish I could hear some of the rejects. But when the opening violin played and then Tradition came blasting from the speakers of my computer I knew that nothing could have been better and that the song embodied the theme of the play. And there, in that moment, like I had to agree with Sister Mary Immaculate who said the show was the most catholic musical with a little c!
The book goes on to describe the opening on Broadway, the various actors who appeared in the original run of eight years, the many permutations of the play throughout the world and the years and in every aspect the excitement keeps pace with the story.
Once Norman Jewison, not Jewish, is engaged to direct the movie version, the story becomes interesting in a whole different way. The stage, even with revolving concentric sections, is so small and limiting. It is a close, personal experience shared by actors and audience; it is intimate and emotional. A movie is more wide open and allows the story's setting to be much more defined. The actors have a much larger canvas on which to perform and the music is larger, too. Added to the art of Chagall whose work influenced so much of the staging and the writings of Sholom Aleichem which really were a very, very skeletal basis of the story,is the violin of Isaac Stern and the composition of John Williams to fill in the new spaces a movie creates. Here the excitement revolves around an international search for setting and players and it is every bit as engrossing as the back story of the Broadway production.
The coda summarizes all the various forms the revivals and world-wide productions that have ensued from the original production which opened 50 years ago.
It is a fabulous book that anyone interested in how a play is created, how it is adapted into a movie (in this case successfully, unlike the Unsinkable Molly Brown!), how it is cast and what it is like to be part of a production that has itself become part of musical theatre tradition would thoroughly enjoy. Now I'm going to YouTube to see if I can find the video of the production number the man who is responsible for In the Heights pulled together for his wife at their wedding. He used the song To Life to involve wedding party members, guests, both fathers in a huge celebration of the day. I'm dying to see Miranda's " To Life: Vanessa's Wedding Surprise"(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgZ4Z...), then I'm grabbing some popcorn and wine and settling in to watch Fiddler on the Roof for three hours. L'chaim!!
July 22, 2024
Tradition!: The Highly Improbable, Ultimately Triumphant Broadway-to-Hollywood Story of Fiddler on the Roof, the World's Most Beloved Musical. It has four sections. They are beginnings, broadway, the movie, and the phenomenon. My favorite part is the one about the movie. I adored that movie ever since I watched it in the 1970’s.
November 9, 2024
Tradition! tells the story of one of Broadway’s most recognizable musicals Fiddler on the Roof from its inception to its world-wide accolades. The book is split into three parts, the first of which examines the original broadway production, second is about the film adaptation and the third highlights the musical's legendary status and international appeal. As the book wore on, my interest waned and although some of the anecdotes are interesting the overall critical analysis is lacking.
June 27, 2024
Fascinating subject matter told with a dry academic distance. Fine but could have been great.
September 4, 2014
I was excited to read this book, because Fiddler on the Roof is one of my favorite movies, and I knew very little about any of the story behind its inception, other than the fact that it was based on the stories of a certain Jewish author.
It is quite an interesting story. The book traces the journey from the writers of the original Broadway play, and its subsequent re-writings and paring down, to the movie and beyond. It was quite amusing to get a glimpse (if only a small one) of just how different the play was when it was first conceived, from what we know it as today, but it sounds like most of the changes brought about in its early months of life were much needed, and I'm glad the right people came along to guide it into what it became.
From the Broadway premiere, this story also covers the filming of the movie, Broadway revivals, and explores the continuing popularity that the story and songs have to this day.
The parts of this book that I enjoyed the most involved not only the bare-bones story of how the musical came to be, but also the stories and exploration of just what it was about this play/movie that has influenced and deeply moved so many people over the decades. I was surprised to learn that the Fiddler stage play has done very well in Japan, a culture that seems so different from the one depicted in Fiddler itself.
It seems that when they wrote Fiddler, the authors were able to use a rather isolated, seemingly small segment of a population to depict some incredibly universal themes. They were able to capture such strong emotions, such a contrast of sorrow and hope, and such major life moments in this tiny village and time period, helping us all to see how similar we are.
Fiddler on the Roof has always moved me - both the story and the music. My favorite parts of this book were the reactions - the ones that helped me see why I felt that way, and just how much I was not alone. I think that's why I read this book so quickly, and couldn't put it down. It certainly wasn't a thriller or a mystery, but I felt as though I was reading the biography of someone I really respected and admired, and wanted to see how the saga would turn out.
This book is not very long - less than 200 pages of actual story. Because of this, there were times I felt I "met" an awful lot of people in only a few pages, and while there's no way this could become a biography of everyone, or even the major players, I still at times felt a bit overwhelmed with all the names, and didn't quite feel as though I really got to know someone well enough to differentiate them by the time other names were introduced. Not a major problem, and just my personal reaction, but worth noting.
(In compliance with FTC guidelines, I disclose that I received this book for free through GoodReads' First Reads. I was not required to write a positive review.)
It is quite an interesting story. The book traces the journey from the writers of the original Broadway play, and its subsequent re-writings and paring down, to the movie and beyond. It was quite amusing to get a glimpse (if only a small one) of just how different the play was when it was first conceived, from what we know it as today, but it sounds like most of the changes brought about in its early months of life were much needed, and I'm glad the right people came along to guide it into what it became.
From the Broadway premiere, this story also covers the filming of the movie, Broadway revivals, and explores the continuing popularity that the story and songs have to this day.
The parts of this book that I enjoyed the most involved not only the bare-bones story of how the musical came to be, but also the stories and exploration of just what it was about this play/movie that has influenced and deeply moved so many people over the decades. I was surprised to learn that the Fiddler stage play has done very well in Japan, a culture that seems so different from the one depicted in Fiddler itself.
It seems that when they wrote Fiddler, the authors were able to use a rather isolated, seemingly small segment of a population to depict some incredibly universal themes. They were able to capture such strong emotions, such a contrast of sorrow and hope, and such major life moments in this tiny village and time period, helping us all to see how similar we are.
Fiddler on the Roof has always moved me - both the story and the music. My favorite parts of this book were the reactions - the ones that helped me see why I felt that way, and just how much I was not alone. I think that's why I read this book so quickly, and couldn't put it down. It certainly wasn't a thriller or a mystery, but I felt as though I was reading the biography of someone I really respected and admired, and wanted to see how the saga would turn out.
This book is not very long - less than 200 pages of actual story. Because of this, there were times I felt I "met" an awful lot of people in only a few pages, and while there's no way this could become a biography of everyone, or even the major players, I still at times felt a bit overwhelmed with all the names, and didn't quite feel as though I really got to know someone well enough to differentiate them by the time other names were introduced. Not a major problem, and just my personal reaction, but worth noting.
(In compliance with FTC guidelines, I disclose that I received this book for free through GoodReads' First Reads. I was not required to write a positive review.)
December 19, 2014
"Tradition," the story of “Fiddler on the Roof,” by Barbara Isenberg, is a winner. In an engaging style, Ms Isenberg, an award-winning journalist, guides us through the journey that transformed a group of short stories about a Russian milkman written in Yiddish by Sholem Aleichem, into an award-winning musical on the Broadway stage and later on the silver screen- a musical that is still performed and beloved worldwide.
Through interviews with the artists involved- the creators of the show and many of the performers, we learn of the delays, the indecision, the many rewrites, the endless rehearsals, the problems casting and a lot of the business that went on behind the scenes. Jerome Robbins could never make up his mind. Zero Mostel- a star larger than life became impossible to work with because he ad-libbed whenever he saw an opportunity; he was passed over for the film. The movie Tevya was Chaim Topol, an Israeli performer, just 30 years old when he auditioned,and with almost no knowledge of English. When he first met with the producers, nobody knew who he was; they were expecting a much older man.
I recommend "Tradition" to anybody who enjoys reading about show business. And to those who have already read “Wonder of Wonders” by Alisa Solomon, there is some overlap. But the approach is different (Ms Solomon is an academic, Ms Isenberg is a journalist.) And there is enough new and different material in "Tradition," that the two books complement each other.
Through interviews with the artists involved- the creators of the show and many of the performers, we learn of the delays, the indecision, the many rewrites, the endless rehearsals, the problems casting and a lot of the business that went on behind the scenes. Jerome Robbins could never make up his mind. Zero Mostel- a star larger than life became impossible to work with because he ad-libbed whenever he saw an opportunity; he was passed over for the film. The movie Tevya was Chaim Topol, an Israeli performer, just 30 years old when he auditioned,and with almost no knowledge of English. When he first met with the producers, nobody knew who he was; they were expecting a much older man.
I recommend "Tradition" to anybody who enjoys reading about show business. And to those who have already read “Wonder of Wonders” by Alisa Solomon, there is some overlap. But the approach is different (Ms Solomon is an academic, Ms Isenberg is a journalist.) And there is enough new and different material in "Tradition," that the two books complement each other.
August 1, 2014
I received Tradition! as part of a Goodreads giveaway.
While the debate over the greatest musical of all time rages on, Tradition! profiles the creation and groundbreaking success one of the best-known and loved in the genre. Isenberg traces the story of the show's inspiration, the short stories of Sholem Aleichem, to the casting and writing of the musical on Broadway, in London's West End, and around the world, the film adapation, and the show's lasting legacy in revivals and popular culture.
Isenberg has done her research. The interviews are far reaching and impressive, including cast and creative staff from a wide range of productions, as well as friends and family members of those who have since passed on. Engagingly told, it's a must-read for any lover of musical theatre, and especially Fiddler on the Roof.
While the debate over the greatest musical of all time rages on, Tradition! profiles the creation and groundbreaking success one of the best-known and loved in the genre. Isenberg traces the story of the show's inspiration, the short stories of Sholem Aleichem, to the casting and writing of the musical on Broadway, in London's West End, and around the world, the film adapation, and the show's lasting legacy in revivals and popular culture.
Isenberg has done her research. The interviews are far reaching and impressive, including cast and creative staff from a wide range of productions, as well as friends and family members of those who have since passed on. Engagingly told, it's a must-read for any lover of musical theatre, and especially Fiddler on the Roof.
September 14, 2015
[I got this book for free from a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.]
I love Fiddler on the Roof. It is one of my favorite musicals ever. (Not my absolute favorite - that would be Rent. But Fiddler is very close behind.)
I enter a TON of Goodreads giveaways. This was one of the first giveaways I entered that I REALLY wanted to win, and I was super excited when I actually did!
I really enjoyed reading this book, really enjoyed reading about the history of Fiddler. The fortunes and misfortunes that happened, the people and places it touched. Much of the information I read in the book I hadn't already known.
Now that I've finished the book, I'm giving it to my mom to read, since she's a huge fan as well and is excited to read about the play. :)
I love Fiddler on the Roof. It is one of my favorite musicals ever. (Not my absolute favorite - that would be Rent. But Fiddler is very close behind.)
I enter a TON of Goodreads giveaways. This was one of the first giveaways I entered that I REALLY wanted to win, and I was super excited when I actually did!
I really enjoyed reading this book, really enjoyed reading about the history of Fiddler. The fortunes and misfortunes that happened, the people and places it touched. Much of the information I read in the book I hadn't already known.
Now that I've finished the book, I'm giving it to my mom to read, since she's a huge fan as well and is excited to read about the play. :)
February 24, 2015
My childhood would have been incomplete without Fiddler. Half our library visits it seems ended in bringing home the VHS, and it's still unnatural watching the DVD version and not having to change tapes. So it's perfect that I also got this book from the library, which lived up to what I was expecting. It gives a history of the play's formation with lots of interesting tidbits and follows through to the still vibrant following today. It made me all nostalgic and gave me some trivia about the play, so I can't recommend it enough to fans of the musical!
September 19, 2014
This is a wonderfully informative and well-written book about a true show-business phenomenon. The creators thought they were writing a Broadway show, but what they came up with was so much more--a true work of art that has been taken to its heart by people all over the world for 50 years. Isenberg tells this story wonderfully well. No theater lover should miss this book.
January 2, 2015
This history of Fiddler on the Roof concentrates on the show and the movie. Fast moving and filled with interesting anecdotes. Strangely some of the illustrations are printed twice (once in the body of the book and again in the glossy photo section). Would have liked some color illustrations. Most fun: Fiddler as played in Japan.
March 10, 2015
A very pleasant and fun look at the musical. It glosses over some of the problems between Robbins and Mostel, and doesn't give the same depth as Wonder of Wonders: A Cultural History of Fiddler on the Roof by Alisa Solomon (see my review of that at ww.thereportergroup.org/Article.aspx?...) but it's still a lot of fun for those who love reading about Broadway musicals.
September 16, 2014
Barbara Isenberg brings warmth, wit and terrific reporting to the back story of "Fiddler on the Roof." Her lively and engaging book will delight anyone who loves the musical--that is, almost everyone!
May 3, 2015
The story of the Broadway musical and the film. Includes some great trivia I did not know. Apparently, Zero Mostel was a free spirit and Topol was Israeli and is still touring! It took my theatre company forever to get the rights because of that!
September 8, 2014
I saw "Fiddler" twice the year it opened. This book brought the memories back. Do rent the DVD and read "Tradition"..you will not regret it.
March 7, 2023
A delightful behind the curtain look at the development, implementation, and phenomenal success of one of Broadway's most popular musical. L'Chaim!
Read
January 5, 2015Reviewed by Barbara Isenberg for the Jewish Book Council.
April 8, 2015
I enjoyed this book. I never knew the backstory about how the Broadway show and the movie were developed. Easy read.
March 8, 2015
Fascinating behind the scenes look. Didn't know that Zero had such an ego and mindblowing that Frank Sinatra wanted the role of Tevye in the movie.
September 10, 2024
The stage musical Fiddler on the Roof opened on Broadway in September 1964, so with its sixty-year anniversary coming up, I thought I would check out this title, written to coincide with the fiftieth celebration in 2014. It's informative and fun for fans of the show, drawing on years of author Barbara Isenberg's interviews with various figures associated with the production -- an oral history that only grows more valuable and poignant over time, given how many of the older folks are no longer with us now.
The book captures Fiddler's barnstorming success and legacy, and particularly its ability for Jewish and non-Jewish audiences alike to relate to its timeless themes of family and traditions in the face of a changing culture. (My favorite anecdote, although I don't know why it's included twice in two different chapters here: the producer of the first touring company in Japan reportedly asked, "Do they understand this show in America? Because it's so Japanese.") But Isenberg also describes how that reception was far from guaranteed to begin with, and how the primary reaction to news of the play's development was a healthy skepticism that a story so rooted in such a specific ethnic/religious history would manage to sell many tickets at all.
None of this reporting is especially insightful, I imagine because it's fundamentally difficult to explain why some particular piece of art caught on in a way that others failed to do. But the account of that process is interesting, tracing the evolution of the musical from the short stories of 19th-century writer Sholem Aleichem to the endless drafts and rewrites of the music and libretto to the further changes necessary for the 1971 film adaption. A total of fifty songs were initially written for the work, which eventually got whittled down to under twenty. And many big personalities made their mark on the act like original Tevye star Zero Mostel, who was notorious for improvising lengthy comedy bits each night that would grind the already-long performances to a halt.
In the end: not a great book and certainly not a must-read for anyone. But a nice way to learn a little bit more about a show that's important to me as both a theater-lover and a Jew.
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The book captures Fiddler's barnstorming success and legacy, and particularly its ability for Jewish and non-Jewish audiences alike to relate to its timeless themes of family and traditions in the face of a changing culture. (My favorite anecdote, although I don't know why it's included twice in two different chapters here: the producer of the first touring company in Japan reportedly asked, "Do they understand this show in America? Because it's so Japanese.") But Isenberg also describes how that reception was far from guaranteed to begin with, and how the primary reaction to news of the play's development was a healthy skepticism that a story so rooted in such a specific ethnic/religious history would manage to sell many tickets at all.
None of this reporting is especially insightful, I imagine because it's fundamentally difficult to explain why some particular piece of art caught on in a way that others failed to do. But the account of that process is interesting, tracing the evolution of the musical from the short stories of 19th-century writer Sholem Aleichem to the endless drafts and rewrites of the music and libretto to the further changes necessary for the 1971 film adaption. A total of fifty songs were initially written for the work, which eventually got whittled down to under twenty. And many big personalities made their mark on the act like original Tevye star Zero Mostel, who was notorious for improvising lengthy comedy bits each night that would grind the already-long performances to a halt.
In the end: not a great book and certainly not a must-read for anyone. But a nice way to learn a little bit more about a show that's important to me as both a theater-lover and a Jew.
Like this review?
--Throw me a quick one-time donation here!
https://ko-fi.com/lesserjoke
--Subscribe here to support my writing and weigh in on what I read next!
https://patreon.com/lesserjoke
--Follow along on Goodreads here!
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6...
--Or click here to browse through all my reviews!
https://lesserjoke.home.blog
September 20, 2017
I was so excited going into this - I love books that delve deeper into one of my favorite musicals. The problem with this one, though, is that honestly, it reads more like an article than a book. It's basically an article stretched out into near 200 pages. It was readable and enjoyable, and yet, there's so much repetition, like again, there's that sense and feeling that what could have been said in just a paragraph is stretched out into 5-10 pages. It makes for a very tedious read despite how well-written and well-researched it is. And on that note, I didn't really learn anything new about Fiddler from this book, at least nothing new beyond what they stressed and emphasized so many times and in so many words and chapters that could have easily been crammed in just a page. I can't say if there are better books about Fiddler, but I've read books of this ilk that did a way better job at giving us A LOT of history, insider-information, criticism, etc. (like, for example, West Side Story: Cultural Perspectives on An American Musical) than this. There's just way too much fluff, hardly any pictures (it really could have used for more pictures!), again, oy, the repetition! I wanted to love it, but I just couldn't, had to skim through most of it. Admirable, but...meh.
June 6, 2019
When I was in high school, I was active in the drama department. Straight drama, mime, you name it. My favorites were the musicals. During my senior year, I played Grandma Tzeitel in Fiddler on the Roof.
Still, I didn't know the amazing history of the play, other than it being based on Sholem Aleichem's tales of Tevye the Milkman. This book didn't exist then.
Journalist Barbara Isenberg takes us deep into the world of theatre, from the creation of the play through its many revivals up until 2012 (the year the book was published). Many producers had low expectations and didn't think that a musical about a Jewish family on a shtetl would return their investment. So, the composers and librettist gathered up donations from friends and family ... and mounted what has become one of the most enduring musicals of all time.
The book also looks at the many actors who have played the lead role, from Zero Mostel to Chaim Topol and beyond, and shows us some of the other then-unknowns who were in the cast (Bette Midler's first role on Broadway was Tzeitel, in the 1960s). We also get a look into international productions, audience reactions, and more.
If you love musical theatre in general, and Fiddler in particular, you really must read this book.
Still, I didn't know the amazing history of the play, other than it being based on Sholem Aleichem's tales of Tevye the Milkman. This book didn't exist then.
Journalist Barbara Isenberg takes us deep into the world of theatre, from the creation of the play through its many revivals up until 2012 (the year the book was published). Many producers had low expectations and didn't think that a musical about a Jewish family on a shtetl would return their investment. So, the composers and librettist gathered up donations from friends and family ... and mounted what has become one of the most enduring musicals of all time.
The book also looks at the many actors who have played the lead role, from Zero Mostel to Chaim Topol and beyond, and shows us some of the other then-unknowns who were in the cast (Bette Midler's first role on Broadway was Tzeitel, in the 1960s). We also get a look into international productions, audience reactions, and more.
If you love musical theatre in general, and Fiddler in particular, you really must read this book.
August 5, 2017
Wow!
What can I say but, without our traditions, our lives would be a shaky as - as a fiddler on the roof.
-Fiddler on the roof
If you love this play, the movie, music and all, you will enjoy the history of the book. From Sholem Aleichem, who first wrote the story of his own milkman, to the interviews with Sheldon Harnick, lyricist, and composer Jerry Bock. The timelessness of the story, and it's ability to touch all ethnic groups makes it beloved all over the world.
What can I say but, without our traditions, our lives would be a shaky as - as a fiddler on the roof.
-Fiddler on the roof
If you love this play, the movie, music and all, you will enjoy the history of the book. From Sholem Aleichem, who first wrote the story of his own milkman, to the interviews with Sheldon Harnick, lyricist, and composer Jerry Bock. The timelessness of the story, and it's ability to touch all ethnic groups makes it beloved all over the world.
May 10, 2020
Tradition! follows the creation of Fiddler on the Roof, from plotting out characters and story arcs to writing songs and tailoring down the score. From there, it gives readers a small glimpse into its popularity from the Broadway stage to various international tours and from stage to cinema. This books truly reads as a labor of love written by a devoted fan, a beautiful look into this timeless beloved musical.
February 20, 2024
It was fun to read all the side stories about this well known musical & movie. I especially liked the stories about the actors over the years (e.g, the Motel actor who married the Tzeitle actress) & the various Tevye styles. I Aldo enjoyed looking up the videos described in the last chapter, such as Lin-Manuel Miranda singing "To Life" with his father, father-in-law & wedding party at his own wedding reception.
March 1, 2019
Everything you didn't know you needed to know about Fiddler on the Roof. I enjoyed reading about the making of the script, the play, the movie. Also liked the stories about all the actors who have performed in this show. I had no idea Fiddler was so relatable all over the world, but I love that idea! Love, family, traditions and change is timeless. No wonder the whole world loves this musical!
July 20, 2017
I enjoyed the first 3/4 and then it began to feel redundant. I wished it had more photos. But it was interesting to read in depth the whole process of making a Broadway Musical and the different roles and effects differ not people have on it's development.
September 27, 2023
An entertaining and informative read if you're into musicals, Broadway history, and especially Fiddler On The Roof. If you're not that into Fiddler or haven't seen the show or the movie, you may not get much out of this read.
October 6, 2023
First half was a fascinating and insightful stories from behind the scenes during the making of ‘Fiddler of the roof’ with the iconic creatives. Second half however felt like a copy and paste of dates and generic info you’d read on Wikipedia. Would recommend if you like the show :)
May 10, 2019
3.5 stars
We are going to see Fiddler on the Roof as a family, so I found it fascinating to learn some of the backstory about the musical.
We are going to see Fiddler on the Roof as a family, so I found it fascinating to learn some of the backstory about the musical.
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