America's Oldest · Founded 1808

Continue a grand 'tradition' with Fiddler on the Roof!

April 15, 2010

Philadelphia, PA: The Walnut Street Theatre concludes its landmark 201st season with its long-awaited new staging of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF. Filled with a powerful and heartwarming score including "Tradition;" "Matchmaker, Matchmaker;" "If I Were A Rich Man" and "Sunrise, Sunset;" FIDDLER ON THE ROOF is a timeless classic. Helmed by Barrymore Award-Winning Director Bruce Lumpkin and featuring Walnut vets Mark Jacoby and Mary Martello, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF begins previews on May 18, opens on May 26 and runs through July 18 on the WST Mainstage.

As Tevye tries to hold onto his religion, his Russian-Jewish traditions and his five daughters, he learns that life is "as shaky as a fiddler on the roof." No other musical has so magically woven music, dance, poignancy and laughter into such an electrifying and unforgettable experience. Relive a glorious tradition of the musical theatre FIDDLER ON THE ROOF. Whether this is your first time or your fiftieth, this is a story that stays with you forever. This multi-award-winning musical has captured the hearts of people all over the world and finally makes its highly anticipated debut on the Walnut stage with an all-new production.

Directing FIDDLER ON THE ROOF is Barrymore-Award winning director Bruce Lumpkin. Bruce has directed numerous hit Mainstage and Studio 3 productions, including last season's O Captain, My Captain: Whitman's Lincoln in Studio 3. Other Walnut Mainstage productions include Man of La Mancha, Cabaret, Evita, Grand Hotel, La Vie En Bleu, and Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel among others. Joining Bruce are two familiar faces, Choreographer Michelle Gaudette and Musical Director Douglass G. Lutz. Michelle, a former Radio City Rockette, has previously choreographed State Fair, Man of La Mancha, Carousel (Barrymore nom.), La Vie En Bleu and Evita here at the Walnut. Musical Director Douglass G. Lutz has been involved with numerous Mainstage Musical for the past eleven seasons, most recently Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Oliver!

The world of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF will be brought to life by a group of artists very familiar with the Walnut. Scenic Designer John Farrell (Sound of Music, Carousel) is joined by Lighting Designer Jack Jacobs (State Fair, Man of La Mancha, West Side Story), Sound Designer Nick Kourtides (The Producers, Oliver!) and Costume Designer Colleen Grady (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Producers, Oliver!, and many others). Wide open skies, earthy costumes, peaked rooftops and a forest of birch trees frame Anatevka on an operatic scale.

The Cast of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF continues the Walnut's grand "