TOPOL in FIDDLER ON THE ROOF at DPAC March 17-22

The star of the original motion picture returns to the role he made famous Durham, NC (February 20, 2009) -"Without our traditions, our lives would be as shaky as...as a FIDDLER ON THE ROOF," announces Tevye, a humble milkman from the Russian village of Anatevka. And so begins a tale of love and laughter, devotion and defiance, and changing traditions.

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, the Tony Award winning musical that has captured the hearts of people all over the world with its universal appeal, embarks on its North American Tour and is making a stop at Durham Performing Arts Center March 17-22, 09 for 8 performances only. In what is a huge theatrical feat, audiences will have a once in a lifetime opportunity to see Jerome Robbins' original Broadway direction and choreography, complete with the star of the original West End production and the 1971 film, Chaim Topol.

Topol and FIDDLER ON THE ROOF were both nominated for the Academy Award in their respective categories. While enlisted in the Israeli Army, Topol won the 1972 Golden Globe for his performance in FIDDLER ON THE ROOF. He is now joining this tour on the heels of a successful production in the South Pacific. In 1983 Topol reprised the role of Tevye in a London revival and in 1990 he again played the part in a Broadway revival, and was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical.

A perennial hit since it first opened in 1964, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF has enjoyed critical acclaim for bringing to the stage a poignant story about the enduring bonds of the family. 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 1964 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.

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF will be at Durham Performing Arts Center for 8 performances
only. Tickets are on sale now through the DPAC box office at 919-680-ARTS (2787) and
online at DPACnc.com. Tickets are also available through Ticketmaster.com and area
Ticketmaster outlets including FYE and Lowes Food.

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