Paul Michael Glaser (Starsky in the 70s TV series Starsky and Hutch) is to play the lead role of Tevye in the forthcoming UK & Ireland tour of Fiddler on the Roof. One of the world's favourite musicals, Fiddler on the Roof is directed and choreographed by Craig Revel Horwood, the Strictly Come Dancing judge and master of the musical stage. Paul Michael Glaser was in the classic 1971 film version of the musical (in the role of the student and Bolshevik revolutionary Perchik who falls in love with Tevye's second daughter). This exciting new production will open at The Mayflower Theatre, Southampton (5 - 14 September) prior to a UK and Ireland tour into spring 2014.
Fiddler on the Roof is one of the most popular and beloved of all stage musicals and one of Broadway's longest-running of all time with a marathon run of over 13 years and over 3,000 performances from its premiere in 1964. It won nine Tony Awards, had four Broadway revivals and was made into a film of the same name starring Topol. This new production captures all the emotions of laughter and joy to tears and sadness and is filled to the brim with memorable and instantly recognisable songs including If I Were a Rich Man, Matchmaker Matchmaker, Sunrise Sunset, To Life, Tradition and many more.
Tevye, the local milkman in his village of Anatevka, has always stuck by his traditions but suddenly his headstrong daughters decide that they want to marry for love rather than accept whatever Yente the Matchmaker comes up with. Tevye loves his daughters but has to convince his wife, and the villagers, that their decisions are actually falling in with tradition. Even if it means conjuring up ghosts of dead wives and scaring his own wife to bits in order to get her to agree. Tradition is all well and good but, in the end, the world moves on, as do the villagers but maybe not for the reasons they would have liked.
Paul Michael Glaser is best known for playing David Starsky in the iconic Starsky and Hutch TV series (four seasons 1975 - 1979) opposite David Soul. He also made a brief cameo appearance in the 2004 film version of the same (with Ben Stiller playing Starsky). He has many other TV credits to his name, including most recently Captain Jack Steeper in NBC's Third Watch. On stage he has appeared in over 50 roles in regional, repertory, off-Broadway and Broadway theatre in the US. His film credits include Something's Gotta Give alongside Diane Keaton. His directorial credits include several episodes of Starsky and Hutch, Miami Vice, Robbery Homicide Division and Judging Amy, as well as the children's film Kazaam. He is also a writer of poetry and children's literature. He has appeared on the UK stage before in pantomime at the Churchill Theatre, Bromley and Sunderland Empire.
Other cast members are Daniel Bolton (Fyedka), Steven Bor (Perchik), Jennifer Douglas (The Fiddler), Paul Kissuan (Lazar), Liz Kitchen (Yente/Grandma Tzeitel), Karen Mann (Golde), Tarek Merchant (Avram), Eamonn O' Dwyer (Mordcha/Constable), Emily O' Keefe (Tzeitel), Michael Paver (Mendal), Claire Petzal (Chava), Neil Salvage (Rabbi), Liz Singelton (Hodel), Jon Trenchard (Motel) and Susannah Van Den Berg (Fruma-Sarah). Other roles played by Matthew Hinchcliffe, Lilly Howard and Jeff Smyth.
Craig Revel Horwood is director/choreographer, Sarah Travis is musical director, Diego Pitarch is set & costume designer, Richard G Jones is lighting designer and Richard Brooker is sound designer. Music & Lyrics Ltd (producers of Fiddler on the Roof) played to over 175,000 enthusiastic theatregoers with its inaugural production of The King and I, attracting gross revenues in excess of £4m and, with Curve Leicester, won a prestigious nomination for Best Touring Production in the 2012 UK Theatre Awards. Music & Lyrics is a consortium of the UK's largest independent No. 1 presenting theatres, with the aim to stimulate and create new musical theatre productions. Its production of High Society is currently dazzling audiences up and down the country.
Executive producer John Stalker said: "We are thrilled to welcome Paul Michael Glaser to the iconic and starring role of Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof. It is a part he has longed to play for years and that he has chosen to realise his dream in this new production from Craig Revel Horwood for Music & Lyrics is both humbling and tremendously exciting. Musical theatre lovers the length and breadth of the UK and Ireland are in for a very special treat and we expect demand for tickets to be high."
Fiddler on the Roof is based on Sholem Aleichem Stories and is by special permission of Arnold Perl.
The book is by Joseph Stein, music by Jerry Bock and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick. It was produced on the New York stage by Harold Prince, directed and choreographed by Jerome Robbins. Mr Robbins' original direction and choreography will be reproduced by Craig Revel Horwood. This production is presented by permission of Josef Weinberger Limited on behalf of Music Theater International of New York.
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