Stage veteran Steven Skybell is reprising his acclaimed role as Tevye in a Yiddish-language production of Fiddler on the Roof, which is being presented by the Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company at Toronto’s Elgin Theatre from May 25 to June 7.

Directed by Broadway legend and Tony and Academy Award winner Joel Grey, the show features English subtitles and brings the classic musical to Canadian audiences with added cultural authenticity.

The production originated in New York City in 2018 as a six-week engagement but became a sensation, running for 18 months and more than 500 performances.

Set in the fictional shtetl of Anatevka in early 1900s Russia, the story follows Tevye, a poor Jewish milkman, as he navigates tradition, family, and the threat of Tsarist oppression while his daughters pursue love on their own terms.Based on Sholem Aleichem’s 1914 novella Tevye and His Daughters, the musical first reached Broadway in 1964 and won nine Tony Awards.

Skybell, a Texan-born actor, discussed his preparation, noting he studied Yiddish seriously through YIVO and drew parallels to performing Shakespeare.

The Yiddish version includes subtle enhancements, such as deeper Talmudic references for Tevye, making the character more authentic to the source material.Grey highlighted how hearing the show in its original language adds profound emotional depth, carrying history, humour, sorrow, and resilience.

Skybell reflected on his lifelong connection to the role, having performed it multiple times since childhood, and shared that he never experienced antisemitism growing up in Lubbock, Texas.The production arrives in Toronto amid heightened concerns about antisemitism, with organizers prioritizing safety measures.

Fiddler on the Roof remains enduring due to its universal themes of family love, tradition versus change, and resilience in the face of displacement, which continue to resonate today.