Photo by Mark Frohna
Andrew Varela and Kimberly Hanson in Skylight Music Theatre’s 'Fiddler on the Roof'
(I. to r.) Andrew Varela (Tevye) and Kimberly Hanson (The Fiddler) in Skylight Music Theatre’s production of Fiddler on the Roof running October 3-26, 2025
“Tradition! Tradition!” So proclaims Tevye the milkman in Skylight Music Theatre’s highly entertaining production of the classic and beloved musical, Fiddler on the Roof.
For the Jewish villagers in the small, rural Eastern European town of Anatevka, tradition is what holds their lives together: how they eat, dress, even sleep. As Tevye points out, without tradition, their lives would be as shaky as that fiddler trying to keep balance on that roof.
Even at 61 years old, Fiddler is a timeless as ever in its themes: trying to hang on to those traditions of the past while the outside world changes around them; young people with new ideas challenging the ways of their elders and having to face the brutal realities of prejudice and displacement (circa 1905 Russia).
Memorable Music
Fiddler is one of those classic musicals where everyone song is so memorable and instantly recognizable that it’s either a nostalgic joy to hear again (hint; my generation) or a delight to discover, given all the children and young people on opening night. From the upbeat and comedic “Matchmaker, Matchmaker” and “If I Were a Rich Man” to the solemn beauty of “Sabbath Prayer” and “Sunrise, Sunset,” this well-honed staging has it all. And for everyone, young and old.
Skylight artistic director and the show’s director Michael Unger has assembled a talented ensemble of actors as well as a production team that makes it all work seamlessly given the large cast and stylized dance numbers. (Kudos to choreographer Yehuda L. Hyman for deftly evoking the original dance-works by Broadway legend Jerome Robbins).
Stay on top of the news of the day
Subscribe to our free, daily e-newsletter to get Milwaukee's latest local news, restaurants, music, arts and entertainment and events delivered right to your inbox every weekday, plus a bonus Week in Review email on Saturdays.
But at the heart of Fiddler is the heart and soul of its Tevye. And Andrew Varela is simply outstanding in all aspects with a strong, soaring voice and an acting range and depth from comedic to serious that can pivot as quickly as the change being thrust upon him. We can even feel his fatigue as he pushes his milk cart (his horse is lame). And his conversations (read: complaints) to God are so natural and real and funny, making his performance all the more three-dimensional in every way
As his pre-arranged wife of 25 years, Janet Metz is a perfect comedic counterpart, as they bicker yet join tougher in the face of outside forces encroaching upon their tight-knit community —literally.
Solid Performances
What’s really outstanding in this Fiddler is the joint collaboration with Milwaukee’s Marquette University having a number of is students in the ensemble and supporting roles. And they all turn in solid performances: Grayson Buessing is especially funny as the nervous tailor, Motel, desperate to marry Tevye’s daughter, Tzeitel: Naomi Kriege (Chava) and KynKade McLachlan (Hodel) Tevye’s daughters; and Michael Mingus the Rusisian soldier, Fyedka, with a heart and a conscience.
When the Jewish villagers are forced to leave their beloved Anatevka under orders from the Russian Tsar, change forces them to literally move in new and unknown directions. And along with them, their traditions.
As Tevye prophetically points out at the very start of Fiddler, “...without our traditions are lives would be shaky as ... a fiddler on the roof”
And with literally having to leave behind long held traditions comes the long, uncertain journey to creating and celebrating “new traditions” in a new home.
This spirited, uplifting production of Fiddler on the Roof celebrates the faith-based resilience of its inhabitants, their deep love of family and community. And above all else (even that fiddler way up there on that roof) the never-ending joy they cherish in living their lives. To life!
Fiddler on the Roof runs through October 26 in the Cabot Theatre at the Broadway Theatre Center, 158 N. Broadway, Milwaukee. Approximate run time: two hours, 40 minutes including a 20-minute intermission. Recommended for ages six and up. Please Note: this performance contains haze, simulated violence and an inoperable firearm. For more information, call the Box Office at: 414-291-7800, or visit: skylightmusictheatre.org
