A sparkling and eye-opening history of the Broadway musical that changed the worldIn the half-century since its premiere; Fiddler on the Roof has had an astonishing global impact. Beloved by audiences the world over; performed from rural high schools to grand state theaters; Fiddler is a supremely potent cultural landmark.In a history as captivating as its subject; award-winning drama critic Alisa Solomon traces how and why the story of Tevye the milkman; the creation of the great Yiddish writer Sholem-Aleichem; was reborn as blockbuster entertainment and a cultural touchstone; not only for Jews and not only in America. It is a story of the theater; following Tevye from his humble appearance on the New York Yiddish stage; through his adoption by leftist dramatists as a symbol of oppression; to his Broadway debut in one of the last big book musicals; and his ultimate destinationmdash;a major Hollywood picture.Solomon reveals how the show spoke to the deepest conflicts and desires of its time: the fraying of tradition; generational tension; the loss of roots. Audiences everywhere found in Fiddler immediate resonance and a usable past; whether in Warsaw; where it unlocked the taboo subject of Jewish history; or in Tokyo; where the producer asked how Americans could understand a story that is "so Japanese."Rich; entertaining; and original; Wonder of Wonders reveals the surprising and enduring legacy of a show about tradition that itself became a tradition.Wonder of wonders; miracle of miracles.
2013-05-11 2013-05-11File Name: B00CQRNIDG
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Great funBy MD2KNFThis is just a fun score to play. Some of the rhythms are a bit tricky if youre classically trained and dont do a lot of pop/rock; but an experienced pianist should find them accessible. Wicked Town ( reprise); Wig in a Box; the Long Grift; and Midnight Radio are particularly nice on the piano; which is unsurprising since they were piano-heavy in the production.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. One of my favorite things about the score itself is how heavily piano ...By VictoriaI have moderate piano skills; thus much of the book is too advanced for me to play; but Ive got the intros to Wicked Little Town and Wig in a Box down; and that alone made the purchase more than worth it. One of my favorite things about the score itself is how heavily piano is featured on many of the songs; and its amazing to be able to play those melodies for myself. Its also a pleasure just to read the music and lyrics and delve a bit deeper into to the score that Stephen Trask created. Wonderful purchase for any Hedhead!0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy Todd MartensLOVE having my own sheet music to this amazing show!