Fiddler on the Roof

LPI brought the musical Fiddler on the Roof to the stage for their 28^th summer production in 2025!  Due to the RLSD referendum project finishing touches, NOSD Fine Arts Center was the host for LPI’s summer 2025 production.

Winning nine Tony Awards including “Best Musical”, Fiddler on the Roof follows the story of Tevye, a poor milkman, his wife Golde, and their five daughters, Tzeitel, Hodel, Chava, Shprintze and Bielke in Czarist Russia in 1905. The show is set in the village of Anatevka in a tight-knit Jewish community where Russians and Jews live in a delicate balance as anti-Semitism is growing. Tevye tries to protect his daughters and uphold their traditions in a time of extraordinary change. The run of the show follows the three oldest daughters as they fall in love. When Tzeitel begs Tevye to let her marry a poor tailor instead of the middle-aged butcher that he has already chosen for her, Hodel falls in love with a revolutionist, and Chava begins a romance with a Christian, Tevye must choose between his own daughters’ happiness and the colorful community’s beloved traditions that keep the outside world at bay. Meanwhile, dangerous forces outside of Anatevka threaten to destroy the very community that he is trying to preserve.

Over 100 participants, from cast, crew and volunteers brought the story of Fiddler on the Roof to life.  While we had lots of LPI veterans leading the cast, we were thrilled to welcome over 20 new participants to the LPI family this summer.  The role of Tevye was played by LPI veteran, Duncan Doherty while Heather Holtz played the role of Golde, also an LPI veteran.  Tevye’s daughters included Lena Stange (Tzeitel), Maddie Budner* (Hodel), Annelise Frank (Chava), Gillian Kulig* (Shprintze) and Arianna Vanden Heuvel (Bielke).  LPI newcomer, Sue Kaiser*, portrayed the role of Yente the Matchmaker.  Significant others of Tevye’s daughters were played by Jesse Uffelman* (Motel), Bryce Fassbender (Perchik) and Fox Slife* (Fyedka).  Other notable characters include Fruma-Sarah portrayed by Sara Stout, along with Bob Eichner playing the Rabbi, Kendra Benson portraying Grandma Tzeitel, Nachum the Beggar played by Bob Deyo and Aspen Jens* who played the Fiddler, with many, many more cast members making up the large ensemble. 

Fiddler on the Roof was directed by none other than Zachariah Stearn*, whose new and fresh vision of Fiddler on the Roof lead to rave reviews of the production.  Larry Marcus, LPI veteran from 1996, was Zachariah’s right-hand man as assistant director, while Mason Falk* kept the production rolling as stage manager.  LPI joyously welcomed back Amanda Ellis as choreographer where she stunned audiences with her striking and solid choreography, while new comers Becky* and Brian* Charbonneau brought the songs of Fiddler on the Roof to life as Co-Music Directors.  Kim Dussault perfected the costumes from bottle dancer hats to the traditional garb worn in Anatevka in 1905.   Mike Schwab, once again as master builder, brought Zachariah’s new vision for sets of Fiddler on the Roof to life, while LPI newcomer Noah Verhasselt’s* technical lighting design blew audiences away.  Most of all, LPI could not produce these quality summer productions without the help of all of our volunteers that help us year-round.

* indicates LPI debut