(Cover Photo: Evan Graber as “Tevye” and Paige Naumnik as “Hodel” in a scene from the musical  "FIDDLER ON THE ROOF" from Calliope Productions in Boylston, MA. now playing through December 14, 2025. Photo Credits: Rob Killeen and Keith Ariel)


By Kevin T. Baldwin

METRMAG Reviewer

# 774-242-6724

“Sometimes I think, when it gets too quiet up there, You say to Yourself, 'What kind of mischief can I play on My friend Tevye?'"                                   

                                                                - ("Tevye") /  Joseph Stein, Sheldon Harnick 

Calliope Productions

Presents the Iconic Musical

"FIDDLER ON THE ROOF" 

Book by Joseph Stein

Music by Jerry Bock

Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick

Directed by Dave Ludt 

Musical Director Kris Layton 

Choreographer Kait Ekstrom-Doig 

Stage Manager Adrian Gage

Cast Includes: Evan Graber as “Tevye,” Nicole Lian as “ Golde,” Olivia Lyerly as “Tzeitel,”
Paige Naumnik as “Hodel,” Rose Tepe as “Chava,” Myka Lewis as “Shprintze,” Penelope Detrick as “Bielke,” Linnea Lyerly as “Yenta / Fruma-Sarah,” Jared Palazzo as “Motel,” Norman Dubois as “Perchik,” Patrick Ackley as “Fyedka,” David Nestelbaum as “Lazar Wolf,” Brandon Snyder as “Mordcha,” Tom Jaquith-Houston as “Rabbi,” Niko Figueirdo as “Mendel,” Kyle Collins as “Avram,” Jake Lewis as “Nachum,” Libbey Stearns as “Grandma Tzeitel,” Matthew Valeri as “Constable,” Kate Burns as “Shandel.”Ensemble: Madison Crory, Joanna Flanagan, Rachel King, Asher Lewis, Bryce Linton, Stephanie Nogueira, Roman Rosario, Lynn Valeri. 

Additional Creative Team: 

Assistant Director - Ashton Lubin; Costumes – Donna Reidy; Set Design – Dave Ludt; Set Construction – Dave Ludt, Bob Reidy;  Lighting Design – Matthew Valeri; Lights/Sound – Rob Killeen, Dave Ludt; Props – Kim Lipuma, Lisa Pepi, Tracy Martino, John Leslie.

Performances:

December 4, 2025 through December 14, 2025 

(Contact Box Office for Exact Times)

CALLIOPE THEATRE, 150 Main Street, in Boylston, MA.

TICKETS:

For tickets and more information contact the Box Office at 508-869-6887 or visit https://www.ticketstage.com/T/CALLIOPE

BUY TICKETS 

COVID 19 PROTOCOLS

Contact Venue for Most Updated COVID-19 Safety Protocols and Information.

Calliope Productions brings in the holiday season (well, Hanukkah, anyway) with the iconic musical "FIDDLER ON THE ROOF" now playing in Boylston.  

The production is filled with many lighthearted moments with a close-knit cast that will have many folks in the audience leaving the theatre with a smile.

After premiering in 1964, "FIDDLER ON THE ROOF" was first musical in Broadway history that had a theatre run surpass 3,000 performances. 

It also held the record for the longest-running Broadway musical for almost 10 years (until “Grease” surpassed it). 

The original musical production featured the incomparable Zero Mostel as lead character “Tevye” and won nine Tony® Awards, including ones for Best Musical, Score, Book, Direction and Choreography. 

After the success of the highly successful show, an Oscar®-winning film adaptation starring actor Topol as "Tevye" was made in 1971 under acclaimed director Norman Jewison. 

The motion picture was nominated for 13 Academy® Awards and won nine altogether. 

This latest staging by Calliope Productions  continues the "tradition" (pun intended) of faithful live productions with a dedicated and enthusiastic cast. 

Based upon a book of stories by author Sholem Aleichem, the musical "FIDDLER ON THE ROOF" begins as we meet struggling (and currently horseless) local milkman Tevye (Ben Graber). 

Graber comes across warmly sincere and convivial as Tevye introduces himself to the audience. 

We immediately feel at home and comfortable as the familiar opening music of "FIDDLER" begins and we are transported back into the beginnings of the 20th century. 

We find ourselves in the tiny village of Anatevka, occupied by a peasant but functioning populace under an oppressive pre-revolutionary Russia of the Czars and his occupying soldiers. 

Graber effortlessly leads the full cast in the most famous show openers in musical history, “Tradition.” 

Throughout the song, Tevye describes where we are and who we will encounter throughout the show. 

All families and neighbors quickly seem “familiar” to us, and we find ourselves caring about them and their lives almost as much as their fellow neighbors. 

Much of this is due to the combination of the show’s Book by Joseph Stein, Music by Jerry Bock and Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick (and with Original Choreography & Direction by Jerome Robbins). 

It is a brilliant show construct that has lasted almost 60 years. 

Graber honors well the legacy of memorable "Tevyes" that have come before: Zero Mostel, Herschel Bernardi, Topol and others. 

Tevye has many conversations with his closest friend, God, including one which leads into one of the most charming and familiar tunes from the show, “If I Were a Rich Man.” 

This latest staging by Calliope Productions  is under the astute, experienced guidance of director Dave Ludt, aided by music director Kris Layton and choreographer Kait Ekstrom-Doig. 

(Photo: Evan Graber as “Tevye” in a scene from the musical  "FIDDLER ON THE ROOF" from Calliope Productions in Boylston, MA. now playing through December 14, 2025. Photo Credits: Rob Killeen and Keith Ariel)

In the story, Tevye describes to us how both Jews and Orthodox Christians live a tense, unsettled existence in Anatevka balancing a peace between them like the aforementioned “fiddler on the roof.” 

Tevye is not a rich man but has been married for 25 years to his wife, Golde (Nicole Lian). 

As the no-nonsense, ever-practical Golde, Lian is fully invested in the role, occasionally coming across more Tevye’s employer than spouse. 

Ultimately, though, we witness how this couple who only met the day they got married could never not be together. 

Together, Tevye and Golde have five daughters. 

They only want the best for their children which, to them, comes in the form of loving, providing husbands, which they include in their prayer for their daughters during the emotionally somber homage to Jewish Sabbath Prayer, “Sunrise, Sunset.” 

Among the traditions of the Jewish community, it is Yente the Matchmaker (Linnea Lyerly) who arranges the “match” for weddings of neighboring families…and the father approves it. 

Lyerly is in her comedic element, delightful as the matchmaking widow whose important matrimonial function is diminishing as a result of the changing times and couples who seek to choose their own mates…their own loves. 

Yente arranges a match for oldest daughter, Tzeitel (Olivia Lyerly) to old widowed butcher Lazar Wolf (David Nestelbaum). 

Young Tzeitel is horrified at this prospect even though it would greatly benefit the family as Lazar Wolf is considered a wealthy man in the village. 

Graber and Nestelbaum have a few scenes together which showcase the curious relationship between the two men who are not quite friends, not quite enemies, but with enough shared experiences that bond them somewhere in between.

(Cover Photo: Norman Dubois as “Perchik” with Paige Naumnik as “Hodel” in a scene from the musical  "FIDDLER ON THE ROOF" from Calliope Productions in Boylston, MA. now playing through December 14, 2025. Photo Credits: Rob Killeen and Keith Ariel)

After meeting with Lazar Wolf, Tevye agrees to the wedding and, under one of the most rousing numbers in the show “To Life,” a pact is made for a joining of their houses. 

Unfortunately, given certain limitations on space and dance talent, the choreography for the above number appears to have been kept minimal (and some of the music might have been cut for this same purpose, as well) but the number is still fun. 

However, the bad news for Tevye is that Tzeitel is in love with poor yet aspiring village tailor Motel Kamzoil (Jared Palazzo). 

Tzeitel and Motel confess their love to Tevye and seek his permission for them to get married. 

After a series of arguments, Tevye ultimately relents, giving them his permission (and not knowing how to break the news to Golde). 

Jared Palazzo as Motel beams at his good fortune as he adeptly sings "Miracle of Miracles" as Motel demonstrates his love for Tzeitel. 

(Photo: Rose Tepe as “Chava” with Patrick Ackley as “Fyedka” in a scene from the musical  "FIDDLER ON THE ROOF" from Calliope Productions in Boylston, MA. now playing through December 14, 2025. Photo Credits: Rob Killeen and Keith Ariel)

Later, Tevye discovers a similar situation when his second oldest daughter, Hodel (Paige Naumnik), and radical socio-political student Perchik (Norman Dubois) also decide to marry each other - only this time they are not seeking Tevye’s approval – only his understanding, his acceptance and his blessing. 

Both Dubois and Naumnik are quite good in their respective portrayals, however their intended Russian/Jewish accents come across sounding distinctively Irish at times. 

To be fair, this is not limited to just them as a few valiant, pinpointed attempts at “accent authenticity” stray from the irintended target. 

Continuously throughout the show, Tevye is challenged - forced to accept many new values which directly oppose his long-held beliefs. 

The same applies to many of the residents of Anatevka. 

How they deal with these changes to their norm is what has made this show so special for many. 

Many familiar musical numbers from the "FIDDLER" score are still performed by the Calliope Productions cast with dedication, including “Matchmaker, Matchmaker” sung by Lyerly and Naumnik with Rose Tepe who plays third daughter, Chava. 

(Photo: Nicole Lian as “ Golde” with Evan Graber as “Tevye” in a scene from the musical  "FIDDLER ON THE ROOF" from Calliope Productions in Boylston, MA. now playing through December 14, 2025. Photo Credits: Rob Killeen and Keith Ariel)

Chava also decides to get married, but to a member of the Czar troops and a Christian, Fyedka (Patrick Ackley). 

While moments for Tepe and Ackley as the couple are brief, their impact is highly significant. Tevye attributes his daughter's relationship with Fyedka as marrying an enemy as the Czar troops seek the ouster of the villagers which Tevye sees as an eventuality. 

As such, he will not accept their union. 

As the Anatevka Constable, Matthew Valeri gives a unique interpretation of the character which simply does not work, making the character unapologetically evil and amoral instead of morally conflicted.

However, it does serve to augment Tevye's objections to his daughter's relationship.

When Chava and Fyedka elope to marry, Tevye completely rejects Chava and tells Golde that Chava is now "dead" to them, which he laments in the emotionally charged number "Little Chavaleh." 

The emotions range from how family treats family, how neighbor treats neighbor, how spouse chooses spouse and how love and faith is embedded in all these things and more. 

Costumes for the Calliope show are impressively period-specific, but one wishes the use of unnecessary and clearly fake beards on females-representing-male-characters was able to be completely avoided this day and age. 

Again, although spacing for the musical is limited, the sets are functional and any downtime for scene changes is minimal. 

(Photo: Evan Graber as “Tevye” and Paige Naumnik as “Hodel” in a scene from the musical  "FIDDLER ON THE ROOF" from Calliope Productions in Boylston, MA. now playing through December 14, 2025. Photo Credits: Rob Killeen and Keith Ariel)

In the end, it is Tevye who guides us through the overall emotional musical odyssey and at the end of the show, we see that the odyssey for the people of Anatevka, is only just beginning. 

The story of the people we learn about in "FIDDLER ON THE ROOF" may not be intended to coincide with any particular holiday, but this beautiful story about family and community is still filled with enough love and compassion to bring enough joy for any holiday season. 

So, don't miss out - many of the remaining performances are already sold out - so call now to try and see it while it is in Boylston. 

Coming up in 2026 at Calliope Productions will be David Lindsay-Abaire's "RIPCORD" beginning March 5^th and running until March 15^th, 2026. 

For tickets and more information contact the Box Office at 508-869-6887 or visit https://www.ticketstage.com/T/CALLIOPE

BUY TICKETS 

Approximately three hours with one intermission.

Kevin T. Baldwin is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA)

@MetrmagReviews

@Theatre_Critics

ABOUT THE SHOW

Revisit one of the world's most beloved musicals.

"FIDDLER ON THE ROOF" follows Tevye, a poor milkman who is searching for husbands for his daughters to uphold his family’s religious and cultural traditions in their small pre-revolutionary Russian village. 

Featuring the classic Tony® and Oscar®-winning score including “Tradition,” “If I Were a Rich Man,” “Sunrise, Sunset” and “Matchmaker, Matchmaker,”"FIDDLER ON THE ROOF" is a generational musical tradition for the whole family!.(STAGEAGENT) 

ABOUT CALLIOPE PRODUCTIONS

CALLIOPE PRODUCTIONS is a year-round non-profit theatre company founded in 1982 that serves the needs and interests of audiences and performers in the Central Massachusetts region. CALLIOPE PRODUCTIONS presents six main-stage productions each year, and operates performance training workshops for students (ages 9 - 18) and adults. CALLIOPE PRODUCTIONS is a member of the American Association of Community Theatre, the Eastern Massachusetts Association of Community Theatres and the Worcester Cultural Coalition.

CALLIOPE PRODUCTIONS

150 Main Street

Boylston, MA. 01505

# 508-869-6887

www.calliopeproductions.org