The musical “Fiddler on the Roof” opened at Signature Theatre in Arlington, Va. on Nov. 4, 2025. This classic and timeless musical, performed “in the round” with audience members seated on every side of the stage, was filled with humor, life and most importantly— tradition.

The show features iconic musical theatre songs such as “Matchmaker,” “If I Were a Rich Man” and “Sunrise, Sunset,” all of which are performed with raw emotion and exceptional choreography. “Fiddler on the Roof” follows Tevye, a poor Jewish milkman, and his family, who must honor tradition in their tight-knit community amid social change and rising antisemitism at their small town in Czarist Russia. The original stage musical premiered on Broadway in 1964 at the Imperial Theatre, and was later adapted into a film that was nominated for eight Academy Awards and won three.

The musical opens with the song “Tradition,” where the townspeople in Anatevka sing about the roles of each member in the community, such as the matchmaker, rabbi and beggar.  It sets up the overarching theme of the villagers trying to maintain tradition as the world around them is constantly changing. Some of the traditions that are honored in Anatevka include using a matchmaker to arrange marriages, keeping their heads covered to show devotion to God and wearing prayer shawls. Tevye explains that without their traditions, the villagers’ lives would be “as shaky as a fiddler on the roof,” hence the name of the show.

One prominent plot point of this show is when three of Tevye’s daughters—Tzeitel, Hodel and Chava—express interest in marrying people other than their chosen spouse by the matchmaker. He struggles with keeping town tradition while keeping his daughters and wife happy. Tzeitel was originally arranged to marry Lazar Wolf, a rich butcher, but she falls in love with her childhood friend, Motel, who is a poor tailor. Hodel gets engaged with Perchik, a university student from Kyiv, and they ask for Tevye’s blessing. He realizes that times are changing, and reluctantly gives his consent. However, when Chava elopes with Fyedka, a Russian Christian, Tevye disowns her and tells the family to consider her dead because it violates his core beliefs of marrying outside the Jewish faith. I found myself feeling both sympathy and frustration towards Tevye while witnessing this scene, and it felt especially relevant to our modern world. While societal norms today do not usually include arranged marriages, I think that some can relate to how difficult it is to choose between happiness and living up to family or community expectations.

The climax of the story involves the entire Jewish community of Anatevka forced to leave their homes within three days by an edict from the Czar’s government. The villagers pack up their belongings and leave for different parts of the world. The show ends with Tevye, Golde, and their two youngest daughters leaving for America as the fiddler plays. This scene was one of the most bittersweet moments of the performance for me, because the villagers were forced to leave everything they had ever known – their homes, family, and memories – and step into an uncertain yet hopeful new beginning. 

This production was performed in a very small space, with the entire theatre only seating up to 299 people. The audience members were seated on every side of the stage, meaning that the actors were positioned in every direction so that the audience could fully immerse themselves in the show. This “in the round” seating allowed me to see the entire stage, which made me feel as if I was part of the performance rather than simply watching it. I felt a stronger emotional connection to both the actors and the story they were telling, and I was impressed by how effectively the actors were able to perform from every angle. The show made very good use of the small space, with a compact yet intricate set design consisting of many tables that were rearranged to resemble various locations and scene changes. The rearranging of these set pieces were done by the actors as a part of the choreography, rather than having crew members move the set for them. This required precision and coordination from the cast members, and ensured that the audience’s attention would not be disrupted by scene transitions.

Additionally, the acting in this show was phenomenal and straight from the heart. Douglas Sills, who played Tevye, showed tangible passion in his acting choices. This was especially prominent during some of the more emotional scenes, such as when Tevye disowns his daughter, Chava. He delivered his songs with a perfect mix of emotion and power while also switching between comedic and serious moments in the show seamlessly. 

The ensemble’s ability to blend and cohesively connect their vocals, choreography, and acting was also truly remarkable. Their strong and layered harmonies in the song “Tradition” were so powerful that I had chills by the end of it. Even when an actor was not the center of attention on stage, they stayed in character and made various gestures that helped shift the mood of the scene during more significant moments without overpowering the soloist. Performing a show with audience members on every side of the stage is difficult, and the physically demanding choreography of the show handled this issue well and ensured that no one would miss a moment.

When I first bought tickets for this show, I was not expecting to appreciate it as much as I did because it was written so long ago. I soon realized that “Fiddler on the Roof” is incredible, regardless of the time period in which it is watched. Its ability to capture many emotions in the span of two hours and 50 minutes is mind-blowing, and given the chance, I would absolutely watch this show again. 

Altogether, “Fiddler on the Roof” was nothing short of extraordinary. I was moved by the bittersweet and heavy moments of the show, but equally impressed by how well it was performed. If you’re in Northern Virginia and looking for a touching, poignant performance that will leave you in awe, “Fiddler on the Roof” is for you.