Director Selects: Steven Skybell on Tevye and Yiddish “Fiddler on the Roof”

There are few Broadway productions that received as much acclaim as the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbeine’s version of Fiddler on the Roof in 2018. Everything about the beloved musical seemed new again when it was translated into Yiddish, the language that would have been spoken by the actual characters depicted in Fiddler. The results were powerful, authentic, and deeply moving according to all who witnessed.

Unfortunately, the New York production was cut short by the pandemic two years later, so now The Soraya has partnered with the National Yiddish Theatre to bring it to Los Angeles in a concert version featuring the original cast. Leading the troupe will be Steven Skybell portraying Tevye the milkman. I have seen firsthand Steven’s power onstage in his role in the current revival of Cabaret on Broadway. Having him on our stage for Opening Night is a genuine thrill.

In our first Director Selects interview of the new season, Steven talks about what it meant to create the role in Yiddish, and why that has so much importance and value. As I interviewed him, I found myself overcome with emotion several times. I think you will too, here and on stage.

Gratefully,