di dee dee dee dee dee...

First you hear the familiar fiddle playing. Then you hear a deep rich voice say “The Fiddler on the Roof. Sounds crazy, no?...You might say every one of us is a fiddler on the roof. Trying to scratch out a pleasant tune without breaking his neck…how does one keep his balance? I can tell you that in one word: tradition!...”

The Fiddler on the Roof will always hold a very special place in my heart. It will forever be one of my favorite musicals and stories. As I was listening to the soundtrack the past few days, I realized why this story speaks to my heart so much: because these simple people’s lives mirror my own and my family’s, in the fact that we are a small minority that believes a certain way, and it’s sometimes hard to keep our balance.

Many of my friends don’t like this musical very much. I suppose it’s because it has a pretty fast start, but then seems to slow down, and guess what? Despite the fact it is a musical, it doesn’t end up perfect and happy and perky. (If you want that, watch High School Musical, or Mama Mia, or something of that type) At the end you’re left with watching poor Tevye, his wife, and last two daughters walking off in the snow with all they own in search of a new home.

I love this story because you follow the life of a poor man who works hard each day to find happiness. He seems to be a simple man, but in his seemingly simple phrases and questions, you realize he is actually wise. You watch him forced to question his traditions and beliefs for the sake of his daughters (“On the other hand…”). But he heartbreakingly realizes that one has to draw the line somewhere, or he will indeed lose his balance as a fiddler on the roof (“There IS no other hand!”).

Not to mention all of the songs are awesome.

-Prologue/Tradition/Main Title This long intro is absolutely necessary to understand the traditions of the people of Anatevka, and what the fiddler on the roof symbolizes. Not to mention the music after all the singing is plain awesome. I wish I could do that!

-Matchmaker It’s mom’s fault I love this song so much.

-If I Were A Rich Man, partly dad’s fault, and mostly because we all feel this way. My favorite part of this song is that Tevye’s naming off all the things he’d love to have, but the greatest thing of all according to him was to have the time to study the scriptures seven hours everyday. When we think of wealth and riches, what do we think of? Time to read scriptures wasn’t even thought of until I listened to this song.

-Sabbath Prayer I just love listening to Tevye’s and Golde’s duet. Makes you feel happy and safe.

-To Life I love the hard sound in whatever they say after “to life” sounds like “lachiam.” There’s also some cool imagery in the lyrics (“while our hearts lie panting on the floor…”)

-Tevye’s Dream Mom hates this song. I know. I admire Fruma Sarah’s ability to sing so eerily. And it always makes me want to say Mozel Tov to everyone.

-Sunrise, Sunset. Listen to it. Need I say more?

-Do You Love Me? Definitely one of my favorites. It’s a cute song, an older couple married for 25 years realize that they do, in fact, love each other, even though it may not change a thing now but it’s nice to know.

-Anatevka Not exactly a happy song to end a musical with. But a fitting one for this story-helps us realize that the places we dwell in that we call our homes, are nothing really when family (or people) aren’t there anymore.