While the CHS spring musical production of Fiddler on the Roof was not the most exciting show in comparison to shows from years past, the positive reviews from the students and teachers tell a different story.

The idea of the show is built on the Academy Award-winning musical that stageagent.com describes as the following: “Based on Sholom Aleichem’s Tevye and his Daughters, Fiddler on the Roof is the beloved story of the small, tradition-steeped town of Anatevka, Russia, where Jews and Russians live in delicate balance. During the course of the show, the time-honored traditions of Anatevka are both embraced and challenged by Tevye and his colorful community, as they witness his daughters, Tzeitel, Hodel and Chava, grow up and fall in love in a time of extraordinary change… It is a story that captures the essential human longings for love, community, success, freedom, family, and meaning.”

The show began with the Fiddler, senior Samantha Hamilton, and Tevye, senior Wes Hopkins, talking about how it is important to keep tradition. However, as the play goes on, tradition is broken many times by Tevye’s daughters when it comes to who they marry.

This play showed the struggle that the Jewish community had during the time of the Holocaust. In the show, the families were forced to leave their homes and try to go somewhere safe. The cast did a very good job at displaying the traditions that Jewish people practice every day.

While it was a more serious show, there were many moments where certain characters had the audience laughing. Kate Gaffney, a senior who played the matchmaker, did a very good job delivering her comedic lines during serious moments in the show. She had the audience roaring with laughter the entire night. Her character displayed the tradition of how the marriages were arranged and approved by the fathers in the community.

Overall, it is evident that the cast and crew of Fiddler on the Roof put a lot of effort into this show. They did a great job portraying the traditions and classic struggles in the Jewish community into what was a show that had the school buzzing for days after about how it might have been the best show ever.