The Encore Musical Theatre Company Announces "Fiddler on the Roof"

The Encore Musical Theatre Company closes its 2025/26 Main Stage season with one of the most enduring and beloved musicals ever written, Fiddler on the Roof, running June 4 through July 19 in The Maas Theatre in Dexter. Sponsored by Marci & Stephen Feinberg, with onstage orchestra sponsorship by JoAnn R. Socha, this new production is directed by Dan Cooney and features a cast led by Broadway veteran and renowned Cantor, Daniel Eli Friedman, as Tevye.

Set in the small village of Anatevka, Fiddler on the Roof follows Tevye, a Jewish milkman, as he struggles to balance faith, family, and tradition while his daughters challenge long-held customs in a rapidly changing world. Featuring iconic songs including “Tradition,” “If I Were a Rich Man,” “Matchmaker,” and “Sunrise, Sunset,” the musical remains as timely and moving today as when it first premiered in 1964.

“There’s a reason Fiddler on the Roof has never left us,” said Cooney. “It doesn’t ask whether you belong — it asks how you hold on when the world insists you let go. That question feels just as urgent now as it did in 1964, and it’s why we knew this had to be on our stage.”

Cooney noted that this production was inspired by contemporary stagings that revealed new layers within the classic musical. Scenic designer Sarah Tanner created an abstract ribbed roof structure that hangs over the stage throughout the production, symbolizing both shelter and pressure for the people of Anatevka.

“We’ve been incredibly fortunate to bring together a company of artists who understand that Fiddler isn’t just a story about Jewish life in Anatevka — it’s a story about every community that has ever been told to move on,” Cooney said.

“Our casting choices were made with deep intentionality and cultural care, and we’re proud of the ensemble we’ve built around this material.”

At the center of the production is Friedman, whose personal and professional connection to the material brings added depth to the role of Tevye. A graduate of UCLA’s School of Theatre, Film and Television, Friedman spent 15 years performing professionally in New York before entering the Cantorate. His theatrical credits include Les Misérables, Cats, and Forever Plaid. He currently serves as Cantor at Temple Ramat Zion in Northridge, California.

The cast also features Elizabeth Jaffe as Golde, Rebekah Geller as The Fiddler, and Lila Rose Harris, Lily Rosenberg, and Lily Wright as Tevye’s daughters Tzeitel, Hodel, and Chava. Eve Dahlia plays Shprintze, while the role of Bielke is shared by Olive Donow and Frankie McElroy.

Additional cast members include Fred Buchalter as the Rabbi, Jason Briggs as Lazar Wolf, Erit Gill as Yente, Hayden Steiner as Motel, Kiran Behr as Perchik, Caleb Smith as Fyedka, and Keith Kalinowski as the Constable, alongside Emmanuel Morgan, David Roden, Katherine Clemons, Beth Harris, Neri Frank, Trey Perlut, Joe Solomon, and Jessie Alagna.

The creative team includes choreography by Jenny Florkowski, music direction by R. MacKenzie Lewis, scenic design by Sarah Tanner, costume design by Abby Sage Hall, lighting design by Rachel Lauren, props design by Anne Donevan, and sound co-design by Chris Goosman and Jasper Watson. The stage management team is led by Sarah M. Delia, with production supervision by Emma Hutchinson.

Tickets for Fiddler on the Roof are available now at TheEncoreTheatre.org or by calling the box office (734.268.6200) Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. There is a special Sensory Friendly performance on Wednesday, June 17 at 2PM. For for information visit https://theencoretheatre.org/special-events/. Tickets for this performance are $20 and can be purchased throught the box office.

---