ROM Speaks

Yiddish Theatre is Alive & Well: Fiddler on the Roof

Oscar- and Tony-winning performer Joel Grey, celebrated for his iconic role as the Master of Ceremonies in Cabaret, is a renowned actor, singer, dancer, photographer, and director who brings his visionary artistry to the Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company's production of Fiddler on the Roof. Grey previously directed the acclaimed, award‑winning Yiddish-language staging A Fidler Afn Dakh for the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene in New York City, which opened in 2018 and continues to tour, solidifying his reputation as a master interpreter of this beloved musical.

Award‑winning actor Steven Skybell, whose stage and screen career has flourished since the early 1990s, is currently starring in the lead role of Tevye in the Yiddish production of Fiddler on the Roof. His critically acclaimed performance has earned him the 2019 Drama League Award and the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Leading Actor in a Musical, along with a nomination from the Outer Critics Circle, cementing his status as one of the production’s standout talents.

Zalmen Mlotek, an internationally recognized conductor, pianist, arranger, accompanist, and composer, serves as the Artistic Director of the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene – the world’s longest continuously operating Yiddish theatre. A leading authority on Yiddish folk and theatre music, Mlotek has helped guide the company to significant acclaim, earning more than ten Drama Desk Award nominations, four Lucille Lortel Award nominations, and three Tony Award nominations during his tenure.

David has spent more than 50 years as an actor working in Toronto, New York, and Los Angeles across film, television, and theatre, including regular roles in King of Kensington and Hangin’ In, for which he earned two Gemini nominations. He is the co-founder and co-artistic director of the Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company, now celebrating its 18th season, where he has acted in and directed numerous productions. His screen work includes starring in Choice: The Henry Morgentaler Story and recent appearances in Mrs. America, CTV’s Transplant, the Crave miniseries Little Bird, and roles in Less Than Kosher and Law & Order: Toronto – Criminal Intent.

Avery, now in his 48th year in the business, began his acting career in 1978 at the Shaw Festival and has worked continuously ever since, performing on major stages across Canada, in U.S. regional theatres, on Broadway, at Lincoln Center, Covent Garden, London’s West End, and in musical theatre concerts throughout Europe, including the 50th Anniversary of Guys and Dolls at the Royal Albert Hall. In 2008, he and his friend David Eisner founded the Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company, one of only two professional Canadian theatres dedicated to telling Jewish stories; now in its 19th season, the company continues to thrive.