Fiddler on the Roof
by Austin Opera
Feb. 05 - Feb. 08
Thursday-Sunday
Tevye, a poor milkman, lives with his wife Golde and their five spirited daughters in a small village. He dreams of a better life for his children—one filled with security and steeped in tradition. As each daughter follows her heart, Tevye’s unwavering faith is put to the test. As he converses with God, sharing his thoughts and inner conflicts, a larger threat looms over the village and their way of life. What unfolds is an enduring story of family, faith, and resilience.
Austin Opera’s 40th Birthday Season continues this February with the company premiere of one of the most celebrated musicals of all time, Fiddler on the Roof. Tickets are now on sale for four performances at the Long Center on Thursday, February 5, Friday, February 6, and Saturday, February 7, at 7:30 pm, and Sunday, February 8, at 2:00 pm, available at www.austinopera.org or by calling Patron Services at 512-472-5992.
Declared a “Must see” by the Austin American-Statesman in the Fall Arts Preview, Fiddler on the Roof is one of the most celebrated musicals of all time, winning nine Tony Awards, including Best Musical. With music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, it features the iconic songs “Matchmaker,” “If I Were a Rich Man,” “Miracle of Miracles,” “Sunrise, Sunset,” and more. These unforgettable performances will have audiences singing right out of the theater.
The enduring story of faith, love, and resilience features an extraordinary cast of nationally renowned artists and local favorites. “We are excited to bring the first new large-scale production of this work premiered in the U.S. in decades to Austin audiences, and we’re thrilled that interest has been so strong that we had to add a fourth performance,” said Annie Burridge, General Director & CEO of Austin Opera.
This new co-production debuted in July at Cincinnati Opera, where it was called “like dessert after a feast” by the Cincinnati Enquirer and earned a 2025 International Opera Award nomination for Best Musical.
Nominated for a Tony Award in 2024 for his current role in Cabaret on Broadway, Lubbock, TX native Steven Skybell brings his celebrated role as Tevye to Austin. Called “a Broadway-quality Tevye” by The New York Times, Skybell has earned praise for his “exuberant charm, warmth, flinty intelligence, and even a bearish sexiness” (The Hollywood Reporter) and his “perfect combination of whimsy, depth, and humanity” (Chicago Sun-Times) in the role. Having first performed the role at 17 in a 1979 summer camp production, and again at 21 as a Yale undergrad, Skybell has lived with the character for more than four decades. Having first been professionally cast in the role in 2018, he has quickly become this era’s definitive Tevye.
Grammy-winning soprano Mela Dailey, who wowed Austin audiences as Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd, returns as Tevye’s wife Golde. Their three eldest daughters are Sharon Robinson (Tzeitel), Rachel Blaustein (Hodel), and Audrey Ballish (Chava). Tzeitel longs to marry Motel, played by Ryan Everett Wood, but has been promised to the wealthy butcher Lazar Wolf, played by beloved Austinite, journalist, and music critic, Robert Faires. Timothy Myers leads the Austin Opera Orchestra & Chorus, with Austin Opera’s newly appointed concertmaster, Patrice Calixte, performing the role of the Fiddler
Fiddler on the Roof is directed by Emmy Award nominee Crystal Manich with choreography by Michael Pappalardo. The creative team includes scenic design by Andrew Boyce, costume design by Chad Phillips, and lighting design by Thomas Hase. Adam Roberts serves as Music Consultant.
Shalom Austin will participate as production partners, hosting rehearsals for Fiddler on the Roof at the Dell Jewish Community Center while Austin Opera’s Butler Performance Center undergoes renovations, and two special events: An Evening with Austin Opera on Monday, January 12, at 7:00 pm at the JCC, and Conductor Cues with Timothy Myers at Congregation Agudas Achim on Saturday, January 21, at 7:00 pm. Rabbi Neil Blumofe, of Agudas Achim, also joins the production team as Cultural Consultant and will perform the role of the Rabbi in Fiddler on the Roof.
Fiddler on the Roof is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com.
Fiddler on the Roof
by Bock, Harnick and Stein
Austin Opera
February 05 - February 08, 2026
February 5 - 8, 2025
Thursday - Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m.
Dell Hall, Long Center, Austin
Tickets are now on sale at www.austinopera.org or by calling Patron Services at 512-472-5992.
