It\u2019s one of those musicals that always seems to be in rotation. Over the years, many a Tevye \u2014\u00a0from Mostel to Theodore Bikel<\/a> to Chaim Topol to Alfred Molina \u2014\u00a0has inspired audiences to reflect on their own traditions, both those sustained and those lost.<\/p>\n Now in previews<\/a> and set to open on Dec. 20, the newest revival and sixth Broadway production of \u201cFiddler\u201d features a cast of Broadway veterans like Danny Burstein (\u201cCabaret,” \u201cSouth Pacific\u201d) as Tevye and Jessica Hecht (\u201cA View from the Bridge,” TV’s \u201cBreaking Bad\u201d) as Golde, as well as \u201cSo You Think You Can Dance\u201d winner Melanie Moore as Chava.<\/p>\n After thousands of stage productions and an indelible movie adaptation, early ticket sales suggest that the public\u2019s interest in the musical have hardly waned.<\/p>\n What makes this revival of \u201cFiddler\u201d worth seeing? There\u2019s a talented cast, for starters, as well as some new spins on the old tale. From cast Shabbat dinners to surprising sources of inspiration, we give you a behind-the-scenes look at some surprising facts about the current\u00a0production of \u201cFiddler on the Roof.\u201d<\/p>\n At 91, lyricist Sheldon Harnick still attends rehearsals.<\/b><\/p>\n More than 50 years after he wrote such poignant lyrics as \u201cplaying with matches, a girl can get burned,\u201d lyricist Sheldon Harnick is still a presence in the rehearsal room, offering the cast feedback and guidance.<\/p>\n At 91, he\u2019s the only remaining member of the original creative team, which included composer Jerry Bock, book writerJoseph Stein<\/a>\u00a0and director-choreographer Jerome Robbins. But Harnick\u2019s still a force: In a\u00a0video of the sitzprobe<\/a> \u2014 the first rehearsal featuring the cast and full orchestra together \u2014 Harnick astounded Burstein by saying this\u00a0orchestra sounded better than he ever remembered.<\/p>\n Harnick\u2019s remarkably agile, too. When posing for a cast photo at the show\u2019s media event, he instinctively kneeled on the floor next to 20-something cast members. Naturally they insisted he stand, front and center.<\/p>\n They celebrate Shabbat together.<\/strong><\/p>\n Early in the rehearsal process, on Oct. 23, the cast and creative team of \u201cFiddler\u201d had a Shabbat dinner at Mendy\u2019s Restaurant, the classic delicatessen in Midtown Manhattan. It may have been the first Shabbat dinner experience for several of them, but after a few “l’chaims”\u00a0\u2014 and conversations that ranged from personal histories to religion, according to a media representative \u2014 they were extended family.<\/p>\n Current events inform the production.<\/strong><\/p>\n At early rehearsals with the cast, director Bartlett Sher spoke of Syrian refugees<\/a> and how they serve as an essential access point for both the actors and the audience. The significance of \u201cFiddler\u201d today, he said, is in relating to people who leave their homes searching for security.<\/p>\n \u201cCurrently in Europe, we\u2019re seeing the largest refugee crisis since World War II,\u201d he said at a media event. \u201cTevye allows us to be in that situation as he figures out how to cope.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFiddler\u201d runs in the family.<\/strong><\/p>\n Michael Bernardi \u2014 who plays Mordcha, the innkeeper, and is also the understudy for Tevye \u2014 makes his Broadway debut in this production. He\u2019s the son of Herschel Bernardi, who replaced Mostel as Tevye in the original Broadway production and later reprised the role in 1981.<\/p>\n But the family connection extends another generation: Bernardi\u2019s grandfather performed the stories of Sholem Aleichem<\/a>in the Yiddish theater. (\u201cFiddler\u201d is a compilation of several of the writer’s\u00a0stories, though it takes some liberties with them.)<\/p>\n Look out for some new choreography …<\/b><\/p>\n Most “Fiddler” revivals hew closely\u00a0to the original choreography \u2014 but for this production, the Robbins estate permitted\u00a0more freedom. This has enabled Israeli choreographer Hofesh Shechter \u2014 his England-based troupe, Hofesh Shechter Company, <\/a>is\u00a0known for modernist, gritty movement set to percussive electronic music \u2014 to weave in some contemporary movement.\u00a0Trained in traditional Israeli and Russian folk dance, Shechter aimed not to redo but to expand Robbins’ iconic dances. The result is a balance of tradition and progress that connects to the musical\u2019s central idea.<\/p>\n … and some new music, too<\/strong><\/p>\n Sher has become a coveted director for reviving classics. He’s breathed new life into the works of Rodgers and Hammerstein (\u201cThe King and I\u201d) and Clifford Odets<\/a> (\u201cAwake and Sing!). In each of these productions, Sher researches like a professor: He begins by studying early versions of the script \u2014 including songs that were cut and dialogue that was rewritten \u2014 in order to build a musical from the ground up.<\/p>\n The result is a production that looks and sounds like the original \u2014 yet also feels vital and relevant for a contemporary audience, with some surprises, too: Look out for new music featured in some of \u201cFiddler\u2019s\u201d dance scenes.<\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n![\"Share](\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/buttons\/share-medium.png\")