Wonder of Wonders: A Cultural History of Fiddler on the Roof by Alisa Solomon (review)

One can hardly think about Fiddler on the Roof without recalling Zero Mostel’s booming declaration of “Tradition,” the belief that ties the community of Anatevka together and the concept that, as lore goes, Jerome Robbins conceived to create dramaturgical cohesion in the musical. It seems fitting that in writing Wonder of Wonders, Alisa Solomon has gently challenged traditions of musical theatre scholarship, illuminating a beloved musical in new ways.

Wonder of Wonders is a storytelling masterpiece that considers a singular musical in a larger scope of literary and performance history, embracing both a more comprehensive timeline and an intimate writing style to enhance the content and context of the subject matter. Beginning in 1905, when Sholem-Aleichem was eager to try his luck in the Yiddish theatre scene in America, the book continues through the ample success of Fiddler’s first Broadway run and onward to historicize the musical’s influence in different times, different countries, and different communities, connecting Fiddler’s complex heritage to both its ancestors and progeny. The writing style feels more like storytelling than academic writing, although the rigor of the scholarship is unquestionable. Solomon embraces the lore, digs into the archives, and provides analysis with the insight of a rebbe offering wisdom. Solomon’s text is without traditional citations: the notes are listed by page number and are coded to match excerpts of the text. The brief introduction explains why Fiddler is worthy of such a complex study: “Beyond its continuing vibrant life in the theater, Fiddler, like no other musical before or since, has seeped into the culture more widely, functioning in sometimes contradictory ways.” Solomon positions the musical as “a Jewish signifier,” a “barometer of Jewish political status,” a “ritual,” and as “a global touchstone for an astonishing range of concerns: Jewish identity, American immigrant narratives, generational conflict, communal cohesion, ethnic authenticity, and interracial bridge building” (2–3).

In part 1, “When America Commands,” Solomon addresses the versions of Sholem-Aleichem’s story that would one day become the source material for Fiddler. In the first chapter, she focuses on a crucial period of his career in which he sought his place in Yiddish theatre in America as he created and refined the short stories about Tevye. Chapter 2 reveals how the works of the beloved writer further developed in the hands of fans and artists. Solomon, deftly using her skills as a Yiddish scholar, reveals the subtle changes in tone and meaning that occur when the source material goes through linguistic and cultural adaptations.

“Tevye Strikes It Rich,” the second part of the book, details the inception, production, and reception of Fiddler, grounding the rest of the book. Solomon explains how the writing team of Jerry Bock, Sheldon Harnick, and Joseph Stein chose the material, gathered resources, and secured Hal Prince as producer and Jerome Robbins as director/choreographer, reading like a Jewish theatrical Ocean’s Eleven. She offers insight into the authenticity that the co-creators sought, setting the stage for the “authenticity” that Fiddler would one day represent. The narrative continues through the carefully curated collage of information on the casting, in particular of Mostel, a decision that would influence the musical’s Jewishness, tone, and style. Solomon tells a riveting tale of script, score, and design revisions from the rehearsal room to the Broadway run. Focusing on defining creative moments—the staging of “Tradition,” Mostel’s cantellations in “If I Were a Rich Man,” and the sensational wedding scene—she fulfils her promise of a cultural history of Fiddler, locating its place in the center of Jewish culture:

by turning toyre (Torah)—Jewish law and religious practice—into “tradition,” it handed over a legacy that could be fondly claimed without exacting any demands. Heritage, after all, is not something one does; it is something one has. Through Fiddler, Mostel and Robbins—and millions of spectators in the decades to come—could cherish, honor, and admire a...