Video: FIDDLER ON THE ROOF in Yiddish Meets the Press

Hello, I'm Richard Ridge for Broadway World, the new production of Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish with English subtitles

which is directed by Tony and Academy Award winner Joel Gray, is returning by popular demand for seven weeks only, beginning on November 13th at New World Stages

And we dropped by the rehearsal room to bring you a sneak peek and to meet the company, led by Stephen Skybell as Tevya

Zadija Tadija Thank you Joe Thank you for

for opening your rehearsal room and letting us come here and experience this today

I had no idea. I woke up today thinking, oh we have some work

to do. There's some new and a couple of new folks but I think

maybe 16 of the original cast and maybe there were three new people

that 16 wanted to be a part of it again. It was like our family

It was wonderful to see the cast again. 25 people, 21 of

the 25 are our alumni and so there was something so familiar to it It was as if we had just performed it yesterday

It was kind of amazing to me that they knew everything and they knew the harmonies

they knew the entrances and everything. So I have no words how thrilled I am to hear it, to see it

and this is just the first day of rehearsal. I mean, the first time Lauren starts playing

I looked around in the circle. We were all moved to tears and then hearing Stevens opening monologue

It's just to hear it in person again, you know, and just to be all together again

It's an overwhelmingly emotional experience and just so special. It feels incredible to be back

You know, I've always called this show the Hanukkah miracle of musical theater

because we thought we only had enough show for two months and it lasted for 18

And now almost three years later to be coming back with so much

of the original mishpacha, the original family, it feels incredible. It is an exhilarating experience and just to open myself up again to it and the possibilities

because the last time around, we were only supposed to run for two weeks with a possibility

of a third and it ended up playing for a year and a half. But it was a scramble because there's the Yiddish factor

And now we're able to not only look at the Yiddish and find the glorious nuances in that language

but also look at the relationships and look at the structure of it and not change it but just enhance it And so to be able to come after this long pause where you know

and put our mark back on the show again and bring it into the public eye

once again, is phenomenal. And now with everything that's happening in the world, this story is very important

I think it's an amazing thing that the production is back in New York City and the audiences are going to get to see it

and people that said, oh, I missed that. I wish I could have seen it. Well, now's your chance. You get to see it

So come see us. Now's your chance. Now we know we're doing it now as a married couple

And I just can't wait to explore that. And it's going to be really, really amazing

Oh, my gosh. It's like we never left. What's beautiful about this company is that we all stayed in touch and really love each other

So throughout all the craziness of everything that went on, we all stayed in touch

So it's just, it's like a big family reunion. It feels. Fantastic. I just did it in English in Chicago. But it's a little crazy to do it in Yiddish. I can't wait. It's my second day of rehearsal. So give me a chance and I'm going to be great, I promise

Was it hard learning the Yiddish for you? Oh, boy. It was a labor of love. It really was. I mean, we worked on it day and night. We didn't have much time, you know, in the beginning. We had a few weeks for everything

So, you know, every waking moment was spent on it. But it was so meaningful. You know, I remember that first audience

that first time you know it all clicked you know and it was just absolutely incredible And now every day you can learn something new every day you know about the Yiddish or you know what it just it a joy really

It's incredible. I would, that's my tagline, labor of love. It really is, it was equal parts, intense labor and the great reward of the love of being able to share it in this language

Not only do we enlighten the world to the language of Yiddish

which is, you know, people have said many things about what the status is of that language

but also this glorious production and bringing it back to its intent of Jerome Robbins and the rest of the creative team

I was fortunate to have worked with Robbins, but, you know, I've incorporated key elements

but I've stayed true because I know the stories and I know why something is there

So, you know, it's just very important for us to convey the beauty of this beautiful musical in Yiddish

people rediscovering it, you know, in a whole new way. It's so rare in this business that when you close a show, that's not the end, that you actually get to come back and do it again

And I knew closing, when we closed at stage 42, I knew it wouldn't be the end

I knew it wouldn't have to say goodbye just yet