My maternal grandfather was a mystery to me, until I understood “Fiddler on the Roof.” And then I came to Pittsburgh, and learned a little bit more.
My mother, Shirley Goodman, grew up in Bronx, N.Y., the youngest sibling by far with two brothers a decade and more ahead of her. Her parents spoke a combination of Yiddish, Polish and English, and she knew that her father, Israel Goodman, had gone from Ellis Island to Pittsburgh before he made his way back to New York for good.
I found that out in 1980, when I announced that I had a job interview in Pittsburgh.
“You know your grandfather went to Pittsburgh before New York,” she said.
I didn’t.
“He brought your grandmother over and they were married there. Your Uncle Sam was born there.”
I hadn’t known that, either.
I was told Grandpa left Poland in 1907 as a poor teenage student and came to Pittsburgh because he had a cousin here, but no one knew her name — my mother said he called her the equivalent of “black-haired beauty” in Polish. He talked of rolling cigars to earn money that helped him bring his wife-to-be and brother here from Poland, and that he and my grandmother, Gussie, were married in a Hill District synagogue. And that’s about it.
But why did they leave Poland?
That’s where “Fiddler on the Roof” entered the equation. I grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y., and it was the only Broadway cast album my parents played over and over. It was also the first two Broadway shows I attended.
The musical, based on the writings of Sholom Aleichem and featuring timeless songs by Sheldon Harnick and Jerry Bock, first hit Broadway in 1964 and ran for more than 3,400 performances.
The first time I saw it, the star was relative unknown Harry Goz, who replaced Zero Mostel and others in the iconic role of “Tevye the Dairyman” throughout the 1960s. But it was Mr. Mostel’s voice that meant Tevye to me. I got to see him when he returned to the role in the mid-’70s. My sister somehow scored second-row seats for us and our mother, and Mr. Mostel happened to be in a playful mood, often breaking the Fourth Wall and once saying his lines while sitting at the edge of the stage right in front of us. To say my mother “qvelled” about it is to put it mildly.
There have been many “Fiddlers” since, from Western Pennsylvania high school productions to Pittsburgh CLO’s wonderful 2012 show with Broadway veteran Lewis Stadlen as Tevye. Much of the music is embedded in my consciousness and the American Songbook — for example, the song “Sunrise, Sunset” turns up in the new movie “Beautiful Boy.” The book by Joseph Stein remains a brilliant insight into unbearable circumstances made bearable for its humanity and comedic touches.
The national tour on its way to Pittsburgh starting Tuesday began on Broadway in 2015, with a modern approach and as a well-deserved vehicle for Tony nominee Danny Burstein. In the New York cast as the innkeeper Mordcha was Michael C. Bernardi, son of another Tevye, Herschel Bernardi. I met Michael briefly at the first BroadwayCon in New York, because I just had to say hi.
I have always loved the music, certainly, but my connection to “Fiddler on the Roof” is much stronger than just “Tradition.” It also sent me to the history books, and that’s how I first learned of the Pale of Settlement, a time when 2 million Jews were forced from their homes — just like the inhabitants of the fictitious Anatevka. During a 125-year era, ending around 1917, the Russian Empire dictated that permanent residency by Jewish people was forbidden within a 365,000-square-mile area.
Despite a spirited resistance, Poland was subject to the push and pull of the power that were from Prussia, Austria and Russia. Many of those who were threatened or uprooted during that time crossed the ocean in search of the American dream, and that's when my grandfather made his way to Pittsburgh.
Perhaps it’s in my DNA, but it’s as if “Fiddler on the Roof” always has been part of my life. So if you’re wondering why we need yet another revival of the oft-revived show, I say, “When do we not need ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ in our lives?”
The national tour of the Broadway revival of “Fiddler on the Roof” will be at the Benedum Center Tuesday through Sunday. Tickets: https://trustarts.org/
Sharon Eberson: seberson@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1960. Twitter: @SEberson_pg.
First Published: November 20, 2018, 11:00 a.m.
