'Fiddler On The Roof' At Bass Concert Hall: Find Tickets Here

AUSTIN, TEXAS — When "Fiddler on the Roof" first opened in 1964, Broadway had never seen anything like it. It was an immediate hit, becoming the first musical with a theater run surpassing 3,000 performances and later holding the record for the longest-running Broadway musical for nearly a decade.

A main reason for the play's success are its exploration of cultural themes that are both universal and timeless. The play centers on Tevye, father of five strong-willed daughters. The main character strives to hold on to the deeply held religious and cultural convictions of his Jewish faith amid a changing world. His three oldest daughters aren't helping matters either, with their modern ideas on love and faith that run counter to Tevye's own.

And yet — in spite of such serious themes — the play never loses its sense of humor. The big number for actors playing Tevye "If I Were a Rich Man," has enduring appeal with a melody that stays in your head and keeps you humming long after. The yearning expressed in the song is akin to the hope of achieving the American Dream of which legions — regardless of religion, race or ethnicity — can relate.

"If I were a rich man, yubby dibby dibby dibby dibby dibby dibby dum!" Tevye sings, the rhythmic gibberish ushering in a wish list of likely unattainable set of personal goals: A big tall house with rooms by the dozen, right in the middle of the town; a fine tin roof with real wooden floors below; and, for good measure, a long staircase leading to nowhere, just for show to complement another serviceable pair; a yard filled with chicks, turkeys, ducks and geese — all loudly squawking as if to alert the neighbors of their owner's imagined wealth.

And Tevye thinks of his wife during this poignant vision quest set to music:

I'd see my wife, my Golde, looking like a rich man's wife

With a proper double-chin.

Supervising meals to her heart's delight.

I see her putting on airs and strutting like a peacock.

Oy, what a happy mood she's in.

Screaming at the servants, day and night.

It's a delightful production, remaining one of the most beloved and honored musicals to this day. Other familiar songs originated with this production, including "Matchmaker" and "Sunrise, Sunset." A later movie adaptation also proved massively successful. If you've never seen a production of this timeless classic you'll have your chance this Saturday, April 6, at the Bass Concert Hall, 2350 Robert Dedman Dr., at 2 p.m.

Click here to buy tickets to "Fiddler on the Roof." Enter promo code “PatchTickets10” to get 10 percent off.

You've probably seen the movie version of the play, with the incomparable Topol in the lead role. But just in case you haven't, SPOILER ALERT:

Just delightful.