Birmingham-Southern College theatre program to present Fiddler on the Roof

For Immediate Release
Sep. 22, 2016

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.—Dr. Jeff Kensmoe, BSC associate professor of music, will unleash his rich baritone in the lead role of Tevye for the theatre program’s first production of the season and first-ever performance of Fiddler on the Roof.

The beloved musical theatre classic—winner of nine Tony Awards when it debuted in 1964—follows the life of a poor dairy farmer in the fictitious village of Anatevka in 1905. With the help of a colorful and tight-knit Jewish community, Tevye tries to protect his five daughters and instill them with traditional values in the face of changing social mores and the growing anti-Semitism of Czarist Russia.

“Now that I have children of my own (albeit not quite the age of Tevye’s), the role will become intensely personal,” Kensmoe said. “Like Tevye, I want the very best for my family and will do everything I possibly can to make that possible.”

Fiddler on the Roof has long been a favorite of Theatre Professor and Director Michael Flowers, who had been waiting for the right moment to collaborate with faculty and students in the Music Department to produce what he calls one of the last great shows of the golden age of musical theatre.

“The story is really about family and how families live with and embrace change while holding onto those values and principles that are the foundations of their lives,” Flowers said. “It’s also about what it means to be a people without a home—a story all too familiar in our world today.”

Flowers will delve into that subject in a free, public Provost’s Forum lecture on Tuesday, Oct. 18, at 11 a.m. in the College Theatre/Mainstage. He’ll discuss “Fiddler on the Roof: Caught Between Tradition and the Future—A People in Search of a Home” and be joined by company members who will perform short scenes.

In addition to Kensmoe, three other non-students will perform in the production alongside the talented student cast and crew. Attendees this fall will get to witness one of the biggest and most elaborate shows a BSC stage has ever seen.

Performances of Fiddler on the Roof will be held in the College Theatre/Mainstage on Oct. 19, 20, and 22 at 7:30 p.m.; Oct. 23 at 2:30 p.m.; and Oct. 27-29 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 for the general public and $10 for students (regardless of school) and BSC employees; tickets go on sale three weeks prior to opening night for BSC Arts Alliance members and two weeks prior to opening night for the public. Reserve your tickets by calling the Theatre Box Office at (205) 226-4780 during these weeks. Box Office hours are Monday through Friday from 1-4:45 p.m.

For the enjoyment of patrons and the comfort of the cast and crew, children aged six and under will not be admitted.

About Birmingham-Southern College:
Birmingham-Southern College is a four-year, private liberal arts institution in Birmingham, Ala., founded in 1856 and affiliated with the United Methodist Church. It enrolls about 1,300 students from more than 30 states and 15 foreign countries.