TRADITION

TEVYE.- A fiddler on the roof, how crazy, right? But here in our small town called Anatevka, you
can say that each of us is like a fiddler on the roof, trying to pull out a pleasant melody without
breaking our necks. . It's not easy at all. Now, you might wonder... Why stay up there, if it's so
dangerous? We stay because Anatevka is our home. And how do we maintain balance? I can tell
you that in one word. Tradition!
ALL.-
Tradition!
Tradition!
Tradition!
Tradition!
Tradition!
Tradition!
Tradition!
Tradition!
TEVYE.- Thanks to our traditions we have maintained balance for many, many years, here in
Anatevka we have traditions for everything, for eating, for sleeping, for dressing, for example we
always keep our head covered and we always use a small prayer shawl, That shows our constant
devotion to God. You might wonder, how did this tradition start? I'll tell you, I don't know, but it's a
tradition! And thanks to our traditions, everyone knows who they are and what God expects of them.
TEVYE AND PAPAS.-
Who should be the one who fights night and day
Bring and food and say the prayer
Who in the home has the right to order
Well, head of the house is
ALL.-
The father
The father
Tradition
The father
The father
Tradition.
GOLDE AND MOMS.-
Who should know how to form a good home
How kosher is and be at peace
Who should take care of family life?
And so dad can read the Bible
ALL.-
Mother
Mother
Tradition
Mother
Mother
Tradition
CHILDREN.-
I already learned my trade
And they have chosen my wife
I hope my wife
Be pretty too
ALL.-
Children
Children
Tradition
Children
Children
Tradition
DAUGHTERS.-
Who to cook
Mom teaches
To be a prudent wife
Who does dad say?
ALL.-
The daughters
The daughters
Tradition
The daughters
The daughters
Tradition
(Mix between the four voices)
TEVYE.- And in the circle of our small village we have our special characters, for example Yente,
the matchmaker.
YENTE.- Abraham, I have the perfect partner for your son, a wonderful girl.
AVRAM.- And who is it?
YENTE.- Rachel, the shoemaker's daughter.
AVRAM: Rachel? But he can barely see! She's almost blind!
YENTE.- To tell the truth, Abraham, is there much to see about your son? She can see little... and
your son can see little. They are the perfect couple!
TEVYE.- There is also Reb Nahum, the almoner.
NAHÚM.- Help for this poor man, an alms out of charity!
LAZAR.- Take Reb Nahum, here is a coin…
NAHÚM.- A coin? Last week you gave me two coins.
LAZAR.- I just had a bad week.
NAHÚM.- And because you had a bad week... Do I have to suffer?
TEVYE.- And the most important of all… our beloved Rabbi…
MENDEL.- Rabbi, can I ask you a question?
RABBI: Of course, my son.
MENDEL.- Is there an appropriate blessing for the Tzar?
RABBI.- A blessing for the Tzar? Of course!...
God Bless the Tzar and have him yes
Far away from here.
ALL. - Dai, dai dai, dai, dai
TEVYE.- So, we have many others in Anatevka. (The Sheriff, other Russians and other villagers
appear, the groups intersect) We don't bother them and they don't mess with us. That way we live
together in perfect harmony. Of course, we've had some disagreements. Once he sold him (points
to them) a horse...and gave him a mule, but now all that is forgotten. We are at peace, in balance
and... (The two men involved and begin interrupt and begin to argue about the horse and the mule.
A general argument is then made.
MAN 1.- It was a horse.
MAN 2.- It was a mule!
GROUP 1.- Horse!
GROUP 2.- Mule!
GROUP 1.- Horse!
GROUP 2.- Mule!
GROUP 1.- Horse!
GROUP 2.- Mule!
ALL.-
Tradition!
Tradition!
Tradition!
Tradition!
Tradition!
Tradition!
Tradition!
Tradition!
TEVYE.- Tradition! Without our traditions, our lives would be as insecure as… Like a fiddler on the
roof!
MATCHMAKER

HODEL.-
Matchmaker Oh have mercy!
Bring me a gallant, have a heart.
Matchmaker Have mercy on me!
And look for it with determination
JHAVA.-
Matchmaker Oh! I'm ready
Handsome and courteous, bring it to me today
All the girls are going to envy me
My peerless gentle boyfriend.
HODEL.-
My father wants me to be wise
JHAVA.-
My mother mighty champion
BOTH.-
And me, Oh! I wouldn't object
If I were more handsome than King David
Matchmaker, oh have mercy!
Bring me a gallant, have a heart
Soon my loneliness ends
And give me a real hunk!
TZEITEL.- (To Jhava) And since when have you wanted to get a husband, Jhava? I thought you
were only interested in books? (To Hodel) And you, you have your eyes on the rabbi's son.
HODEL.- Why not? We only have one rabbi and he only has one son. Why wouldn't he choose the
best?
TZEITEL.- Because you are a girl from a poor family. So whatever Yente gets you will accept.
Yeah? Of course yes!
Hey… I arrived!
Hodel, oh Hodel!
What boyfriend did I get you?
Mature in age, sixty or something like that.
It's a good game, good man, yes? Yeah!
It will make you happy, and even if it doesn't
Life is something more... that you won't have!
Jhava, I got it! How lucky you will be
It's really tall, more like from here to here
It's a good match, good man, yes? Yeah!
He is warm, the boy will treat you very well
But if he's drunk, don't even go near him.
Too much pretension
For our position
No money, no dowry, no lineage, no nothing
Don't ask for much more.
JHAVA.-
Matchmaker, see how young I am
There is no rush, other than today
HODEL.-
Because suddenly I understand at the end
What can go wrong for me.
ALL.-
Don't bring, Yente, anyone
If you can bring me something better
I don't want to be demanding
Mine is more of terror
Matchmaker Oh! Be careful
There is no rush, because I can see
What can be lost in this game?
And don't run anymore
Be careful
Do not look any further
I don't want anymore
If not my ideal partner.
TEVYE'S DREAM

GRANDMOTHER.-
It will be a blessing
RABBI.-
Mazeltov, Mazeltov.
GRANDMOTHER.-
Your daughter will get married
RABBI.-
Mazeltov, Mazeltov.
GRANDMOTHER.-
And with a son-in-law like that,
like I never saw,
The Tailor Motel Kamzoil
GOLDE.- Motel?
GRANDMOTHER.-
A good worker.
RABBI.-
Mazeltov, Mazeltov.
GRANDMOTHER.-
From a peerless family.
RABBI.-
Mazeltov, Mazeltov.
GRANDMOTHER.-
They called him the same
May my uncle Mordecai
The Tailor Motel Kamzoil
GOLDE.- The tailor? But she heard wrong, he means the butcher.
TEVYE.-
You heard wrong, grandma, he's not a tailor.
A butcher is named Lazar Wolf
GRANDMOTHER.-
No no no.
I say tailor Tevye
my great granddaughter
The beautiful Tzeitel who is called that
Bride will be from the tailor yes.
For that union I prayed.
ALL.-
Mazeltov, Mazeltov.
GRANDMOTHER.-
Heaven brought them together.
ALL.-
Mazeltov, Mazeltov.
GRANDMOTHER.-
That young man will give joy and happiness
The Tailor Motel Kamzoil
GOLDE.- But we have already announced it, we made a deal with the butcher.
TEVYE.-
We already announced it to the neighbors.
We made a deal with the butcher Lazar Wolf.
GRANDMOTHER.-
(Screams) No! No!
If you announced it Tevye I don't care
But through Lazar Wolf I tell you
Tevye problems you will have.
CHORUS.-
It will be a blessing
Mazeltov, Mazeltov
Well, a husband like that
Mazeltov, Mazeltov
And with a son-in-law like that
like I never saw
El Sastre Motel Kamzoil
TEVYE.- The butcher!
CHORUS.-
El Sastre Motel Kamzoil
TEVYE: It's Lazar Wolf!
The Tailor Motel Kam
CHORUS.-
Shah!
Shah!
hey
Who arrived?
Who arrived?
Who is?
Who, who who who
Who is the woman who screams and shakes?
Could be
Yeah!
She is
Of course!
Does it come from another world?
It's the wife yes,
It comes from beyond
From the butcher yes
His wife returned
Fruma Sarah, Fruma Sarah,
Fruma Sarah, Fruma Sarah,
Fruma Sarah, Fruma Sarah,
Fruma Sarah, Fruma Sarah,
(ad lib)
FRUMA-SARAH.- Tevye!
What is it about marrying your daughter to my husband?
CHORUS.-
With her husband.
FRUMA-SARAH.-
You would do that to your neighbor, yes to Fruma-Sarah!
CHORUS.-
Fruma Sarah
FRUMA-SARAH.-
Don't you have any respect for my feelings?
CHORUS.-
Feelings.
FRUMA-SARAH.-
They take what's mine and it's a stranger
CHORUS.-
A stranger.
FRUMA-SARAH.-
How are you going to allow?
May your daughter take my place alone
and my home
and she send
Not my clothes and jewelry!
CHORUS.-
How can you allow such a calamity?
FRUMA-SARAH.-
No no no no
CHORUS.-
No no no no
FRUMA-SARAH.-
Tevye! Tevye!
A man like you doesn't let it happen.
CHORUS.-
Let it happen!
FRUMA-SARAH.-
Say it's not true, I won't bother you.
CHORUS.-
Bother you.
FRUMA-SARAH.-
Say you won't let the two of them get married.
CHORUS.-
Let them get married.
FRUMA-SARAH.-
Let me tell you what will happen with that wedding.
CHORUS.-
That wedding.
Shh
FRUMA-SARAH.-
Yes, Tzeitel marries him
It's going to go bad
Three weeks no more.
And when the end comes
I will arrive at night
I will take from the neck
and I will take it
And I will destroy it
And I will crush it
That's my gift
If she marries, yes to him.
GOLDE.- (Speaks terrified) It's an evil spirit! Let it sink into the waters of the river! May the earth
swallow her! (Spits out his fingers) Oh Tevye, what a horrible nightmare! And to think that it's all
because of that butcher. (Calms down) Yes, my grandmother Tzeitel, may God rest her soul! He
took the trouble to come from beyond to tell us about that tailor, we must understand that it is the
best option and that we will not find anything better. Amen.
GOLDE.-
It will be a blessing
Mazeltov, Mazeltov.
My grandmother informed
Mazeltov, Mazeltov.
And with a son-in-law like that,
like I never saw,
The Tailor Motel Kamzoil
TEVYE.-
But what's going to happen?
GOLDE.-
Mazeltov, Mazeltov.
TEVYE.-
What are we going to do now?
GOLDE.-
Mazeltov, Mazeltov.
TEVYE.-
I will have another son-in-law
Will he marry who?
GOLDE.-
The Tailor Motel Kamzoil
BOTH.-
The Tailor Motel Kamzoil
The Tailor Motel Kamzoil
The Tailor Motel Kamzoil
TEVYE.- (To God) Thank you.
DAWN SUNSET

TEVYE.-
This is the girl I took care of.
That's the playful child.
GOLDE.-
How quickly the two of them grew since yesterday.
TEVYE.-
How was that beauty made?
When he became so tall
GOLDE.-
Was it yesterday when I carried her in my arms?
MEN.-
Dawn sunset
Dawn sunset
and the days go away
Seeds that change at night
and you see a sunflower bloom.
WOMEN.-
Dawn sunset
Dawn sunset
and the days go away
From one season follows another
There will be tears and laughter.
TEVYE.-
What else can I do to guide them?
How to help them grow?
GOLDE.-
Now they are one for each other, that's right.
PERCHIK.-
They look so natural together.
HODEL.-
As a duo should be.
PERCHIK AND HODEL.-
When will I be able to see myself like this?
ALL.-
Dawn sunset
Dawn sunset
and the days go away
From one season follows another
There will be tears and laughter.
CHAVALEH

TEVYE.-
Mockingbird
Linda Chavaleh
I can not understand
What happened?
Everything has already disappeared.
Just the memory of your childhood
A cute nightingale
Chavaleh
Chavaleh
Mockingbird
Linda Chavaleh
Pretty girl yes, it was always you
From all the heart.
Tender, good, affectionate
What a sweet nightingale I achieved
Chavaleh
Chavaleh
ANATEVKA

YENTE.- Well, well... let's not fool ourselves. Anatevka has never been the Garden of Eden.
AVRAM.- That's true.
GOLDE.- After all, what are we leaving here?
a little of this here
A little bit of this there
YENTE.- A loaf
LAZAR.- Barrel
MENDEL.- Frying pan
AVRAM.- armchair
TEVYE.- Someone must have set fire to this place years ago...
MENDEL.- garden
AVRAM.- Portal
GOLDE.- And the stove?
LAZAR.- The house
MORDCHA.- The people who pass by here don't even realize that they have done it.
GOLDE.- A rag
YENTE.- a glass
What is left behind?
Nothing else
Only Anatevka
Anatevka, Anatevka
I ate badly, I drank badly
Anatevka
Where will I be happiest?
Anatevka, Anatevka
I will always love you
Anatevka
I met my neighbors there.
Soon I will be strange
Somewhere else.
Looking for a familiar face.
From Anatevka
I am yours, yes
Anatevka
I am yours, I know well Anatevka
My town, village, and heart, there.