‘Fiddler’ at Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre rises intensely to the moment
Co-production with Atlanta Opera adds fight to the Broadway classic musical, making it resonate with our times.
Hodel (Mia Pinero) prepares for departure as her father Tevye (Itzik Cohen), worries if he will see his daughter again in “Fiddler on the Roof,” a co-production of the Alliance Theatre and the Atlanta Opera. Hodel is leaving to join her fiancé Perchik, a pro-Jewish activist who has been imprisoned in Siberia. (Photo credit: Raftermen)
By Luke Evans – ArtsATL
Sept 18, 2025
This story was originally published by ArtsATL.
Rarely have stories of social unrest, shifting cultural landscapes and people being forced from their homes felt so timely. Despite having been written in the late 1960s, the production of “Fiddler on the Roof” running at the Alliance Theatre through Oct. 12 feels eerily like a reflection of our current political climate.
A co-production with the Atlanta Opera, directed by Tomer Zvulun, the Opera’s general and artistic director, this “Fiddler” staging is simultaneously a delight and a gut punch, with Zvulun, leaning fully into the highs and lows of the classic musical. High-octane group numbers such as “L’Chaim” and “Tevye’s Dream” have the audience bouncing in their seats, primed for the devastating tonal shift wrought at the end of Act 1 as communal joy turns to violent suppression.
Carrying us through these highs and lows is Itzik Cohen as Tevye, a bastion of effervescent charm who is able to delight the audience one minute and move them nearly to tears the next. His rich and layered performance anchors the show — even if his singing voice wavers at times and his “If I Were a Rich Man” is somewhat forgettable.
That is not to discount the other performers, all of whom have a lived-in quality to them — like a community of people who have known each other their entire lives. In particular, Amanda Fallon Smith (Tzeitel), Mia Pinero (Hodel) and Maya Jacobson (Chava) create a palpable sense of sisterhood as Tevye’s three eldest daughters, whose romantic plights drive most of the show’s conflict. Pinero is the biggest standout as Hodel, though; in fairness, her character has always been the most dynamic of the three.
Mia Pinero (from left), Maya Jacobson, Debbie Gravitte and Amanda Fallon Smith observe the Sabbath in “Fiddler on the Roof,” customarily covering their eyes during prayer. (Photo credit: Raftermen)
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The ensemble of “Fiddler on the Roof,” directed by Tomer Zvylun, the Atlanta Opera’s general and artistic director. Costumes are by Vita Tzykun, scenic design by Alexander Lisiyansky. (Photo credit: Raftermen)
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