"The superb new production certainly honors the show’s ebullience of spirit…But as directed by Bartlett Sher with his customary sensitivity, this multihued staging moves to a heart-stopping conclusion.…It’s just a musical, no? Yes, but what a musical. The score enters your bloodstream, indelibly, upon a single hearing...And Joseph Stein’s book miraculously blends borscht belt humor with a moving depiction of Tevye’s conflicted heart."
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"Bartlett Sher’s magnificent, life-affirming revival…Rich ambivalence runs through much of Sher’s elegant and deeply satisfying staging…This revival is splendidly acted…Revelatory direction, eloquent visuals and that sublime klezmer-inflected score —what more do you need? A great Tevye, and Burstein is nothing short of a miracle, finding the modern mensch in Tevye, as well as the hard-nosed, belief-bound peasant."
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“This production, intelligent and imaginative though it is, falls short of the mark, and the reasons why it does so say something revealing about the appeal of the show itself...Such things ought to make us weep—and in this production, they don’t... mostly, I think, because Mr. Sher has throttled back the feelings too far. One feels distant from his 'Fiddler,' neatly framed as it is by the vaulting proscenium arch of the Broadway Theatre, which is too big for the show."
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"A well-meaning but only intermittently inspired production...Choreographer Schechter has replaced Robbins’ evocative physical lyricism with caricature...Too often I had the impression of lines being recited rather than felt, and of lyrics being presented, rather than sung...In making a blunt connection between the deported Jews of Anatevka and today’s global tragedy of exile and dislocation, Sher does himself and this indestructible show a disservice. We’re smarter than that."
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"One of the great and most enduring Broadway musicals. The new revival does a fine job mining this rich vein of material…Performances are very good, as is the lively dancing choreographed by Hofesh Schechter that taps tradition and some contemporary moves. But the curious scenery often gets in the show’s way. It makes for a distracting, busy and slow-pokey production of a tightknit musical."
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"Some may take exception to some of Sher’s tinkering with the template of the beloved title, but few will find fault in Burstein’s gentle, lovable man of faith…Other touches seem unfinished, unclear or labored…Registering strongest among the new perspectives are the new movements and dances…Most of the cast breathes natural air into the production — sometimes with idiosyncratic touches that pop, and a few that fall flat…But in the end it’s Burstein who carries the show."
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"Sher's staging mines every dramatic nuance and every ounce of character-based humor in Joseph Stein's indestructible book…The dancing is simply extraordinary…The revival owes much of its emotional heft to impeccable casting..The duality of humor and horror is essential to 'Fiddler,' and as in every other aspect, this superb production captures that balance with enormous soulfulness...The show also closes the Broadway year on a magnificent note."
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"Sher has done himself — and audiences — a huge favor with his astute casting, particularly in the choice of Danny Burstein in the all-important role of Tevye…It’s a wryly, fully realized portrayal…Around this central pair orbit other excellent actors…'Fiddler' endures as a meticulously well-built musical… Sher’s production underlines the inherent strengths and adds to them, with some thrilling dances and a beautiful physical production."
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