Zero Mostel played Tevye in the original Broadway production of Fiddler on the Roof.
Fiddler on the Roof opened at Broadway’s Imperial Theatre in September 1964. Mostel portrayed Tevye, a Jewish milkman trying to preserve family traditions while his daughters make their own choices in the village of Anatevka.
The musical has a book by Joseph Stein, music by Jerry Bock, and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick. It was based on Sholem Aleichem’s stories about Tevye and his family. The original production was directed and choreographed by Jerome Robbins.
Topol is a common source of confusion because he played Tevye in the 1971 film and in major later stage productions. He was not the actor in the original Broadway cast. Mostel’s performance helped establish Tevye as one of musical theatre’s best-known central roles.