Raising the 'Roof': Goodspeed Musicals is producing "Fiddler on the Roof," a show that is marking its 50th anniversary. When the musical premiered back then on Broadway, it ran for more than 3,000 performances and won nine Tony awards, including one for best musical.

Plum role: I know what you're wondering: who's the lucky actor getting to play Tevye - who may not be a rich man but is a rich character? It's Adam Heller, who has starred at Goodspeed before, in "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" and "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn." He's been on Broadway, too, in shows ranging from "Elf" to "Les Misérables."

Leading the way: Directing the production is Rob Ruggiero, who is continuing his run of helming classic shows at the Goodspeed Opera House. He's also directed "Carousel," "Show Boat," "Camelot," "1776" and "The Most Happy Fella" here.

Hitting the high notes: In case you've forgotten, this show has quite a score by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick - "If I Were a Rich Man," "Sunrise, Sunset," "Matchmaker." They are woven into the story of a milkman and his family living in 1905 Russia. Tevye tries to hold fast to his Jewish traditions, even as a Tsarist edict threatens to evict Jews from their own villages. "Fiddler's" book is by Joseph Stein, from a Sholom Aleichem short story.

- KRISTINA DORSEY

"Fiddler on Goodspeed Opera House, 6 Main St., East Haddam; opens Friday and runs through Sept. 7; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Wed., 7:30 p.m. Thurs., 8 p.m. Fri., 3 and 8 p.m. Sat., and 2 p.m. Sun.; also, 2 p.m. on select Thursdays and 6:30 p.m. on select Sundays; tickets start at $27, all prices subject to change based on availability; (860) 873-8668.

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