All Star Guests announced for RAISING THE ROOF benefit

6/3/2014 11:41am


Chita Rivera and Karen Ziemba, Norman Norman Jewison & Ambassador Ido Aharoni, Counsul General of Israel, have joined the lineup of Raising the Roof, an all-star benefit concert celebrating the 100th anniversary of The National Yiddish Theatre - Folksbiene, the 50th Anniversary of iconic American musical, Fiddler on the Roof, and the 90th birthday of lyricist, Sheldon Harnick, on Mon June 9 at 7:30 PM at The Town Hall (123 West 43rd St). Original Fiddler on the Roof producer, Harold Prince, Harvey Fierstein, star of the 2004 Broadway revival, and journalist Frank Rich are the Honorary Co-Chairs with Fiddler vets Gary John La Rosa and Erik Liberman co-conceiving and co-directing the evening. This event will feature renditions of classic "Fiddler on the Roof" musical numbers by their originators and notable successors. Generations of Anatevkans will celebrate the show's milestone anniversary, including two-time Topol, who originated the role of "Tevye" on the London stage, reprised his role in the film, and returned to Broadway with the role in 1991, who will be joined by Joshua Bell, Frank London, Jerry Zaks, Andrea MartinAdrienne Barbeau, Liz Larsen, Austin Pendleton, Sammy Dallas BayesLouis Zorich, Pia Zadora, Fyvush Finkel, as well as three sisters from the 1971 film, Rosalind Harris, Michele Marsh and Neva Small, and special guest Jackie Hoffman.   Original Broadway run cast members Robert Aberdeen, Maurice Edwards, Tanya Everett-Bagot, Louis Genevrino, Sandra Kazan, Faye Menken-Schneier, Joanna Merlin, Carolyn Mignini, Joe Ponazecki, Larry Ross, Carol Sawyer, Roberta Senn, Harriet Slaughter and Mimi Turque-Marre will be joined by Fiddler vets including Leslie Alexander, Joanne Borts, Mike Burstyn, Rachel Coloff, T. Doyle Leverett, Michael J. Farina, Kerry Frances, Deborah Grausman, Rebecca Hoodwin, Lori Ada Jaroslow, Mark Sanders, Donalyn Petrucci-Shreve, Cheryl Stern, Lori Wilner, plus a choir of 36 children. Raising the Roof will also feature appearances by Bel Kaufman, the 103-year-old granddaughter of famed Yiddish author and playwright Sholom Aleichem, who wrote Fiddler's source material, Tevye and His Daughters, and Alisa Solomon, author of the acclaimed book, Wonder of Wonders: A Cultural History of Fiddler on the Roof. For tickets, call 212/213-2120, ext. 203, or online at www.nationalyiddishtheatre.org. Press contact: O&M Co (695-7400)...