{"id":134742,"date":"2023-03-29T12:05:26","date_gmt":"2023-03-29T09:05:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.nli.org.il\/?p=134742"},"modified":"2023-04-03T10:37:24","modified_gmt":"2023-04-03T07:37:24","slug":"topol_fiddler_journey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blognli2026.moonsite.co.il\/en\/topol_fiddler_journey\/","title":{"rendered":"Chaim Topol\u2019s Unbelievable Journey to “Fiddler on the Roof”"},"content":{"rendered":"

In 1966, 31-year-old Chaim Topol, a well-known and beloved actor in Israel, had cast his sights on the great big world. A year before, he won the Golden Globe for \u201cbest new actor\u201d for his role as Salah Shabbati, and played a supporting role alongside Kirk Douglas and Frank Sinatra in his first Hollywood film, Cast a Giant Shadow<\/em>. Born and raised in Tel Aviv’s Florentine neighborhood, Topol struggled with English. He claimed his entire vocabulary at this point amounted to around fifty words.<\/p>\n

Topol never imagined that a year later he would be performing on London\u2019s West End stage speaking perfect English. Dan Almagor, who translated Fiddler on the Roof<\/em> into Hebrew, also doubted Topol\u2019s ability to take on a major role in the English language. He had good reason for thinking so, having seen with his own eyes Topol\u2019s failed attempt at singing a song from Fiddler on the Roof<\/em> in English.<\/p>\n

In a column<\/a> Almagor published in Maariv<\/em> on April 30, 1967, he recounted Topol\u2019s obstacle-laden “romance” with Tevye the Milkman that ended in a successful and long-lasting marriage, thanks not only to Topol\u2019s personal talent and charm, but also to his grit and determination. With a mixture of wonder and satisfaction, Almagor told of how Topol, who just a year earlier couldn\u2019t sing a single verse from the musical in English, won over London\u2019s theater crowd. Almagor, who was in Los Angeles at the time pursuing his doctoral studies, had met Topol a few times on the latter\u2019s visits to the US and witnessed first-hand the events that led to Topol playing Tevye. He even played a supporting role in Topol\u2019s getting the part.<\/p>\n

So, how did Topol get the coveted role on the London stage?<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a story that has everything\u2014public failure, brilliant success and also the drama of a potential terrorist incident\u2014all told in the effortlessly smooth language of the songwriter, translator and storyteller par excellence, Dan Almagor.<\/p>\n