Ariel Efraim Ashbel and friends

Venue: HAU1

“Fiddler! One night only!” is a reinterpretation of the show “Fiddler! A Musical” from 2023, in which music is at the center of a dialogical setting. Subversive and funny, minimalistic and trendy, Jewish and universal — the work builds a bridge from folk traditions of the past to an even stranger and hopefully better future.

In a casual homage to the Broadway hit, which made Yiddish art accessible to a wide audience, the evening explores the traditions of 20th century Jewish performing arts and their connection with exile, expulsion and state violence.

In our time marked by social upheaval and change, the timeless story about Tevye and his daughters by Yiddish writer Sholem Aleichem, one of the founding fathers of Yiddish literature, continues to resonate as a narrative about the complex question of belonging. Right here, where we live, we see the tradition of instrumentalizing Jewish identity playing out once again, this time to advance a reactionary agenda under the guise of protection. With this abstract version of the story, Ariel Efraim Ashbel and friends want to recall, highlight and celebrate another tradition: a minority tradition characterized by a sense of responsibility, solidarity and complexity in dealing with the world. When Tevye haggles with God for his values and is torn between the modern need to rethink outdated ideas on the one hand and the protection of the unique life of his Jewish family in a constantly changing world on the other — then he finds his moral compass in love.

Over the course of the evening, thoughts and actions merge into a playful ritual that includes both solemnity and grief. With compositions by Ethan Braun and performances by the soloist ensemble Kaleidoscope, Jessica Gadani and Thelma Buabeng.

Artistic Direction: Ariel Efraim Ashbel/Musical Direction & Composition: Ethan Braun/Stage Design: Alona Rodeh/Light Design: Joseph Wegman/Research & Concept: Romm Lewkowicz/Performance: Ariel Efraim Ashbel, Katharina Joy Book, Thelma Buabeng, Jessica Gadani/Orchestra: Soloist Ensemble Kaleidoscope: Anna Faber, Mari Sawada, Yodfat Miron, Isabelle Klemt, Caleb Salgado/Dramaturgy & Assistance Direction: Katharina Joy Book/Production Assistant: Mona Altmann/Creatice production: Anna von Glasenapp

There are two marked parking spaces in front of the house. Access to the parquet floor is possible via a separate entrance with lift. Barrier-free sanitary facilities available.