Timeless tale

Fan favorite Fiddler on the Roof breaks with tradition for Bass Hall

There are some stories that never become obsolete, including those about parents and children not seeing eye to eye.

Fiddler on the Roof, the story of a poor milkman raising five daughters in 1905 pre-revolutionary Russia, has been an audience favorite since it debuted on Broadway in 1964, eventually winning a Tony Award for Best Musical the following year. The movie adaptation won several Academy Awards and the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy in 1972.

Now, the trials of Tevye will be told once again for Fort Worth fans at Bass Performance Hall August 20-25.

In Fiddler, a father’s wish for his daughters to marry well (and within the Jewish faith) is challenged when they instead choose their mates for love. With iconic songs including “Matchmaker, Matchmaker,” “Sunrise Sunset," and “Tradition,” the show leaves audiences dancing in the aisles and humming along.

“The songs are so iconic," says Michael Uselmann, music director and conductor for the national tour. "Even if you don’t think you know Fiddler on the Roof, you likely know at least a handful of the songs. If you know “Rich Girl” by Gwen Stefani, then you know of “If I Were a Rich Man.”

Uselmann, who is responsible for maintaining the musical integrity of the show and conducting the 10-piece orchestra nightly, says he was enamored of musical theater from a young age, and discovered a knack for orchestrating and arranging music in high school.

He admits this version of Fiddler might surprise some audiences. Tony-winning director Bartlett Sher and the team behind South Pacific, The King and I, and 2017 Tony-winning Best Play Oslo, are bringing a fresh, authentic vision to the beloved theatrical masterpiece.

“It has everything (audiences) know and love, but it’s less of your typical big Broadway orchestra sound and more of a raucous band you might have heard at a wedding in Russia in the early 1900s. So, it’s exciting,” he says. “The way that our show is directed is in a style of realism that sometimes isn’t used with an older musical.”

He says the opening number “Tradition” is his favorite musical moment in the show. “A minute into it, the whole orchestra joins in, and there’s some fantastic choreography that goes along with it. It’s an incredible opening number. It’s exhilarating.”

As for the story, Fiddler may be based at the turn of the 20th century, but the theme of children breaking tradition against their parents’ wishes is timeless.

“Whether it’s 1905 or 2019, it’s a story that will always be relevant," Uselmann says. "Cultures across the world identify with it, and everyone can see some version of themselves in the characters and situations.”

---

Broadway at the Bass presents Fiddler on the Roof at Bass Performance Hall from August 20-25. A digital ticket lottery during the show’s run will give fans the chance to purchase a limited number of $25 tickets per performance. Visit www.basshall.com for more information.

Fiddler on the Roof comes to Bass Hall August 20-25.

Photo by Joan Marcus

Fiddler on the Roof comes to Bass Hall August 20-25.

theater

Ancient Sculpture News

Fort Worth museum one of only 3 in U.S. to get rare sculpture exhibit

Lorenzo di Masi/Torlonia Collection

The Torlonia Nile

A major exhibition of ancient Roman masterworks is coming to the U.S. for the first time to be viewed at only three museums — including the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth.

Called Myth and Marble: Ancient Roman Sculpture from the Torlonia Collection, it's an assemblage of works stewarded by the Torlonia Family beginning in the early-19th century, and will be installed at the Kimbell from September 14, 2025 – January 25, 2026.

As part of the Foundation’s mission to showcase these historical works to the public, the exhibition will premiere at the Art Institute of Chicago on March 15 through June 29, before traveling to the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth. Its third stop will be at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, from March 14 - July 19, 2026.

The Torlonia Collection was established during the course of the 19th century by the Franco-Italian banker Prince Giovanni Torlonia and his son Alessandro, then handed down over generations, eventually growing into the largest private collection of ancient Roman sculptures.

Today, the Torlonia Foundation represents the culmination of the Family’s continued passion for art. Created at the behest of Prince Alessandro Torlonia (1925–2017), the Foundation’s mission is to preserve and promote the Torlonia Collection and Villa Albani Torlonia.

In 1876, Prince Alessandro Torlonia (1800-1886) created a museum to house and exhibit the Family’s holdings, which was open to small groups until its closure at the onset of World War II. The sculptures remained unseen by the public from that time until the Foundation’s first exhibition at the Musei Capitolini in Rome in 2020. That was followed by a stint at the Louvre, the first presentation of the collection outside of Rome, where it has drawn more than 600,000 visitors to date, an unprecedented feat.

The exhibit
The curators of Myth & Marble: Ancient Roman Sculpture from the Torlonia Collection are Lisa Ayla Çakmak and Katharine A. Raff of the Art Institute of Chicago. The exhibition is co-organized by the Art Institute of Chicago and the Torlonia Foundation, in collaboration with the Kimbell Art Museum, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, and The Museum Box. All of the sculptures in the exhibition have been restored by the Foundation with the support of Bvlgari.

The exhibition is accompanied by a catalogue co-published by the Art Institute of Chicago and the Torlonia Foundation, edited by Lisa Ayla Çakmak and Katharine A. Raff, with essays by Silvia Beltrametti and Salvatore Settis.

The North American presentation will feature 58 highlights from the Torlonia Collection, including 24 newly restored works that have not been on view in nearly a century. The sculptures date from approximately the 5th century BCE to the early 4th century CE, with the majority of the works dating to the High Imperial period (1st–2nd centuries CE). Highlights include examples of the most emblematic genres of ancient marble sculpture, acquired by the Torlonia Family from the most prominent collections of Rome’s patrician families, as well as from excavations made on the Family’s own estates throughout Italy.

“The Foundation is excited to be sharing the Torlonia Collection with audiences in North America for the first time. This exceptional group of ancient sculptures is a testament to the enduring cultural legacy of ancient Rome, as well as the vision and passion of multiple generations of the Torlonia Family,” said Alessandro Poma Murialdo, President of the Torlonia Foundation.

The presentation is organized thematically in six sections, featuring sculptures found on the Torlonia Family’s properties in Rome and the surrounding suburbs and their estate in Porto, Portugal, as well as a number of exceptional sarcophagi (stone coffins), among the largest sculpted works in marble to survive from ancient Rome.

The tour reinforces the work of the Foundation to advance the appreciation and understanding of this unparalleled collection and the rich cultural heritage it represents. The Foundation’s mission is carried out through a continuous joint effort between the public and private sectors, including with the cooperation of the Italian Ministry of Culture. The Foundation is supported by a longstanding collaboration with Bvlgari as the principal sponsor of the restoration project since its inception in Rome and throughout the global tour, and Chiomenti, who has lent invaluable support to the Foundation’s core activities.

galleries