After almost 40 years of entertaining audiences, Davis Musical Theatre Company charms us with a cast of talented actors to present one of the most popular musicals of all time, “Fiddler On The Roof.”

The musical is based on the stories of Jewish writer Shalom Aleichem.

The story takes place in 1905 and stars Tevye (Sean Savage), a dairyman living in a small Russian village who is trying to scratch out a living and provide for his wife and five daughters while grappling with changing times and his beloved traditions. In his day, a matchmaker was used by the families to arrange the marriages. However, his daughters have ideas about marriage of their own, which challenge Tevye. He often has conversations with God, asking why his life is so hard, including when he shakes his arms and chest and sings about his desire for God to make him wealthy in “If I Were a Rich Man.”

In the opening scene, the town uses the traditional Broadway choreography of Jerome Robbins, perfected by Jan Isaacson, director and choreographer, to highlight the different groups that make up the town. This invokes a visual of how everyone has a place in this village, an expectation of what is traditionally done, and a sense of warmth and belonging.

While the characters do argue, by the end of the song, everyone reunites, order is restored, and pride in their connectivity creates that warm fuzzy feeling when a large group works together as one.

The Fiddler (Talise Eynon) teaches us how difficult it is to keep your balance and not fall off the roof completely while grappling with life’s ups and downs. Although there is a wonderful fourteen-piece orchestra in the pit led by Music Director Jacob Fennell, this Fiddler is actually playing the violin and dancing themself rather than relying on a pit violinist doing the playing from off-stage. This was both unusual and refreshing for a community theatre production.

Tevye and his wife Golda (Chris Cay Stewart) did a lovely duet of “Do You Love Me.” Their three oldest daughters, Tzeitel (Téa Pusey), Hodel (Felicia Dunn), and Chava (Sierra Sheehan), entertained the audience while sweeping the floors with the classic song “Matchmaker.” Danette Vassar played the self-deprecating Matchmaker with beautiful authenticity and “chutzpah.”

During a dream scene, ghosts of Grandma Tzeitel (Amy Woodman) and Fruma Sarah (Laura M. Smith) wow the audience, with the latter twice as tall, scaring all the villagers who are moving like zombies in a fantastic special effects display!

A charming, historically accurate scene of the wedding enlightened the audience with the traditional customs of a Jewish wedding. Most present-day Jewish weddings include these same traditions and even play the song from the show Sunrise Sunset. It was impressive to see a traditional Bottle Dance performed with real bottles balanced atop the dancers’ hats with no Velcro attached!

Motel, the tailor (Danny Beldi), went from being perceived as a boy to becoming a man in Miracle of Miracles, which brought a lot of joy or “nachus” to the scene as he won his bride. Perchek (Lucas Dunn), in his roundabout way of really changing the politics of Russia, really made us listen closely as he explained his new ideas and also rejoiced in the song “Now I Have Everything.”

The show also includes the realities of rising antisemitism and pogroms in Russia. The bitter ending of the show reminds us that Jews are all forced to flee into a new, unfamiliar part of the diaspora that has happened all throughout history. This was especially unsettling to watch as antisemitism and hate crimes have rapidly risen across the world and right here in Davis, but also brought a sense of hope that the Jewish people will live on and continue to carry their culture with them.

The show is witty and entertaining. It runs for 2 hours and 45 minutes, which seems to fly by, with the ensemble bringing so much energy to the show. Congratulations to Director Jan Isaacson for putting on such a fun and meaningful show!

It plays now through March 24. It is at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, and 2 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets are available at DMTC.org.