Emmaus High School Theater will bring the musical “Fiddler on the Roof” to area audiences starting tonight.

Performances are 7 p.m. March 29 through April 1 and 2 p.m. April 1 and 2 in the Emmaus High School Auditorium, 500 Macungie Ave., Emmaus.

The beloved and much performed musical opened on Broadway in 1964 and a film version came to movie theaters in 1971.

Its famous alums include Zero Mostel, Bette Midler, Bert Convy, Bea Arthur, Sally Struthers, Harvey Fierstein, Josh Gad, Leonard Nimoy, Rosie O’Donnell, Paul Michael Glaser, Chaim Topol, the Israeli actor who starred in the 1971 film version and Josh Groban, who played the lead role of Tevye in his high school production. Fans can check out footage of Groban in the role on YouTube.

The original “Fiddler on the Roof” was nominated for 10 Tony Awards, winning nine, including best musical and its songs became embedded in the American popular music. Check out Gwen Stefani’s “If I Was a Rich Girl,” a riff on Fiddler’s “If I Were a Rich Man,” appearing on the Billboard Top 100 charts for six consecutive months starting in December 2004 as well as numerous cover versions of the show’s songs by numerous artists. The original cast album topped music charts in the 1960s and is included in the National Registry of the Library of Congress.

Set in a village in Imperial Russia in the early 20th-century, “Fiddler” is based on a collection of stories by Sholem Aleichim about Tevye, a milkman who is a leader in his community. He and his wife have five daughters, several of whom are old enough to marry. However, the daughters want to marry for love, not by parental arrangement as dictated by tradition. Tevye and his family and their neighbors are hardworking, tenacious, resilient and struggling to maintain their way of life.

The musical tackles universally resonant themes of religious and cultural tradition, assimilation, generational conflict, repression and prejudice, to name a few.

The original production achieved a record setting 3,000 plus performances and was still on Broadway when the film version premiered in 1971.

Quoted in a 2014 article in the Los Angeles Times marking the 50th anniversary of “Fiddler’s” Broadway debut, set designer Robin Wagner said, “‘Fiddler’ showed how a musical could speak to all generations and cultures.”

The musical features songs “Sunrise, Sunset,” “If I Were Rich a Man,” “Tradition,” “Matchmaker, Matchmaker,” “L’Chaim,” translated from Yiddish as “To Life,” and, of course, “Fiddler on The Roof” among many others.

In the book “Jerome Robbins, by Himself,” Robbins, the creative force behind the original Broadway show is quoted as describing “Fiddler” as “a glory to my father.”

The EHS Theater cast includes: Jacob Klinedinst as Tevye, the Dairyman, Emily Novak as Golde, Tevye’s wife, Julia Brown as Tzeitel, their daughter, Hannah Kern as Hodel, their daughter, Emily Brown as Chava, their daughter, Dylan Dueh as Shprintze, their daughter, Madisyn Servais as Bielke, their daughter, Ashley Baker as Yente, the matchmaker, Aiden Panko as Motel, the Tailor, Charles Kenney as Perchik, the Student, Dominic Zientara as Fyedka, a Russian Soldier, Christopher Fullenwider as Lazar Wolf, the Butcher, Anna Chavolla as Fruma Sarah, Lila Schneider as Grandma Tzeitel, T.J. Seislove as Constable, Kyra Kelly as Fiddler, Jacob Ackerman as Rabbi, Michael Krem as Mendel, Rabbi’s Son, Rose Alsleben as Mordcha, the Innkeeper, Avram, Noah Hover as the Bookseller and Ava Grace Saab as Shaindel, Motel’s mother.

The ensemble includes James Chen, Liam Hughes, Sophia Kuebler, Matthew McCambridge, Persia Mullay, Elaine Nguyen, Miel Orrison, Ashlyn Phy, Noah Schreiner, Ben Wiese and Anson Wright.

The dance ensemble includes Cecilia Christ, Molly Himes, Katie James, Sarah Paulsen and Savannah Spengler.

Stage manager and production manager Maeve Yanes leads the production and stage crew. Alexandria Keane is production assistant.

The lighting crew includes Ethan Berger and Brett Heier, crew chiefs, and Gabe Meyers, Micah Sames and Katerina Starry.

The sound crew is Hayden David, Kayla DiGiacomo and Alex Dolcemascolo, crew chiefs, Joshua Jones and Thomas McDonnell.

The build/run crew is Cameron Blews, Steal Eisenhart, Norah Hoffman, Jabari Howard, Joseph Ko, Jackson Kraft, Rylie Newpher, Liam Paradise, Mikayla Sames, Breanne Schoonover with Brandon Leader and Cecilia Ruyak, crew chiefs.

The properties crew includes Leia Abruzzese, Isabel Jurado, Bek Lopez, Alayna Male, Kyra Snow and Rowan Wessner. CJ Levinson is crew chief.

The costume crew includes Nicole Armstrong, crew chief, Lauren Bendekovits, Eliza Harriot, Demi Kirkopoulos, crew chief, Maggie Machulsky and Nadia Valero.

The front-of-house crew includes Morrison Barks, Alexandria Keane and Lorelei Kilka, crew chiefs and Ty Turoczy.

Emily Brown, Molly Himes and Savannah Spengler are dance captains.

Lorelei Kilka is the rehearsal assistant.

Rabbi Rebecca Einstein Schorr is the show’s consultant.

Production photography and videography is handled by Steve Braglio.

Program layout and printing is the work of Maeve Yanes, Alexandria Keane and EBC Printing.

Ticket sales are handled by Nicole Lawson, EHS office staff and parent and student volunteers.

The EHS Theater production of “Fiddler on the Roof” is presented by Artistic Director/Producer Jill E. Kuebler, Music Director Julia Wallace, Scenic Design and Set Construction Chris Kollar, Choreographer Jerri L. Brown, Pit Orchestra Conductor Doug Bolasky, Costume Coordination Diane DiDona, Costume Design Scaramouche Costumes, Properties Design Diane DiDona, Lighting Design Dave Dougherty, Brett Heier, Ethan Berger, Sound Design, Dave Dougherty, Kayla DiGiacomo, Alex Dolcemascolo, Stage Technician Mike Eisentraut, Stage Manager and Production Manager Maeve Yanes, Assistant Stage Managers Brandon Leader, Cecilia Ruyak, House Manager Corinne Fecho, Volunteer Coordinators Maeve Yanes, Alexandria Keane, Lorelei Kilka and Wig/Hair Design Kim Danish.

Credits for The original New York production of “Fiddler on the Roof” are as follows: book by Joseph Stein, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, music by Jerry Block, based on Sholem Aleichem stories by special permission of Arnold Perl, directed and choreographed by Jerome Robbins and produced by Harold Prince.

In her program notes for the EHS production Kuebler writes, “Our students are incredibly gifted in many ways; their commitment to using their talents in all aspects of theater in the pursuit of a common goal is remarkable.

“I am truly blessed to work with such amazing people. The growth that results from participation in something larger than oneself is unequaled, teaching important life lessons that I hope my students carry with them long after the final curtain falls.”

Tickets are $12 for students/seniors and $14 for adults and are available online at www.eastpennsd.org/ehs.