Courtesy photo / Scott Getz as Tevye (center) and members of the “Fiddler on the Roof” ensemble re-enact a scene from the musical.

JOHNSTOWN — Local performers will bring the classic musical “Fiddler on the Roof” to the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown’s Pasquerilla Performing Arts Center at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 1, and Saturday, Nov. 2, with a matinee scheduled at 2 p.m. Nov. 2.

“Fiddler” is a “centerpiece” event for Hope Springs Eternal: The Holocaust Project, according to play director Paul Seymour, who retired as artistic director at Cresson Lake Playhouse in December 2023.

Hope Springs Eternal: The Holocaust Project is a collaboration between local organizations aiming to bring unique education and awareness about the Holocaust to the region, according to its website HopeSpringsEternalProject.com. The project is a combined effort of organizations, who are hosting a variety of events, performances and exhibits to promote Holocaust education through May 2025. A list of all activities can be found on the website under the events tab.

The Pennsylvania Rural Arts Alliance serves as management partner for the project that is a collaboration between Vision Together 2025, The Community Foundation for the Alleghenies, Pennsylvania Rural Arts Alliance and the Arts Coalition of the Alleghenies.

Becky Catelinet, executive director for the arts alliance, said organizers asked the arts community how their organizations could help people better understand the Holocaust and to recognize and commemorate humanity’s resilience. The resulting activities and programs found organizations working together in new ways from book discussions focused on books about women of the Holocaust to art exhibits and dramatic performances, including “Fiddler on the Roof.”

For Seymour, the opportunity to direct this “one off” event was “just too important to turn down,” he said, despite the challenges in starting from scratch, where he had to hire staff, find rehearsal and performance space on top of the usual myriad of tasks common to any production.

“Knowing that these are some of the most talented and artistic people in the area has been hugely helpful,” Seymour said. “Knowing that I had a staff of Cracker Jacks is just amazing. We didn’t have an established program so everything had to be created from scratch.”

He first assembled key staff: assistant director Wendy Stewart, music director Mari Grace Lingenfelter, choreographer Sierra Gdula, stage manager Cathy Seymour, assistant stage manager Tara Brodish, costume designer Judy Bingler and production manager Tom Brubaker.

The project has brought together people from a wide geographic area.

“The diversity of this cast has been tremendous,” Seymour said. “We have people in health care, college students, a couple of elementary and high school students. Building the cast has been a joy.”

The production dealt with an unfathomable blow when set designer Al Pelliccioni, 67, died unexpectedly Sept. 18 at his home in Bellefonte. Pelliccioni, Seymour said, was a beloved, long-time friend who designed, built and painted for several high school theater and community theater productions in the region, including Cresson Lake and Altoona Community Theatre.

“The devastation of losing a lifelong friend is one thing,” he said of Pelliccioni. “It becomes even harder when you consider he was involved in this project and we had to find a way through that.”

As word spread of the production’s loss and need, Tom Brubaker and John Teacher stepped forward to help bring Pelliccioni’s vision to life. “I don’t know what we would do if it weren’t for these two gentlemen because (his death) was so unexpected and the panic was real,” Seymour said.

“Fiddler on the Roof” is based on the Sholem Aleichem stories by special permission of Arnold Perl. With a book by Joseph Stein, music by Jerry Bock and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, “Fiddler” tells the story of Tevye, a poor milkman, and his five daughters. With the help of the tight-knit Jewish community of Anatevka, Tevye endeavors to protect his daughters and instill in them traditional values in the face of changing social norms and growing antisemitism.

Cast includes local actors: Scott Getz as Tevye, Rebecca Culp as Golde, Valory Myers as Tzeitel, Brittany Magolan as Hodel, Abby McGinnis as Chava, Rachel Pile as Shprintze, Cassidy Stephenson as Bielke, Laura Ferguson as Yente, Spencer Millay as Motel, Alex Koenigsberg as Perchik, Kevin Bean as Lazar Wolf and an ensemble of 22 additional actors of all ages and backgrounds.

Tickets for “Fiddler on the Roof” are available online at HopeSpringsEternalProject.com/Fiddler.

Mirror Staff Writer Patt Keith is at 814-949-7030.