A tale of family, of survival and yes, of tradition, “Fiddler on the Roof” remains one of the most beloved works of musical theater. This year marks 60 years since it opened on Broadway.

Based on stories written in Yiddish by Sholem Aleichem around the turn of the 20th century, “Fiddler” recounts in music and lyrics (by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick) the story of Tevye, a Jewish milkman in the Ukrainian village of Anatevka, his wife Golde and their five daughters, all living in a changing and increasingly threatening world. The show’s book was written by Joseph Stein, who later collaborated with the venerable John Kander and Fred Ebb on the musical “Zorba.”

Tevye, a hard-working man of piety, good humored philosophy and considerable obstinance, is one of musical theater’s signature roles. At San Diego Musical Theatre, in a production directed by Omri Schein, Matthew Henerson is playing Tevye for the second time in his career. (This is his third experience in a “Fiddler on the Roof” production.) In preparing for his SDMT portrayal, he reflected on what is his favorite Tevye moment:

“It’s a line, and it’s in ‘To Life’,” he said of a song in the musical. “They’re getting drunk and they’re toasting everything and everybody’s singing. And the line is ‘If your good fortune never comes, here’s to whatever comes.’ That’s the Jewish experience right there. That’s the determination to stay alive no matter what is thrown at you. No matter what you need to suffer, we’re going to endure.

“The point is, live this life as well as you possibly can. Every time I hear that, there’s the center of the play for you.”

Deborah Wanger, left, and Matthew Henerson play Golde and Tevye in San Diego Musical Theatre’s “Fiddler on the Roof.”

(Courtesy of Mark Holmes)

Henerson said this affirmation is just part of the reason that “Fiddler on the Roof” has enjoyed such widespread and diverse appeal over the decades.

“The central theme of a tenuous identity followed by displacement — virtually everybody can relate on some level,” he said. “The Japanese think that ‘Fiddler’ is written about them. When I did it in Utah (in 2008), the LDS community, the Mormons thought it was about them.”

Having a daughter of his own who grew up and left home as Hodel does in “Fiddler,” Henerson can relate to that on a personal level when playing Tevye.

“When you’re sitting in the train station and Hodel is going off to Siberia,” he said, “you don’t have to produce tears. You’ve got a kid. You’re there.”

While this “Fiddler” is the third for Henerson, it’s the first for choreographer Jill Gorrie. It’s not, however, the first time she’s worked with Schein.

“We go back,” Gorrie said. “The reason why I’m in San Diego and have this life that I have is because of the kismet and the connection with Omri. We met in 2007 working on a really cool piece in New York (‘The People vs. Mona’). I was hired to choreograph that show. From day one in rehearsal, Omri and I connected. He’s really family to me.”

In choreographing “Fiddler” at SDMT, Gorrie faces the challenge of following in the dancing footsteps of the show’s original choreographer, the great Jerome Robbins.

“I see his work as perfection and pure genius,” she said, “so that’s where I struggle as an artist. How do I make that better? I have to think ‘How can I make this particular cast tell the story in their own unique way but of course always be inspired by Jerome’s original?’

“With our cast, I see who I am working with, how their bodies move and how they inhabit characters.”

Both Gorrie and Henerson are appreciative of Schein’s casting decisions on this production of “Fiddler on the Roof.”

“It was important to Omri that a significant portion of the cast is Jewish,” Gorrie said. “He really put his mind and his heart into that.”

Henerson called the casting “really, really cool. Not the least because the rhythms and the sounds of the humor comes naturally to a lot of these folks, and it permeates the room.”

‘Fiddler on the Roof’

When: Opens tonight and runs through March 10. Showtimes, 7 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays; 8 p.m. Fridays; 2 and 7 p.m. Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays

Where: San Diego Musical Theatre, 650 Mercury St., Kearny Mesa

Tickets: $30-$70

Phone: (858) 560-5740

Online: sdmt.org

Coddon is a freelance writer.