If you are an avid musical lover, then you’re no stranger to Fiddler on the Roof. The classic show is celebrating its 50th anniversary at St. Dominic this year, and to honor the special occasion, the theater department has decided to put on the play as the annual spring musical once again.

Mrs. Joan Potthast has directed theater at St. Dominic for 43 years, and this year marks the fourth time she has directed Fiddler on the Roof here. The first time she directed this show was in 1981, and since then, several changes have been made, the biggest being the introduction of the Amy E. Dickherber Performing Arts Center in 2010 as replacement of the stage in the old gym. Jake Emgee, who has either participated in or worked on every show at St. Dominic since his freshman year of high school in 2004, remembers the last production of Fiddler on the Roof in 2009. There was not enough room on the old gym stage to build the entire set, so to get creative, the crew built walls and platforms in the actual gym to make more space for the actors and props.

Although much of the venue and structure of the set has changed, some little things about the musical have still remained the same.

“We’ve used pretty much the same cart, Tevye’s cart, for all of them. The cart was built by my husband originally in 1981. It was enlarged a bit so it would have more presence on our new stage for this year,” said Potthast.

As for the characters and general setup of the story, not much has changed, besides the addition of more complicated choreography since there is more room on the newer stage and more people involved in the show than the last production. However, “Fiddler on the Roof is such a traditional, tradition-bound musical. All the dances every year are pretty much the same, because that’s how you do Fiddler on the Roof,” said Mrs. Potthast.

Fiddler on the Roof will be performed at St. Dominic on April 21-24, and tickets go on presale on April 16. Tickets cost $10.00 for adults, $5.00 for children and seniors, and St. Dominic students can see the show for free.