Tradition! The Highly Improbably, Ultimately Triumphant Broadway-to-Hollywood Story of ‘Fiddler on the Roof,’ the World’s Most Beloved Musical

Isenberg traces the vibrant and rich history of Fiddler on the Roof from its primordial days as a famous Jewish tale, to the development of it as a standalone musical, and its success in various other forms over the years. For the audio edition of her book, Isenberg narrates the introduction, and though it is always nice to hear an author’s voice, she seems to lack enthusiasm and interest in her narration; she sounds bored. This sets a strong contrast to Grupper, who reads the rest of the book with a clear, engaged, and determined voice. His pronunciation is well-executed, with the right amount of emphasis and clarity, especially when dealing with Yiddish and other non-English terms. His lively narration and ease of slipping into character voices when quoting the people involved in the original production, the film, and significant revivals makes the production quite enjoyable. A St. Martin’s paperback.(Mar.)