Fiddler on The Roof, with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick and book by Joseph Stein, opened last weekend on the Herricks Community Theater stage, 999 Herricks Road, New Hyde Park to rousing standing ovations every night.

The good news is that you still have a weekend left to see this beautiful classic; the bad news is that you better hurry because tickets at all performances are being filled quickly! Shows left are April 27 and 28 at 8 p.m. and April 29 at 3 p.m. Call now at 742-1926.

Herricks Community Players Director John Hayes only gets better and better with each performance that is guided by his gifted hand. In conjunction with Susan Weber, who put together one of the best orchestras on Long Island that rivals any off-Broadway performance, this show is a stupendous hit. How Weber was able to get so many people in the cast to sing as though they are all professionals and that Hayes was able to move them on and off stage, with what seems like little or no effort, is nothing short of a full-fledged miracle.

The choreographers Barbara Murphy and Annmarie Pistilli have been working with the cast and with the special dance teams since January, and each and every dance number reflects the dedication and work they have poured into each production number. They have done a spectacular job and are to be commended.

The well-known, multi-talented Frank Hendricks, sings out the desire of Tevye, If I Were a Rich Man. And, one can only say to himself, as they hear his marvelous voice, that he certainly is a rich man because he has been gifted with such a talent and with such a voice. He sets the tone for the show as he opens with the well-known hit Tradition and from then on there is no question that the show is a hit.

Only a few people could play Golda and Andria Amarosa is one of those people. She is a fantastic Golda. She has a beautiful voice and just the right chutzpa to play such a character. She, too, is wonderful.

The other stars in the show have been chosen with care and they do their parts so well. Maura Ryan, as Tzeitel and Michael Chimenti as Motel, the tailor are perfect fits. Ryan, no stranger to the Herricks stage, has excellent stage presence as well as a beautiful voice and she never changes. Chimenti is a newcomer and he is fantastic and wait until you hear his spectacular voice.

Stacey Weinberger as Hodel and Dan Urban as Perchik are equally well-suited to one another and they, too, have wonderful voices. Mary Insigna as Chava, is a very young newcomer to a spotlight role, having, in the past played children's parts, but this is her time to blossom and blossom she does. Playing opposite her is the seasoned Joey Owens as Fyedka. His voice is wonderful and this is a perfect part for him and he does a great job.

Yente, played by Soyna Tannenbaum always brings the house down whenever she walks on stage and in this show it's no different. She is fantastic and that is why she is known as the "first lady of Long Island Theater." Hal Bloom, who has the role of Lazar Wolf, has been with the Herricks Community Players since its inception, many years ago and every time he graces the Herricks stage he leaves a spectacular impression,

Little Mimi Tomkin and Julie Hart take over the roles of the youngest children in Tevye's family and they are excellent, very professional and very natural and full of life, a joy to see.

The interesting thing about this show is that the supporting cast are all stars in their own right. And, even though they are not leads, they keep the show moving. Warren Shein is fantastic as the rabbi, Nick Becce as Avram, Cathy Chimenti as Fruma Sarah, Richard Buckley as Mendal and Lee Titone as The Beggar and Ann Marie Monaco as Shaindel. Barbara Murphy makes a cameo appearance on stage in the role of Grandma Tzeitel and still manages to bring the house down with laughter, as she always does. Keep your eye on the "Fiddler" as he/she slithers across the stage because it is none other than the talented Penny Payne.

The stage is just loaded with talent, but then again so is backstage. Back after a few years hiatus Maureen Dunn is taking over the role of stage manager in her own cool, capable way. Construction was done mostly by Bob Leslie and the costumes by Eleanor Leslie who was helped by Penny Payne.

Lighting design was created by Daniel Moskovitz who just keeps getting better and the sounds were created by Richard Gibbons on brand new microphones.

The back stage crew is always a huge part of any show and with the help of Amber Jansen, Annmarie Pistilli, Barbara Murphy, Paul Ehrbar, Michael Fagan and Maggi Whitely the furniture all gets moved around to the right spot.

Bernice Magalnick is in charge of tickets. Not an easy job, but she does a great job with never a mix-up. So now all you have to do is call her at 742-1926 and order your adult tickets for $20 and senior citizen and children's tickets at $15 to see the classic Fiddler on The Roof. Hurry, hurry, time is running out.