Theodore Bikel, 1924-2015

Acclaimed actor and folksinger Theodore Bikel, best known for his performance as Tevye in the Broadway hit Fiddler on the Roof, died at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, California on July 21, 2015. He was 91.

Bikel, a multi-faceted entertainer and Renaissance man in the arts, was born in Vienna, Austria on May 2, 1924, and lived there until the arrival of the Nazis when he was 13. During his teens and early 20s, Bikel lived on a kibbutz what was then Palestine. Moving to England in the mid-1940s, he graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London in 1948.

A star on both stage and screen, he was widely regarded and respected as one of the most versatile actors of his generation. Bikel’s first theatrical performance was in Sir Laurence Olivier’s production of A Streetcar Named Desire on London’s West End, while his first on-screen role was in the classic 1951 film The African Queen. Among other notable screen credits are The Defiant Ones (for which he earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in 1958 for his portrayal of a southern sheriff), Moulin Rouge, My Fair Lady, The Sands of the Kalahari, and My Side of the Mountain. Bikel originated the role of Baron Georg von Trapp and sang “Edelweiss” in the 1959 Broadway premiere of The Sound of Music (for which he received a Tony Award nomination), performed the role of Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof more than 2,000 times, and, later in life, starred in a national tour of his own play, Sholom Aleichem: Laughter through Tears. He also made hundreds of television appearances – including co-starring as Henry Kissinger in the ABC mini-series The Final Days, and recurring roles on the primetime soaps Dynasty and Falcon Crest. An active champion of his fellow actors, Bikel served a long stint as president of Actor’s Equity (1973-1982) and was vice president of the International Federation of Actors (1981-1991). President Carter appointed him to a five-year term on the National Council for the Arts in 1977.

Bikel, who immigrated to the United States in 1954 and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1961, also was a folksinger since the mid-1950s and collected exotic folk instruments. He helped to found the Newport Folk Festival and sang and recorded folk songs from around the world in many languages during the course of his illustrious career. His repertoire reflected his deep appreciation for Eastern European, Israeli and Russian folklore. An early interest in comparative linguistics and an understanding of some 20 languages aided in his global appeal. Bikel recorded 37 albums, many of them for Elektra Records, and also appeared in a number of operatic productions. He also hosted a nationally syndicated weekly radio program entitled At Home with Theodore Bikel and wrote a book entitled Folksongs and Footnotes, as well as an autobiography entitled Theo (published in 1994).

“In my world, history comes down to language and art,” Bikel said upon receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Foundation for Jewish Culture in 1997. “No one cares much about what battles were fought, who won them and who lost them — unless there is a painting, a play, a song or a poem that speaks of the event.”

Bikel was an activist and advocate for peace, human rights and social justice for more than five decades. Among the causes he championed were the civil rights movements in the U.S., eradicating Apartheid in South Africa, and promoting peace and religious pluralism between Israel and its neighbors. He formerly served on the board of Amnesty International (USA) and as a vice president of the American Jewish Congress. In 1986, he was one of six AJC leaders arrested outside the Soviet embassy in Washington while protesting the Soviet Union’s restrictions on Jews seeking to leave the country. Although an ardent supporter of Israel and Jewish causes, he was not enamored with the Israeli government’s settlement policies and supported Israeli artists who refused to entertain in the Jewish settlements on the West Bank.

“Everything that I’ve done and that I’ve lived through has really informed a commitment I have,” Bikel said in a 2001 interview. “I’m not just somebody who mouths words or sings songs on the stage; I’m also a human being, and that counts for something.”

Prior to a tribute concert at New York’s Carnegie Hall honoring him on the occasion of his 85th birthday in 2009, Bikel said: “Throughout my life, I have been equally passionate about music and social justice, and have allied myself with others who use guitars, banjos, fiddles and words to conquer fear and injustice.”

Editor’s Note: I regret never having had the opportunity to see Theodore Bikel on Broadway. However, I did see him in concert and at several cause-related events and benefits. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to meet him during a reception preceding a “Theodore Bikel: The First 85 Years” tribute concert at New York’s Carnegie Hall in June 2009 and again in November 2010 when he joined fellow music luminaries David Amram and Oscar Brand during a special panel discussion entitled “Wisdom of the Elders” that drew a capacity crowd at the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) Conference in Kerhonkson, NY. The three shared stories and perspectives on folk music and the folk community, along with some of their music, during the two-hour session.