Update: The performances have been moved to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday due to concerns with flooding in the county. A statement from school officials Thursday night said “OPS and DCPS have agreed to move the performance up in order to ensure the safest travel home for our performers and their families.”
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For the first time, students from Owensboro High School and Daviess County High School are teaming up for a full-scale musical production — bringing the classic “Fiddler on the Roof” to the Owensboro High School auditorium stage this weekend.
Performances are scheduled for 7 p.m. on April 11 and 12. Tickets will be sold at the door for $10 for adults and $5 for students.
The joint effort has been in the works for more than two years, sparked by conversations between OHS Choir Director Jenifer Wiggins and DCHS Choir Director Jacob Hein after Hein took over the choral program at DCHS. The duo had collaborated in the past and quickly saw the potential in creating something bigger for their students.
“We started talking about the possibility of doing a joint production between the county and city, and we were just really excited about the prospects of it,” Wiggins said. “So two years ago, we started out with a joint stage concert of ‘Les Misérables,’ and it was a huge success. People loved it, and we took donations to raise money with the goal of doing a full musical.”
That dream is now a reality, with “Fiddler on the Roof” being the first full musical produced through the collaboration. Wiggins said they hope to include Apollo High School in future productions and plan to continue the joint musical every two years.
Wiggins’ daughter — an OHS graduate and music education major — played a key role in selecting “Fiddler on the Roof.” She also served in the first joint production and returns now as assistant director.
“She wanted desperately to learn and be a part of this next one, so in the future she could do this in her own school,” Wiggins said. “She came up with ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ as a beautiful show that would work for both schools. It’s a classic Golden Age musical the community will recognize, and it has a great message.”
Hein said the show is meaningful on multiple levels, both artistically and thematically. The story of “Fiddler on the Roof,” set in a Jewish village in Russia in 1905, follows the character Tevye and his family as they navigate tradition, change, and uncertainty.
“It has instant name recognition because of the music and the story, and it’s near and dear to many people’s hearts,” Hein said. “Art is supposed to do that. This show tells the story of a family and a community being displaced because of who they are. That’s still very relevant.”
Wiggins said the story has many artistic themes.
“It’s fun, it’s lighthearted, but it also has tragedy and joy and lessons about community and family. It’s timeless,” she said.
Hein has taken the lead on the technical aspects of the production — editing music cues and designing the set — while Wiggins has directed the actors and helped coach performances.
The show involves a full team of student contributors, including choreographers, a stage manager, costumers, and a lighting designer. Wiggins said the goal has been to give students hands-on experience in all aspects of musical theater, not just performance.
“The kids have been so gracious and excited for this opportunity. They’ve loved working together,” she said. “This is a huge musical that maybe we couldn’t do on our own at just one school, but together — with more campuses and more kids — we can give them something really special.”
Hein echoed that sentiment, calling the show “a journey of love.”
“This has been a very good production to tackle. It’s big, but it’s worth it,” he said. “And the collaboration between our schools has just made it that much more special.”
