Theodore Bikel, known to many as Tevye in “Fiddler on the Roof,” will open the 2014 St. Louis Jewish Book Festival on Sunday, Nov. 2 at 7 pm. Bikel will depart from the traditional interview format and will directly address and perform for the crowd. 

“We were thrilled to get him – not only is he beloved among our community, but the timing couldn’t be more perfect as Fiddler on the Roof celebrates its 50^th anniversary this year,” said Lynn Wittels, President and CEO of the Jewish Community Center, in a news release.

Bikel will discuss his book, “Theo: An Autobiography.” In it, the award-winning performer discusses his numerous roles on stage and screen, including his more than 2,000 performances as Tevye in “Fiddler on the Roof,” the original Captain Von Trapp in “The Sound of Music,” and Zoltan Karpathy in “My Fair Lady.” His latest film, “Theodore Bikel: In the Shoes of Sholom Aleichem,” will be released later this year.

A complete festival schedule will be announced Sept. 15. The 36^th Annual Festival co-chairs are Judy Scissors and Judy Schwartz Jaffe.

Single tickets for the opening keynote on Nov. 2 are $40; series tickets (good for all author events from Nov. 2 to 16) are $75 and Series Plus tickets (good for all author events from Sept. 1 of this year to July 31, 2015) are $95. All are available at brownpapertickets.com

Half-price student tickets are available only at the JCC’s Box Office at the Staenberg Family Complex in Creve Coeur with a valid ID.