Bill Church, director of Redwood Middle School's upcoming production of the classic musical Fiddler on the Roof, had to ask himself that very question recently.

His answer? Just cast them all.

"There were three boys who deserved to play Tevye, which is rare at this age," says Church. "To deny any of them wouldn't have felt right."

Church says he feels Fiddler was an excellent selection for the kids at Redwood.

"It has significance. It's not just a piece of fluff; it has historical importance," he says. "Also, there were more roles for women, since we had a large turnout of girls."

Hannah Brown, a seventh-grader, says she likes the musical numbers in the show and that she can relate to her character, Yente the matchmaker.

James Arroyo, an eighth-grader who plays Tevye, the lead, says trying to balance so many kids has proven to be easier than it first looked.

"It's gone pretty smoothly," he says. "Fiddler on the Roof is really fun."

Ketaki Shriram, an eighth-grader who plays Tzeitel, one of Tevye's daughters, says she can relate to some of the more serious themes the show presents.

"It's pretty interesting," she says. "All three daughters have their own stories going on. [It shows] you can have things in life, but everything has a price."

Ketaki was born in the United States, but her parents were born in India. She can relate to the daughters in the show and how they try to balance their dreams and desires with their culture and what is going on in the world.

"[My two cultures, Indian and American] blend really well," she says. "I'm able to balance both cultures."

Church says he thinks the performances are going to come off really well.

"I'm very impressed. It's a talented community," he says.

The Miracle cast performs April 28 at 6:30 p.m. and April 30 at 7 p.m. The Tradition cast performs April 29 at 7 p.m. and May 1 at 1 p.m. The Wonder cast performs April 30 at 3 p.m. and May 1 at 6 p.m. Tickets are $12 for adults and $8 for students. To order tickets, call Nancy Marsh at 408.867.6444 or email DebbieMcBride@comcast.net.