ABC's Fiddler production postponed

Out producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron halted their production of Fiddler on the Roof on Monday, citing unstable world conditions and increasing insurance costs as reasons for the delay, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Rehearsals for the three-hour TV musical were to begin in Prague in April, with shooting to take place in June to accommodate star Victor Garber's break from Alias. Because of the threat of a war in the Middle East, most major productions overseas have taken out supplemental insurance to protect themselves from possible terrorist attacks or war-related production delays. Fiddler on the Roof is now on hold until further notice, regulated by world events and Garber's TV schedule. "The worst thing would have been if we got over there and started production, spent a lot of our money, and then--God forbid--something happened," says Zadan. "We would've never gotten that money back." Fiddler is based on stories by Sholom Aleichem and was adapted for the stage by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick. It opened on Broadway in 1964, and a film version was created in 1971, which was nominated for eight Academy Awards.