Paul Lipson

Paul R. Lipson (December 23, 1913 – January 3, 1996) was an American stage actor whose Broadway career extended from 1942 to the 1980s. Born in Brooklyn, New York, to Abraham Lipson and Elizabeth Richtol, he grew up in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. He attended The Ohio State University before serving in the Air Force during World War II.

Following his military service, Lipson built his stage experience through touring productions, among them Dangerous Woman with ZaSu Pitts and Joan of Lorraine with Diana Barrymore. His Broadway debut came in 1942 in Lily of the Valley, where he was credited as Paul R. Lipson. Over the following decades he appeared in a range of productions, including Detective Story, Remains to Be Seen, Carnival in Flanders, I've Got Sixpence, The Vamp, Fiorello!, and Bells Are Ringing.

Lipson is most closely associated with Fiddler on the Roof, a connection that defined much of his later career. In the original 1964 production he portrayed the bookseller Avram, while simultaneously serving as Zero Mostel's Broadway understudy for the lead role of Tevye. He subsequently performed Tevye in his own right, including in a Las Vegas production that ran twelve performances per week rather than the eight standard on Broadway. That accelerated schedule meant that by the time Fiddler on the Roof became the longest-running show in Broadway history in 1972, Lipson had personally appeared in more performances of the show than had been played on Broadway in total. At the time of his death, he had portrayed Tevye in over 2,000 performances, a total that surpassed every other actor to have played the role.

In addition to his stage work, Lipson made guest appearances on television during the 1950s and 1960s. His papers, covering the years 1932 to 1996, are held by the Billy Rose Theatre Division of the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. Lipson died in New York City on January 3, 1996, at the age of 82.