A Shoggoth on the Roof

A Shoggoth on the Roof is a parody musical that combines the 1964 musical *Fiddler on the Roof* with the horror fiction of H. P. Lovecraft. It was released by the H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society, and its credited author is a society member known only as "He Who (for legal reasons) Must Not Be Named." The H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society created a fictional backstory claiming the musical was first attempted in 1979 by the Other Gods Theatre Company in Los Angeles, but that production was abandoned for unclear reasons. A mockumentary about this failed staging is available on the society’s website. Because the musical uses the original score from *Fiddler on the Roof*, staging it invites legal issues, and performances are consequently uncommon.

The story reimagines *Fiddler*’s Tevye as Professor Henry Armitage, a librarian at Miskatonic University in 1920s America. The action takes place in the fictional town of Arkham, Massachusetts. It begins with a shoggoth perched on the roof of the Miskatonic library. Armitage addresses the audience about Arkham’s strange history and explains how a shoggoth stays on such a pointed roof: tentacles. ("Tentacles")

At Armitage’s home, his wife Marion and their three daughters—Prudence, Asenath, and Jill—clean the house. Prudence confesses she has fallen in love with Herbert West, a medical student and reanimator at the university. Armitage arrives, and he and Marion discuss finding Prudence a suitable husband. Marion suggests Wilbur Whately, and Armitage agrees to invite him to lunch. ("Arkham, Dunwich") Prudence overhears and rushes to see Herbert.

Elsewhere, Randolph Carter and Harley Warren discuss entering an ancient tomb in a graveyard, while a ghoul spies on them. Prudence meets Herbert outside the library and tells him of her parents’ plans. Herbert declares he needs her too much and will ask Armitage for her hand. Later that night, Jill and Asenath sneak to the library, where Asenath plans to summon an incubus. They take the Book of Eibon and summon a byakhee. ("Byakhee, Byakhee") The creature frightens them, and they flee.

Carter and Warren open the tomb. Warren arranges to descend and relay information via telephone but hesitates, so Carter pushes him in. Days later, Jill and Asenath attend a ceremony at the Esoteric Order of Dagon. The head cultist prays to Cthulhu and sacrifices a victim.