Harvey Fierstein stars Tevye the milkman in 'Fiddler on the Roof'

Sure, Harvey Fierstein starred as Tevye the milkman in the Broadway revival of “Fiddler on the Roof.”

That was in 2oo5, but he knows the part, right?

So when Israeli actor Topol, who played the role in the 1971 film, had to drop out of the current North American tour after he suffered a shoulder injury in Toronto, Fierstein could step in, right?

And how long did he get to brush up on the role?

“Four days!” Fierstein said by phone recently, adding his trademark raspy laugh.

Plus, the version Fierstein starred in had a different cast and a different staging — minimalist, instead of the current more traditional production.

Nonetheless, he’s a trouper.

“That’s what it is to do live theater,” he said. “It’s never exactly the same.”

It turns out the man known for writing “Torch Song Trilogy” and playing Edna in “Hairspray” harbors a special love for the impoverished but philosophical milkman, so Fierstein is delighted to revisit ‘Fiddler.’

The North American touring production of  “Fiddler on the Roof,” with  Fierstein as Tevye, opens Jan. 27 and runs through Feb. 21 at Golden Gate Theater, 445 Geary St., San Francisco.

Show times are 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, with matinees at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.
Admission: $30-$99. Information: (415) 512-7770, ticketmaster.com, shnsf.com.