Hershey Felder

Hershey Felder (born July 9, 1968)[2] is a pianist, actor, and playwright known for his portrayals of classical and American composers on the theatrical stage.

Hershey Felder
Born (1968-07-09) July 9, 1968
OccupationMusician, actor, pianist
Spouse(s)Kim Campbell[1]
WebsiteEighty Eight Entertainment

Early life

Felder was born on July 9, 1968, to Jacob Felder (born in Ustrzyki, Poland, 1929) and Eva Surek Felder (born in Budapest, Hungary, 1946). Felder's upbringing in a Jewish family included Eastern European Jewish traditions.

Career

Felder moved to Los Angeles in 1994, working briefly for the USC Shoah Foundation, interviewing Holocaust survivors to preserve their oral histories on film.[3] The following year, he attended the 50th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz in Poland, [4] which led to his creation of a one-man show, George Gershwin Alone.[5]

In 2010, he premiered his one-man play-with-music about Leonard Bernstein, Maestro.[6][7] [8] In 2013, Felder received a letter from Russian officials inviting him to portray Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The same month, Russian authorities had passed anti-gay legislation. Since Tchaikovsky is believed to have been homosexual, Felder named his work "Our Great Tchaikovsky", performing it only in the U.S.[9][10]

A 2014 American Theatre profile referred to Felder as being "in a category all his own".[11] His major portrayals are those of George Gershwin, Frédéric Chopin, Ludwig van Beethoven, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, and Claude Debussy.[12][13] He has also given a dramatic impersonation of the American songwriter Irving Berlin.[14][15][16][17]

In 2014, Felder directed concert pianist Mona Golabek in The Pianist of Willesden Lane, an adaptation of the book The Children of Willesden Lane, telling the story of Golabek's mother as an adolescent in the Kindertransport during World War II.[18][19]

As a composer, Felder's works include Noah's Ark, an Opera, Aliyah Concerto on Israeli Themes, as well as Song Settings (the poetry of Vachel Lindsay). In September 2010, An American Story was recorded with the Ars Viva Symphony Orchestra of Chicago.

Personal life

Felder is married to former Canadian prime minister Kim Campbell.[20]

Composer plays

Felder has written and performed solo in seven plays of notable composers, with an eighth scheduled for April 2020.

Title Release Date Notes
George Gershwin Alone[21] 1999 Felder's portrayal of pianist George Gershwin began as a Los Angeles workshop
Monsieur Chopin[22] 2005 A musical examination of Chopin
Beethoven[23] 2008 A concert, lecture and dramatized play about Beethoven
Maestro (Leonard Bernstein)[24] 2010 A bio-drama about Leonard Bernstein, first performed at the Geffen Theater in 2010
Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin[25] 2014 A musical biography, character study and piano performance of songwriter Irving Berlin
Our Great Tchaikovsky[26] 2017 The story of Tchaikovsky brought to life through music and characterization
A Paris Love Story[27] 2019 Felder portrays pianist Claude Debussy in Paris.
Anna & Sergei[28] 2020 Felder plays Russian pianist and composer Sergei Rachmaninoff, premiering April 2020.

Discography
  • Broadway in Concert (2004)
  • Love Songs of the Yiddish Theatre
  • Back from Broadway
  • George Gershwin Alone (2005)
  • Monsieur Chopin (in association with WFMT Radio Network Recordings)
  • Beethoven As I Knew Him
  • An American Story
  • Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin (2018)
  • Our Great Tchaikovsky (2019)
  • Beethoven (2019)

References
  1. Anderson, Jon (April 7, 2005). "Meet Canada's `odd couple'". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
  2. Broadway World: Hershey Felder. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
  3. "Untitled Document". gershwinalone.com. Retrieved December 13, 2016.
  4. http://gershwinalone.com/prod%20diary/prod_diary_main.html
  5. Hurwitt, Robert (June 10, 2013). "'George Gershwin Alone' review: 'S wonderful". www.sfgate.com. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
  6. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/stage-door-maestro-the-tr_b_12284046
  7. https://www.broadwayworld.com/off-broadway/article/BWW-Review-MAESTRO-at-59E59-is-an-Inspired-and-Enthralling-Production-20160912
  8. https://www.broadwayworld.com/cleveland/article/BWW-Reviews-Is-that-Leonard-Bernstein-or-Hershey-Felder-Onstage-at-Cleveland-Play-House-20130724
  9. Jones, Chris (April 18, 2018). "A letter from Russia adds some interesting politics to Hershey Felder's 'Our Great Tchaikovsky'". www.sfgate.com. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
  10. Schultz, Rick (July 25, 2018). "Review: Taking Tchaikovsky out of Russia's closet: Hershey Felder's "Our Great Tchaikovsky" at the Wallis". latimes. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
  11. https://www.americantheatre.org/2014/10/23/performerplaywright-hershey-felders-specialty-conjuring-composers/
  12. Schultz, Rick (May 31, 2019). "Review: Hershey Felder, chameleon of musical characters, slips into Debussy colors". www.latimes.com. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
  13. Hershey Felder Adds Surprise Character to his Debussy Play. Sam Hurwitt. April 9, 2019. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
  14. https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/la-et-cm-hershey-felder-as-irving-berlin-20141126-story.html
  15. https://www.broadwayworld.com/off-off-broadway/article/BWW-Review-HERSHEY-FELDER-AS-IRVING-BERLIN-at-59E59-20180907
  16. Green, Jesse (September 11, 2018). "Review: Puttin' on the Pathos in a Tribute to Irving Berlin". www.nytimes.com. Retrieved October 30, 2019. Mr. Felder's acting is as broad as a silent-movie villain's, except that he's talking. And talking. Or, too often, singing.
  17. Marks, Ken (September 11, 2018). "Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin". www.newyorker.com. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
  18. Isherwood, Charles (July 22, 2014). "Repertory of Fear and Hope". www.nytimes.com. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
  19. Thai, Ian (September 16, 2018). "Review: "The Pianist of Willesden Lane" by Theater J". www.nytimes.com. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
  20. Hampson, Sarah (April 12, 2018). "The ex-PM and the piano man". www.theglobeandmail.com. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
  21. "George Gershwin Alone". Entertainment Today. June 21, 2007. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
  22. "Felder's Monsieur Chopin Plays Chicago's Royal George Aug. 30". Playbill. August 4, 2005. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
  23. "Beethoven, As I Knew Him". Variety. August 26, 2008. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
  24. "Review: The ghost of Leonard Bernstein, onscreen and onstage in Hershey Felder's 'Maestro'". LA Times. August 19, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
  25. "Review: 'Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin' at the Geffen Playhouse". LA Times. November 26, 2014. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
  26. "Our Great Tchaikovsky Ignites LGBT Audience Feedback for Hershey Felder". SF Bay Times. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
  27. "Review: Hershey Felder, chameleon of musical characters, slips into Debussy colors". LA Times. May 31, 2019. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
  28. "On Theater: The professional touring companies that will be visiting O.C. in the 2019-20 season". LA Times. July 29, 2019. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
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