Hershey Felder as Claude Debussy (Photo by Christopher Ash) |
“Hershey Felder: A Paris Love Story” actually is
several love stories.
This one-man world premiere presented by
TheatreWorks Silicon Valley tells of Felder’s love for the City of Light as
well as his love for the music of Claude Debussy (1862-1918).
It’s not the first time this creator/performer has
focused on a great composer. Some of his past shows, most of them seen at
TheatreWorks, have featured the music of George Gershwin, Irving Berlin,
Leonard Bernstein, Beethoven, Liszt and Chopin.
This time he takes a more personal approach, weaving
some of his own family history into Debussy’s.
Felder’s mother, whom he cherished, loved Debussy’s
music and always wanted to see Paris, but she couldn’t make it. Instead Felder
first went there as a 19-year-old and took in the sights that Debussy loved so
much.
Costumed as Debussy (design by Stacey Nezda), he
mostly tells the story in Debussy’s voice, referring to Felder as “the boy” and
relating Debussy’s own history. It starts with his early life, continues with
his musical education and delves into his romantic liaisons.
This narrative is interspersed with frequent
sessions at the grand piano, which sits center stage between two arching
bridges on the handsome set designed by Felder.
There piano virtuoso Felder plays some of Debussy’s
best-known works, such as “La Mer,” “Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune” and the
dreamy finale, “Clair de lune,” Felder’s mother’s favorite. Some orchestral
excerpts also are heard (sound design by Erik Carstensen).
He sees parallels between the final years of
Debussy, who never quite recovered from an experimental colostomy, and his own
mother, who underwent a double mastectomy.
He has Debussy telling how he defied musical
conventions of the time, earning mostly pans from critics along with some
praise.
Besides music, the greatest love of his life was his
daughter, nicknamed Chouchou.
As the young Felder explores the streets and sights
of Paris, projections by lighting designer Christopher Ash illustrate the
narrative.
Directed by Trevor Hay, this show is both a visual
and aural delight, treating the audience to an absorbing concert and story by the
multi-talented Felder.
Running about an hour and a half with no
intermission, “Hershey Felder: A Paris Love Story” will continue through May 5
at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St., Mountain
View.
For tickets and information, call (650) 463-1960 or
visit www.theatreworks.org.