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| Hershey Felder at the piano (David Lepori) |
Piano virtuoso Hershey Felder has long
been a TheatreWorks Silicon Valley favorite with his one-man shows featuring
beloved composers like Rachmaninoff, Gershwin, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Berlin and
Beethoven.
Now he’s back playing himself in the world
premiere of his “Hershey Felder: The Piano and Me.”
It’s a fascinating, entertaining autobiographical
work that starts in 1974, focuses mainly on his childhood and early adulthood,
and offers more music by classical masters.
He talks a lot about his Jewish roots: his
parents in Montreal and his Polish and Hungarian grandparents. His grandparents
and others talked about the horrors of the Holocaust. Often he speaks in their
voices and with their accents.
And of course, he talks about his
relationship with the piano, beginning when he was fascinated by it when he was
about 3 years old. He also talks about the teachers who helped him along the
way.
Besides creating and performing in this
work, Felder designed its scenic and visual elements. Books and luggage are
arrayed across the stage in front of a grand piano.
Videos and projections by Stefano De Carli
show composers, family members and various settings.
The lighting is by Erik S. Barry with
sound design by the production manager, Erik Carstensen.
The show runs just under two hours with no
intermission. Afterward, Felder graciously answers audience questions.
“Hershey Felder: The Piano and Me” will
continue through Feb. 8 at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts,
500 Castro St., Mountain View.
For tickets and information, call (877)
662-8978 or visit www.theatreworks.org.
