HERSHEY FELDER AS IRVING BERLIN Adds Week of Shows at Berkeley Rep

Berkeley Repertory Theatre announced today that, due to high volume and demand, Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin will have a one week extension. Originally scheduled to close on April 30, the show will now run for an additional eight performances through Sunday, May 7.

Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin is the musical story of an immigrant boy who gave a country its voice. From Czarist Russia to New York's Lower East Side, and then throughout the world, Irving Berlin's life and music epitomizes the American Dream, and his songs capture his patriotic vision of our country. Experience the stories behind this songwriter's most popular and enduring work, including "God Bless America," "There's No Business Like Show Business," "White Christmas," and more. Pianist and actor Hershey Felder's signature creation of character and musical performance will astonish, move, and delight. "It will put a tear in your eye and a song in your heart," - San Jose Mercury News.

Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin has played in theatres around the country and has critics singing its praises as Critics' Picks from the Los Angeles Times, the San Diego Union Tribune, the Orange Country Register, the Boston Globe, the Chicago Tribune and more.

Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin features scenic design by Felder and Trevor Hay, lighting design by Richard Norwood, projection design by Christopher Ash and Lawrence Siefert, and sound design/production management by Erik Carstensen. The show is produced by Eva Price, Samantha F. Voxakis, and Karen Racanelli.

Hershey Felder (Irving Berlin/playwright/scenic design) Writing in American Theatre, Hedy Weiss said, "Hershey Felder is in a category all his own." Over the past 20 years he has played over 4,500 performances of his self-created solo productions at some of the world's most prestigious theatres and has broken box office records consistently. His shows include George Gershwin Alone (Broadway's Helen Hayes Theatre, West End's Duchess Theatre), Monsieur Chopin, Beethoven, Maestro (Leonard Bernstein), Franz Liszt in Musik, and Lincoln: An American Story. In addition, he performs concerts of "The Great American Songbook Sing-Along" at every theatre where his shows are presented. Future productions include Tchaikovsky (January 2017 premiere at San Diego Repertory Theatre) and the new musical Chosen By God, for which he is writing music, book, and lyrics. His compositions and recordings include Aliyah, Concerto for Piano and Orchestra; Fairytale, a musical; Les Anges de Paris, Suite for Violin and Piano; Song Settings; Saltimbanques for Piano and Orchestra; Etudes Thematiques for Piano; and An American Story for Actor and Orchestra. Hershey is the adaptor, director, and designer for the very successful play with music The Pianist of Willesden Lane, and he is the producer and designer for the musical Louis and Keely: 'Live' at the Sahara, directed by Taylor Hackford. Hershey has operated a full-service Production Company since 2001. He has been a scholar-in-residence at Harvard University's Department of Music and is married to Kim Campbell, the first female Prime Minister of Canada.

Berkeley Repertory Theatre has grown from a storefront stage to an international leader in innovative theatre. Known for its core values of imagination and excellence, as well as its educated and adventurous audience, the nonprofit has provided a welcoming home for emerging and established artists since 1968. In four decades, four million people have enjoyed nearly 400 shows at Berkeley Rep. These shows have gone on to win five Tony Awards, seven Obie Awards, nine Drama Desk Awards, one Grammy Award, and many other honors. In recognition of its place on the national stage, Berkeley Rep received the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre in 1997. Its bustling facilities - which include the 400-seat Peet's Theatre, the 600-seat Roda Theatre, the Berkeley Rep School of Theatre, the Osher Studio, and a spacious new campus in West Berkeley - are helping revitalize a renowned city. Learn more at berkeleyrep.org.

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