Midwest Premiere of HERSHEY FELDER AS IRVING BERLIN Begins Tonight at Royal George Theatre

Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin will now begin performances tonight October 30th, 2015 in Felder's Chicago theatrical home, the Royal George Theatre , 1641 N. Halsted Street, Chicago. Having broken all box office records in its World Premiere at Los Angeles' Geffen Playhouse, Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin makes its Midwest Premiere in a strictly limited pre-NYC and continuing National Tour engagement. The British import I FOUND MY HORN was originally scheduled for this presentation slot. However, due to scheduling issues across the pond, I FOUND MY HORN will now appear in the spring slot at the Royal George Theatre.

Jerome Kern famously said, "Irving Berlin has no place in American music-he is American music." Felder brings to life the remarkable story of Irving Berlin, long thought of as "America's composer". From the depths of anti-Semitism in Czarist Russia to New York's Lower East Side, and ultimately all of the country and the world, Irving Berlin's story epitomizes capturing the American Dream. Featuring the composer's most popular and enduring songs from "God Bless America," "There's No Business Like Show Business," "Blue Skies," to "White Christmas" and beyond, Felder's signature creation of character and musical performance will make this evening with Irving Berlin an unforgettable journey.

The production, designated as a Critic's Choice by the Los Angeles Times, has been a popular and critical success, breaking box office records in each of its performance venues to date (Los Angeles, Orange County and Boston). The Los Angeles Times called it "richly entertaining and ultimately touching," Broadway World says, "you do not want to miss a delicious moment of it," and the Huffington Post praised creator and performer Hershey Felder who "dazzles as Irving Berlin." The Orange County Register declared 'Hershey Felder Scores Big as Irving Berlin" and The Boston Globe called the show "a warm portrait of an unassuming genius."

Berlin's songs include "Alexander's Ragtime Band," "Always," "Blue Skies," "Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep," "Easter Parade," "Heat Wave," "How Deep is the Ocean," "Puttin' on the Ritz," "Steppin' Out with My Baby," "What'll I Do," and the scores of "Annie Get Your Gun," "Holiday Inn, "Easter Parade," and "White Christmas," and many more. In all, Irving Berlin composed 232 top-ten hits and 25 number one songs, and over 1500 published songs.

Hershey Felder (Playwright/Irving Berlin) Broadway, London's West End: George Gershwin Alone (Helen Hayes Theatre, Duchess Theatre). Regional and international appearances of "Composers Sonata" (1999-2015) - George Gershwin Alone, Monsieur Chopin, Beethoven As I Knew Him, Maestro Bernstein, Franz Liszt in MUSIK and Hershey Felder as IRVING BERLIN (Geffen Playhouse, LA World Premiere; upcoming: La Jolla Playhouse, Theatreworks Palo Alto, Arizona Theatre Company, and more). Winner of 2007 Los Angeles Ovation Awards, Best Musical and Best Actor for George Gershwin Alone. Worldwide live broadcasts, George Gershwin Alone, 2005 and 2011 for the WFMT Network and MAESTRO from Town Hall, NYC. Direction includes Mona Golabek in The Pianist of Willesden Lane (National Tour). Current projects include Hershey Felder as IRVING BERLIN; Tchaikovsky; American Hero; Chosen by God; Amargos, Jamaica Farewell, I Found My Horn and several other titles in development for various artists. Mr. Felder is a Steinway Concert Artist, and has been a Scholar in Residence at Harvard University's Department of Music. He is the President of Eighty-Eight Entertainment and is married to Kim Campbell, former Prime Minister of Canada.

TREVOR HAY (Director) Directed the world premieres of An American Story For Actor and Orchestra, Abe Lincoln's Piano and Hershey Felder As Franz Liszt in Musik. He is Associate Director for Mona Golabek's The Pianist of Willesden Lane. Former member of the historic Old Globe Theatre in San Diego where, at the age of nine, his first position was selling Old Globe memorabilia. Over the next 32 years, Mr. Hay went on to various aspects of production on more than 80 presentations, including the Broadway productions of Jack O'Brien's Damn Yankees, How The Grinch Stole Christmas, and Twyla Tharpe's The Times They Are A-Changin'. Included in his 23 seasons at the Old Globe were eleven seasons of the Summer Shakespeare Festival Repertory, as well work on Tracy Letts' August: Osage County, directed by Sam Gold, and Hershey Felder's George Gershwin Alone, Monsieur Chopin and Maestro Bernstein.

The artistic team for Hershey Felder as IRVING BERLIN is led by Director Trevor Hay. Scenic Design is by Hershey Felder and Trevor Hay, Sound Design is by Erik Carstensen, Lighting Design is by Richard Norwood and Video Design is by Andrew Wilder. Scenic Decoration is by Meghan Maiya. Karen Racanelli serves as Executive Producer and the Production Stage Manager is Rebecca Peters. Hershey Felder and Samantha F. Voxakis serve as producers.

Performances of Hershey Felder as IRVING BERLIN begin Friday October 30th at 8:00 p.m. and continue as follows: Saturday 3 and 8 pm, Sunday 2 pm, with performances continuing Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m., Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m.