Hershey Felder News

Award-winning actor and pianist Hershey Felder presents the UK premiere of Our Great Tchaikovsky.

Laguna Playhouse Artistic Director Ann E. Wareham, Executive Director Ellen Richard and Lythgoe Family Panto (LFP) have announced that Kira Kosarin (three-time Kid's Choice Award-nominee of Nickelodeon's hit show 'The Thundermans'), Jason Gotay (World Premiere of Stephen Schwartz's The Prince Of Egypt, title role of Broadway's Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark), Barry Pearl ('Grease') and Josh Adamson (Big Fish, Taboo) are set to star in Lythgoe Family Panto's ALADDIN AND HIS WINTER WISH.

The Hip Hop Nutcracker (www.hiphopnutcracker.com), a contemporary dance spectacle set to Tchaikovsky's timeless music, hits the road this holiday season to 28 U.S. cities.

Producer Lida Orzeck and Executive Producer Eva Price have announced the cast of the New York premiere of the new play, 20TH CENTURY BLUES, from Susan Smith Blackburn Prize-winner and two-time OBIE Award-winning playwright Susan Miller (MY LEFT BREAST).

As previously announced, following two sold-out runs in Los Angeles and a sold-out pop-up engagement in NYC, Cruel Intentions: The Musical, the stage adaptation of Roger Kumble's 1999 cult hit film, created by Jordan Ross, Lindsey Rosin and Roger Kumble, will return to New York for a limited engagement at (le) Poisson Rouge (158 Bleecker Street) beginning Friday, November 17, 2017.

Laguna Playhouse has announced the third show in the Laguna Playhouse 2017-2018 and 97th season, TWELVE ANGRY MEN, written by Reginald Rose and directed by Ovation Award-winning director Michael Matthews.

Following two sold-out runs in Los Angeles and a sold-out pop-up engagement in NYC, Cruel Intentions: The Musical, the stage adaptation of Roger Kumble's 1999 cult hit film, created by Jordan Ross, Lindsey Rosin and Roger Kumble, will return to New York for a limited engagement at (le) Poisson Rouge (158 Bleecker Street) beginning Friday, November 17, 2017.

Award-winning actor and pianist Hershey Felder presents the UK premiere of Our Great Tchaikovsky.

Award-winning actor and pianist Hershey Felder presents the UK premiere of Our Great Tchaikovsky. Featuring Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's most popular compositions including his Nutcracker Ballet, 1812 Overture, 6th Symphony and more.

As Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky once said "To regret the past, to hope in the future, and never to be satisfied with the present: that is what I spend my whole life doing". These words, from arguably the greatest Russian composer of all time, summarize well the life of this conflicted, yet brilliant musician. His life as an artist struggling with his own sexuality in 19th century, Czarist Russia, was not that far from what life would be like for him in the Russia of 2017,  especially with recent efforts by the Russian government to ban distribution of materials promoting LGBT relationships - a comparison that serves as an undertone to the play. Tchaikovsky's life story, full of struggle and beautiful music comes to brilliant life at Hartford Stage in Hershey Felder's production of OUR GREAT TCHAIKOVSKY.

Hartford Stage will present Our Great Tchaikovsky, a celebration of the famed Russian composer, written and performed by internationally-acclaimed pianist, actor and playwright Hershey Felder, for a limited one-week engagement - August 19 through 27.

San Diego Repertory Theatre (San Diego REP), has announced a special addition to its 2017-18 season, Nathan Gunn, FLYING SOLO, written and directed by Hershey Felder.

Producer Lida Orzeck and Executive Producer Eva Price are pleased to announce the New York premiere of the new play, 20TH CENTURY BLUES, from Susan Smith Blackburn Prize-winner and two-time OBIE Award-winning playwright Susan Miller (My Left Breast). Two-time OBIE Award-winner and Tony Award-nominee Emily Mann (Having Our Say, Anna in the Tropics) will direct the 10-week limited engagement beginning November 12 with performances through January 28 and an official opening night set for November 26. 20TH CENTURY BLUES will play at The Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre at The Pershing Square Signature Center (480 W. 42nd Street).

Connecticut Theater's Top Picks for August 2017

Laguna Playhouse announced today that due to scheduling conflicts beyond production's control, the previously announced dates of Academy Award nominee Melanie Griffith starring as Mrs. Robinson in THE GRADUATE, will move to March, 2018 and TWELVE ANGRY MEN, which was scheduled to open in March, 2018 will now perform October 4 -22, 2017.

During the multimedia production, directed by Trevor Hay, Felder plays himself as well as the world-famous composer, along with a wide assortment of people from the many phases of Tchaikovsky's life. For each one, Felder completely changes his vocal patterns as well as his physical being, after telling the audience that in order to present his stories about all these real people, he first considers the place, then the character, and lastly the music to set the stage for each segment. And be sure to keep an eye on the picture frame displayed prominently on the ornate set designed by Felder as it changes portraits as the many characters are introduced, allowing us to see the real people he is portraying. But you would never know the music was not considered first, given the way his hands fly over the keys as he energetically plays some of the greatest works created by his favorite composer since childhood.

Award-winning actor and musician Hershey Felder brings to life on stage the music and personal stories of Irving Berlin and Leonard Bernstein in two musical-plays, which will alternate at London's The Other Palace this autumn.

Laguna Playhouse announced today that Academy Award nominee Melanie Griffith will star as Mrs. Robinson in their upcoming production of THE GRADUATE, adapted by Terry Johnson, based on the novel by Charles Webb and the screenplay by Buck Henry and Calder Willingham and directed by Ovation Award-winner Michael Matthews.

Actor and pianist Hershey Felder returns to the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts (The Wallis) for the Los Angeles premiere of Our Great Tchaikovsky, beginning Wednesday, July 19 through Sunday, August 6. Directed by Felder collaborator Trevor Hay, Hershey Felder's Our Great Tchaikovsky is a time-bending tale of music, politics and one of the world's most beloved composers.

Actor and pianist Hershey Felder returns to the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts (The Wallis) for the Los Angeles premiere ofOUR GREAT TCHAIKOVSKY, beginning Wednesday, July 19 through Sunday, August 6.