Shows & Tickets
HERSHEY FELDER IS BACK AT THE PIANO IN ABE LINCOLN’S PIANOTHE SPOTLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT SERIES AT THE GEFFEN PLAYHOUSEPRESENTS A WORLD PREMIERE IN JANUARY
LOS ANGELES (December 20, 2013) — Hershey Felder in Abe Lincoln’s Piano will have its world premiere in the Gil Cates Theater at the Geffen Playhouse as a limited fifteen-performance engagement starting January 3, 2014. The acclaimed musician, composer and performer Hershey Felder has previously presented four hit productions at the Geffen Playhouse and just last year adapted and directed The Pianist of Willesden Lane, which extended for several months in the intimate Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater at the Geffen Playhouse. Featuring an original score and book by Felder and directed by Trevor Hay, Abe Lincoln’s Piano marks a return to the stage for the crowd-favorite with a work based on the timeless music of Stephen Foster including compositions such as “My Old Kentucky Home” and “Oh! Susanna.”Hershey Felder said, “Due to an association in two of my plays with America’s greatest musicians, George Gershwin and Leonard Bernstein, I was asked to visit the Chicago History Museum’s attic where Abraham Lincoln’s White House piano is stored; the mysteries that were revealed to me at that visit formed the basis of Abe Lincoln’s Piano.”How can one evening at the theater change history? The unfolding of events of April 14, 1865 did just that as the lives of those in the audience and those in our country would never be the same. Uncovering Abraham Lincoln’s White House piano and many of the era’s personalities to tell these stories best, Hershey Felder regales us with a stunningly new and insightful look at the artistry, politics and individuals surrounding that fateful night at Ford’s Theatre. From vaudeville to minstrel shows to American hymns and songs of patriotism, Felder’s signature storytelling and music reminds us of our collective history and how the history of the brave emboldens us all.The Spotlight Entertainment Series at the Geffen Playhouse presentsHERSHEY FELDER IN ABE LINCOLN’S PIANO Created by Hershey FelderBased on the Music of Stephen FosterDirected by Trevor Hay Performance ScheduleJanuary 3 – 13, 2014Mondays - Fridays 8:00pmSaturdays 3:00pm; 8:00pmSundays 2:00pm; 7:00pmTicket InfoTicket prices currently range from $35 to $75 and are available in-person at the Geffen Playhouse box office, via phone at 310.208.5454 or online at www.geffenplayhouse.org.
Geffen Playhouse10886 Le Conte AvenueLos Angeles, CA 90024BiographiesHERSHEY FELDER (Creator/Performer)Broadway, London's West End: George Gershwin Alone (Helen Hayes Theatre, Duchess Theatre). Regional and international appearances of “Composers Sonata” (1999-2012) – George Gershwin Alone, Monsieur Chopin, Beethoven, As I Knew Him, and Maestro: The Art of Leonard Bernstein - include Old Globe Theatre, Arizona Theatre Company, Geffen Playhouse, Laguna Playhouse, Ford's Theatre, Cleveland Playhouse, Pasadena Playhouse, American Repertory Theatre, Hartford Stage, Ravinia Festival, Chicago's Royal George Theatre, Asolo Repertory Theatre, Prince Music Theatre, The Gilmore International Keyboard Festival, Uijeongbu Theatre Festival (South Korea) and many others, as well as a command performance of Monsieur Chopin for the Polish Ambassador to the United States, Polish Embassy, Washington. Winner of 2007 Los Angeles Ovation Awards, Best Musical and Best Actor for George Gershwin Alone. Compositions include Aliyah, Concerto for Piano and Orchestra; Fairytale, a musical; Les Anges de Paris, Suite for Violin and Piano; Song Settings, poetry by Vachel Lindsay; Saltimbanques for Piano and Orchestra; Etudes Thematiques for Piano; LINCOLN: An American Story, for actor and orchestra. Recordings include Love Songs of the Yiddish Theatre, Back from Broadway, George Gershwin Alone and Monsieur Chopin for the WFMT Radio Network Recordings label, Beethoven, As I Knew Him and LINCOLN: An American Story for the Eighty Eight Entertainment label. Worldwide live broadcasts, George Gershwin Alone, July 2005 and May 2011. Mr. Felder has been a Scholar in Residence at Harvard University's Department of Music and is married to Kim Campbell, former Prime Minister of Canada.ABOUT THE GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE The Geffen Playhouse has been a hub of the Los Angeles theater scene since opening its doors in 1995. Noted for its intimacy and celebrated for its world-renowned mix of classic and contemporary plays, provocative new works and second productions, the Geffen Playhouse continues to present a body of work that has garnered national recognition. Named in honor of entertainment mogul and philanthropist David Geffen, who made the initial donation to the theater, the company was founded by Gilbert Cates, and is currently helmed by Artistic Director Randall Arney, Managing Director Ken Novice, General Manager Behnaz Ataee, Chief Development Officer Regina Miller and Co-Chairs of the Board Martha Henderson and Pamela Robinson Hollander. Proudly associated with UCLA, the Geffen Playhouse welcomes an audience of more than 130,000 each year, and maintains an extensive education and outreach program, designed to engage young people and the community at large in the arts. For more information, please visit www.geffenplayhouse.org.
