Felder's Monsieur Chopin Extends Chicago Run to October

By: BWW News Desk Sep. 07, 2005

Monsieur Chopin, the one-man bio-play of the great romantic composer starring Hershey Felder, has extended its run at Chicago's Royal George Theatre (1641 North Halsted Street) through October (with an exact date to be announced). In its world premiere production, Monsieur Chopin began performances on August 30th.

The extension comes about as a result of the show's popularity; the initial preview run sold almost to capacity every performance.

Felder's play on the Polish-born composer opened in the wake of his hit George Gershwin Alone, which played its final performances at the same theatre on July 31st after a year-long run; the plays are the first two of Felder's planned "Composer Trilogy," which will conclude with a piece on Beethoven. As he did with George Gershwin Alone, he will star in Monsieur Chopin (which he actually created before the former play). The show will also have the same director--Joel Zwick (My Big Fat Greek Wedding, the upcoming Elvis Has Left the Building).

Monsieur Chopin begins at Frédéric Chopin's salon at 9 Square d'Orléans in Paris. Monsieur Chopin will teach a piano lesson that actually took place on 4 March, 1848, just days after the February 1848 revolution. As Monsieur Chopin's piano lesson unfolds, he reveals secrets about the art of the piano and composition, as well as secrets about himself. "Considered by his contemporaries, and now by history, as the true 'Poet of the Piano,' Monsieur Chopin features some of the pianist-composer's most beautiful and enduring music," according to a press release.

Felder's studies on Chopin have taken him around the world and include studying the composer's history, period history, manuscripts and living in Chopin's still existing residences. Included in the creative process is a scholarly relationship with the United States' foremost author and professor of Chopin Studies, Jeffrey Kallberg. Felder has appeared in stage roles on Broadway, Off-Broadway and regionally. His credits include George Gershwin Alone (2000 performances from Los Angeles to London's West End including Broadway); Stempenyu, A Fiddler on the Roof, Gigi, Waiting for Godot, Macbeth, Sotoba Komache, Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night, Shlemiel I, Lies My Father Told Me, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Importance of Being Earnest and The King and I. A former Scholar in Residence at Harvard University's Department of Music, Felder's works have been performed internationally. As a concert artist, he has appeared in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Israel, and Europe.

Monsieur Chopin's production team includes Yael Pardess (sets) Richard Norwood (lighting) Benjamin Furiga (sound), John Boesche (projection design) and Chicago's own Boguslaw (costumes).

Monsieur Chopin's performance schedule is as follows: Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m., Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m., Thursdays at 8:00 p.m., Fridays at 8:00 p.m., Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 3:00 p.m. Tickets for Monsieur Chopin range in price from $35.00 to $39.50 and are available at the Royal George Theatre Box Office, by calling (312) 988-9000 or Ticketmaster at (312) 902-1500, at all Ticketmaster ticket centers (including all Carson Pirie Scott stores, Tower Records, Hot Tix, select Coconuts and fye stores) or online at ticketmaster.com. Groups of 20 or more can receive a discount by calling (312) 977-1710

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Felder's Monsieur Chopin Extends Chicago Run to October

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