Hershey Felder Sets New Record At TheatreWorks Silicon Valley

On the eve of its first performance, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley has announced that its presentation of Hershey Felder's Our Great Tchaikovsky is already establishing a new all-time box office record for the 48 year-old Bay Area theatre company - and it is not even open yet. This newest work by acclaimed performer and playwright Hershey Felder is on track to shatter the theatre's previous record, set last year with TheatreWorks' presentation of Hershey Felder, Beethoven which set a high bar as the company's highest grossing show, amassing $637,767 in sales the day before opening.

It has been bested by Our Great Tchaikovsky, which has now sold more than $710,000 to date, and may well top Beethoven's final sales total. Tickets are disappearing fast as theatre-goers flock to see Felder's latest piece, which runs Tuesdays through Sundays, January 10 - February 11, 2018, at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St., Mountain View. For tickets ($45-$105) and information the public may visit TheatreWorks.org or call (650) 463-1960.

Exploring both current Russian politics and historical context, piano virtuoso Felder brings to life the music and story of composer Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in a time-bending tale. From the iconic ballets Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker, to the outrageous 1812 Overture and brilliant symphonic works, this powerful music journey travels from Czarist times to today, bringing vivid life to a haunted genius. In Our Great Tchaikovsky, the actor/writer/pianist/historian Felder recreates, through music and performance, the world of Russia's most famous composer, his life under an unforgiving regime, and explores the mystery of his death, nine days after conducting a symphonic premiere in apparently perfect health. The musical play made a remarkable debut in January 2017 at San Diego Repertory Theatre, where the San Diego Tribune hailed Felder's bold portrayal as "Stunning. Potent. His virtuoso touch brings beautiful life to Tchaikovsky." The show went on to become the highest grossing show in the Rep's 41-year history. Our Great Tchaikovsky has since played to critical acclaim in Los Angeles, Laguna Beach, Chicago, and most recently in London where it was declared "fascinating, an absorbing and poignant study" by The Stage UK, while What's On Stage London lauded Felder as "astoundingly talented," "magnetic," and "sensationally good," noting, "It is a rare privilege to see such extraordinary talent live. Hugely interesting, a very special piece of theatre. Well worth seeing."

An actor, pianist, writer, director, composer, conductor, and producer, Hershey Felder has conjured of the spirits of George Gershwin, Frederic Chopin, Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Liszt, Leonard Bernstein, and Irving Berlin. Felder's solo shows have been seen across America - at The Geffen Playhouse, Pasadena Playhouse, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Hartford Stage, San Diego Repertory Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, Old Globe Theatre, American Repertory Theater, and Cleveland Playhouse, as well as long runs at Chicago's Royal George Theatre and engagements at New York's Town Hall, 59E59, and the Streicker Center. Throughout the past 20 years, he has given more than 4,500 performances. Felder has become an enormous Bay Area favorite; audiences packed TheatreWorks' regional premiere of Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin setting box office records which were shattered in spring 2017 by Hershey Felder, Beethoven. The newest work marks Felder's third appearance with the Silicon Valley based regional theatre.

With some 100,000 patrons per year, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley has captured a national reputation for artistic innovation and integrity, often presenting Bay Area theatregoers with their first look at acclaimed musicals, comedies, and dramas, directed by award-winning local and guest directors, and performed by professional actors cast locally and from across the country.

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