Hershey Felder in CHOPIN IN PARIS is Coming to Laguna Playhouse in January

LAGUNA PLAYHOUSE has announced that pianist and actor Hershey Felder will present his musical masterpiece as he portrays Monsieur Chopin in CHOPIN IN PARIS. Felder returns to the Laguna Playhouse stage as brilliant Polish composer Fryderyk Chopin, illuminating an exclusive piano lesson with this 19th century musical master. In this stunning solo show, the "Poet of the Piano" tells his romantic story - a love affair with the most famous woman and authoress in France, George Sand, while sharing intimate details and live performances of some of his most beloved Waltzes, Polonaises, Mazurkas and more. Directed by Joel Zwick, Hershey Felder in CHOPIN IN PARIS begins performances on Wednesday, January 4 and will run through Sunday, January 15 at the Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Dr. in Laguna Beach.

Making its World Premiere in 2019, Hershey Felder in CHOPIN IN PARIS (based on an original production that premiered at Chicago's Royal George Theatre in 2006) has delighted audiences across the country in critically acclaimed sold-out runs.

ABOUT THE CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM

Hershey Felder

(Writer/Performer) American Theatre Magazine has said, "Hershey Felder is in a category all his own." Following 28 years of continuous stage work and over 6,000 live performances throughout the U.S. and abroad, Hershey Felder created Live from Florence, An Arts Broadcasting Company, which has produced more than fifteen theatrical films to date. They include the recently-released The Assembly; Chopin and Liszt in Paris; Violetta, the story of Verdi's Traviata; Dante and Beatrice; Mozart and Figaro in Vienna; the world premiere musicals Nicholas, Anna & Sergei; the story of Sergei Rachmaninoff; Puccini, the story of famed opera composer Giacomo Puccini; Before Fiddler, a musical story about writer Sholem Aleichem; Great American Songs and the Stories Behind Them, Leonard Bernstein and the Israel Philharmonic, a documentary. Two seasons of programming are currently available at www.hersheyfelder.net Hershey has given performances of his solo productions at some of the world's most prestigious theatres and has consistently broken box office records. His shows include George Gershwin Alone (Broadway's Helen Hayes Theatre, West End's Duchess Theatre); Monsieur Chopin; Beethoven; Maestro (Leonard Bernstein); Franz Liszt in Musik, Lincoln: An American Story, Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin, Our Great Tchaikovsky, and A Paris Love Story and Chopin in Paris. His compositions and recordings include Aliyah, Concerto for Piano and Orchestra; Fairytale, a musical; Les Anges de Paris, Suite for Violin and Piano; Song Settings; Saltimbanques for Piano and Orchestra; Etudes Thematiques for Piano; and An American Story for Actor and Orchestra. Hershey is the adaptor, director, and designer for the internationally performed play-with-music The Pianist of Willesden Lane with Steinway artist Mona Golabek; producer and designer for the musical Louis and Keely: 'Live' at the Sahara, directed by Taylor Hackford; and writer and director for Flying Solo, featuring opera legend Nathan Gunn. Hershey has operated a full-service production company since 2001. He has been a scholar-in-residence at Harvard University's Department of Music and is married to Rt. Hn. Kim Campbell.

Joel Zwick

(Director) directed My Big Fat Greek Wedding, the highest-grossing romantic comedy of all time. Recent films include Fat Albert and Elvis Has Left the Building. Mr. Zwick directed the Broadway production of Hershey Felder's George Gershwin Alone at the Helen Hayes Theatre. He began his theatrical career at La Mama E.T.C., as director of the La Mama Plexus and has directed on Broadway, Off-Broadway and Broadway touring companies. He and Hershey Felder have collaborated on Hershey Felder as Monsieur Chopin, Beethoven As I Knew Him, and Maestro. Currently, Mr. Zwick is recognized as one of Hollywood's most prolific directors of episodic television, having the direction of over 650 episodes to his credit. New York productions have included Dance with Me (Tony nomination), Shenandoah (Broadway national tour), Oklahoma (national tour) and Cold Storage (American Place Theater). He acted in the original New York production of MacBird. He directed Esther (Promenade Theater, NY), Merry-Go-Round (Chicago and Las Vegas), Last Chance Saloon and Woycek (West End). Mr. Zwick has taught drama at Yale University, Brooklyn College, Queens College, Wheaton College, and the University of Southern California. He is a graduate (B.A., M.A.) of Brooklyn College.

Written by and with Hershey Felder as Fryderyk Chopin, directed by Joel Zwick; Associate Direction by Trevor Hay; Scenic design by Hershey Felder, Lights by Erik S. Barry, Sound and Production by Erik Carstensen; Costumes by Theatr'Hall Paris; Production Associate, Tammy Globerman; Company Operations, Samantha F. Voxakis.

ABOUT THE SCHEDULE AND PRICING

Hershey Felder in CHOPIN IN PARIS will open on Sunday, January 4 at 5:30pm and perform through Sunday, January 15 at 5:30pm at the Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Drive in Laguna Beach.

Performances will be Wednesdays through Fridays at 7:30pm; Saturdays at 2pm & 7:30pm; Sundays at 1:00pm & 5:30pm. There will be added performances on Thursday, January 5 at 2:00pm and Tuesday, January 10 at 7:30pm. There will be no performance on Sunday, January 8 at 5:30pm.

Tickets range from $91 - $105 and can be purchased online at www.lagunaplayhouse.com or by calling (949) 497-ARTS (2787). Group discounts are available by calling 949-497-2787 ext. 229. Prices subject to change.

The box office is open Mondays - Saturdays: 12p.m. to 4p.m.; Sundays open 2 hours prior to show time until 15 minutes after curtain. Open until showtime on all performance days.

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