Photo Flash: Powerful Tale OUR GREAT TCHAIKOVSKY Starts at Laguna Playhouse

Laguna Playhouse Artistic Director Ann E. Wareham is thrilled to announce the fourth show in the Laguna Playhouse 2016-2017 season, Hershey Felder as OUR GREAT TCHAIKOVSKY, written by Hershey Felder, music by Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and directed by Trevor Hay. "This might be the most powerful piece of work that Hershey and Trevor have ever brought to The Playhouse. Tchaikovsky's story is as relevant and important today as it was in the 1800s," says Wareham. OUR GREAT TCHAIKOVSKY will begin previews on Wednesday, March 1; will open on Sunday, March 5 at 5:30pm and will run through Sunday, March 26, 2017 at the Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road in Laguna Beach.

Master pianist and storyteller Hershey Felder embodies the life and music of beloved Russian composer and master composer, Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Tchaikovsky is best known for his classical ballets, particularly Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker. At age 53, Russia's most famous composer was dead. And to this day, the how and why remain a mystery.

Also, mark your calendar for "a singular display of sheer joy" (Chicago Sun-Times). At Hershey Felder in Concert: The American Songbook Sing-Along, you'll have the chance to sing along with Hershey as he takes you through a century of America's greatest music including hits from the Gershwins, Jerome Kern, Berlin, Rodgers and Hammerstein, through Bernstein, Sondheim and many more. Hershey Felder will lead the party from the piano. Three performances only!

Hershey Felder (Tchaikovsky/The Artist/Playwright) Recently named to Time Magazine's 2016 Top 10 Plays and Musicals, Hershey Felder has played over 4,500 performances of his self-created solo productions at some of the world's most prestigious theatres and has broken box office records consistently. Writing in American Theatre, Hedy Weiss said, "Hershey Felder is in a category all his own." 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, and Our Great Tchaikovsky. In addition, he performs concerts of "The Great American Song Book Sing-Along" at every theatre where his shows are presented. Future productions include the new musical, Chosen By G-d for which he is writing music, book and lyrics. 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 very successful play with music, The Pianist of Willesden Lane and recently produced and designed for the new musical Louis and Keely: Live at the Sahara, directed by Taylor Hackford. 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 Kim Campbell, the first female Prime Minister of Canada.

Trevor Hay (Director) Directed the world premieres of An American Story for Actor and Orchestra, Abe Lincoln's Piano, Hershey Felder as Franz Liszt in Musik, and Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin. He is Associate Director for Mona Golabek's The Pianist of Willesden Lane. Former member of the historic Old Globe Theatre in San Diego where, at the age of nine, his first position was selling Old Globe memorabilia. Over the next 32 years, Mr. Hay went on to various aspects of production on more than 80 presentations, including the Broadway productions of Jack O'Brien's Damn Yankees, How The Grinch Stole Christmas, and Twyla Tharpe's The Times They Are A-Changin'. Included in his 23 seasons at The Old Globe were eleven seasons of the Summer Shakespeare Festival Repertory, as well as work on Tracy Letts' August: Osage County, directed by Sam Gold, and Hershey Felder's George Gershwin Alone, Monsieur Chopin and Maestro Bernstein.

OUR GREAT TCHAIKOVSKY has assembled the following design team. Scenic Design is by Hershey Felder. Lighting and Projection Design is by Christopher Ash. Sound Design is by Erik Carstensen. Costume Design is by Abigail Caywood. Dramaturgy and Research is by Meghan Maiya. Consulting Producer is Joel Zwick.

OUR GREAT TCHAIKOVSKY will begin previews on Wednesday, March 1; will open on Sunday, March 5 at 5:30pm and will run through Sunday, March 26, 2017 at the Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road in Laguna Beach.

Performances will be Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7:30pm; Saturdays at 2pm; Sundays at 1pm. There will be additional performance on Thursday, March 2, 16 & 23 at 2:00pm & Sunday, March 12 at 5:30.

Tickets range from $60 - $75 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.

Hershey Felder: THE GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK SING-ALONG will take place on Tuesday, March 14 at 7:30pm; Monday, March 20 at 7:30pm & Tuesday, March 21 at 7:30pm at the Laguna Playhouse. Tickets range from $75 - $85 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 5 p.m. (open until showtime on performance days); Sundays: 11a.m. - 4p.m. For more information on all shows and programming visit www.lagunaplayhouse.com. Laguna Playhouse is located at 606 Laguna Canyon Road in Laguna Beach.

Photo Credit: Hershey Felder Presents

To post a comment, you must register and login.