HERSHEY FELDER AS IRVING BERLIN To Stream Live From Florence, Italy, May 10

Hershey Felder Presents has announced a one-time-only live stream musical event to benefit 13 theatres and arts organizations across the United States, as they work to offset the devastating economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Sunday, May 10, Mother's Day, actor/pianist Hershey Felder will present his critically acclaimed one-man show, Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin, in a live stream from Florence, Italy at 5:00 pm PDT / 7:00 pm CDT / 8:00 pm EDT.

Tickets ($50 per household) are available for purchase on the websites for each of the participating theatres (click hyperlinks for details). Patrons will receive a link and password which will enable them to view the live stream.

Participating theatres and organizations are:

Berkeley Rep, Berkeley, CA

The Wallis, Beverly Hills, CA

Laguna Playhouse, Laguna Beach, CA

TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, Palo Alto, CA

San Diego Repertory Theatre, San Diego, CA

Goodman Theatre, Chicago, IL

Actors Theatre of Louisville, Louisville, KY

Berkshire Theatre Group, Pittsfield, MA

Cleveland Play House, Cleveland, OH

59E59 Theaters, New York, NY

Lyric Chamber Music Society, New York, NY

Pittsburgh Public Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA

Seattle Rep, Seattle, WA

"Over the past 25 years, the stages of many theatres across the United States have been my home for eleven out of twelve months each year. Yet, for the first time in all these years, I find myself at "home," here in Florence, Italy. As otherworldly as it is here, I am still drawn to the many theatres that have given me homes over the years, and so together we have created a nationwide event paying tribute to America's greatest songwriter, Irving Berlin. Proceeds from this event will benefit each of the many participating theatres throughout the nation," Felder commented.

For this live stream event, Felder will be performing live at 2:00 AM, Florence time. The set of Irving Berlin's Beekman Place home will be recreated. An Italian Florence-based film crew, which has been safe in quarantine, will be filming. For those who have seen Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin previously, the production will include additional material and surprises. Felder will also conduct the popular "encore," where he answers questions from the audience. Viewers will be able to text their questions to Felder, and he will answer live, as he does in the theatre. He has also confirmed that all questions not answered live will be answered via text or email within one week after the presentation.

Since its premiere at the Geffen Theatre in Los Angeles in November of 2014, Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin has played 24 record-breaking engagements at some of the country's leading theatres. The Los Angeles Times called it "richly entertaining and touching." At Chicago's Royal George Theatre, the Chicago Tribune said it delivers "a great deal of pleasure to the good people of Chicagoland." At the Majestic Theatre in Boston, the Boston Globe hailed it as "a warm portrait of an unassuming genius."

Jerome Kern famously said, "Irving Berlin has no place in American music-he is American music." George Gershwin called him "the greatest songwriter that has ever lived." Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin brings the man behind the iconic music to life in an evening reflecting his remarkable journey from his inauspicious beginnings as a Russian Jewish immigrant of five, to his rise to become America's most beloved and prolific songwriter.

From Tin Pan Alley to Carnegie Hall, from The Great White Way to The Silver Screen and from the pop charts to the steps of the nation's capital, Berlin's music provided America with the soundtrack of a century. Berlin's catalogue includes over 1,500 songs, 18 Broadway shows, 16 feature films, 232 top-10 hits and 10 #1 hits. Berlin's songs have been performed by a diverse list of artists including: Fred Astaire, Aretha Franklin, Ethel Merman, Willie Nelson, Paul McCartney, Elvis Presley, Luciano Pavarotti, Ella Fitzgerald, Bob Dylan, Frank Sinatra, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Barbra Streisand, Billie Holiday, Marilyn Monroe and Lady Gaga.

Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin features some of the composer's most popular and enduring songs, including "Alexander's Ragtime Band," "Always," "Blue Skies," "God Bless America," "Puttin' on the Ritz," "There's No Business Like Show Business," and "White Christmas."

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