LAGUNA PLAYHOUSE in association with Hershey Felder Presents is thrilled to present a very special event production, HERSHEY FELDER, A PARIS LOVE STORY, Featuring the Music of Claude Debussy, written and performed by Hershey Felder, music by Claude Debussy and directed by Trevor Hay. HERSHEY FELDER, A PARIS LOVE STORY will open on Wednesday, May 8 and performs through Sunday, May 19, 2019, at the Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Drive in Laguna Beach.
Virtuoso actor and pianist Hershey Felder takes us on his own personal journey as he explores the life and music of Impressionist composer Claude Debussy. For decades Felder’s “Great Composer Series” has celebrated the brilliance of Beethoven, Berlin, Tchaikovsky, and more. In this glorious new production, he brings to life a visionary who proclaimed nature his religion, creating music of ravishing beauty, color, and compassion. From the sweeping La mer to the evocative Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune and the mystical Clair de lune, this soaring tribute will never be forgotten.
HERSHEY FELDER (Claude Debussy/The Boy/Playwright) Named to Time Magazine’s 2016 Top 10 Plays and Musicals, Hershey Felder has played over 5,000 performances of his self-created solo productions at some of the world’s most prestigious theatres and has broken box office records consistently. American Theatre Magazine has 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, Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin, Our Great Tchaikovsky, and A Paris Love Story.
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. Upcoming projects include a new musical based on the award-winning book Out on a Ledge by Eva Libitzky. 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, Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin, and Our Great Tchaikovsky. He is Associate Director for Mona Golabek’s The Pianist of Willesden Lane. A 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 Tharp‘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.
HERSHEY FELDER, A PARIS LOVE STORY, Featuring the Music of Claude Debussy will open on Wednesday, May 8 and perform through Sunday, May 19, 2019, at the Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Drive in Laguna Beach.
Performances are Wednesdays & Thursdays at 3:00pm & 7:30pm; Fridays at 7:30pm; Saturday, May 11 at 3:00pm & 7:30pm; Tuesday, May 14 at 7:30pm; Saturday, May 18 at 1:00pm; Sundays at 2:00pm & 6:00pm.
Tickets range from $85.00 – $125.00 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: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (open until showtime on performance days); Sundays: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. For more information on all shows and programming visit www.lagunaplayhouse.com.
Founded in 1920, the historic Laguna Playhouse is one of the oldest continuously-operating not-for-profit theatres on the West Coast and is proud to be an active participant in the celebrated Laguna Beach arts community. From classic plays and musical comedies to the current off-Broadway smash, cutting edge and traditional music exhibitions, dance festivals and stand-up comedy performances, Laguna Playhouse brings the magical experience of the performing arts direct to over 100,000 patrons each season.
Laguna Playhouse educational programming includes year-round classes, productions by and for children and teens (Youth Theatre) and is one of the few companies in the region that offer a curriculum-based professional theatre-touring program, TheatreReach, which aligns with the California State Standards for literature, history and performing arts curriculum.
Laguna Playhouse has been recognized in 2018, 2017, 2016 and 2015 as one of Orange County Register’s “Best of OC” in the category of Live Theatre. The Laguna Playhouse has featured many talented performers on stage, including Ed Asner, Leslie Caron, Hershey Felder, Melanie Griffith, Val Kilmer, Gregory Harrison, Dan Lauria, Hal Linden, Wendie Malick, Rita Rudner, Charles Shaughnessy, French Stewart, Loretta Swit, and Bette Davis.
Learn What’s Going On at www.lagunaplayhouse.com.
