Salute to Sergei: Pianist/actor Hershey Felder returns with his tribute to composer/pianist Rachmaninoff
In response to a query about his favorite composer, pianist/writer/actor Hershey Felder pauses then gives a diplomatic reply.
Invariably, his favorite composer is the one he’s playing, said Felder, who’s known for his solo plays-with-music devoted to classical masters: George Gershwin, Frédéric Chopin, Ludwig van Beethoven, Leonard Bernstein, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Irving Berlin and Claude Debussy.
So that makes his current favorite Sergei Rachmaninoff, the late 19th- and early 20th-century Russian composer/pianist/conductor who Felder channels in “Rachmaninoff and the Tsar,” in its Midwest premiere at Writers Theatre.
The latest in a series of biography/concert hybrids, the show marks a bit of a departure for Felder in that he shares the stage with fellow actor Jonathan Silvestri. Silvestri plays Russia’s last emperor, Tsar Nicholas II, who was assassinated by the Bolsheviks in 1918 along with his wife, their five children, a family physician and several servants.
Felder began working on “Rachmaninoff and the Tsar” about seven years ago in anticipation of a 2020 California premiere, which was upended by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rachmaninoff had long interested Felder, whose repertoire includes the composer’s famed Piano Concerto No. 2, portions of which he performs in the show, along with sections from the Piano Sonata No. 2, “Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini” and other compositions.
In the show, Rachmaninoff, who escaped the 1917 Russian Revolution, is living in Beverly Hills, where he is haunted by memories of his native land and of its doomed leader, Nicholas.
Unlike the 10 solo biographies he created, this story demanded two actors.
“The narrative is always the driving factor in something like this,” Felder said.
“I've always said about my pieces: ‘I always know what not to do. Experience has told me what not to do,’” he said.
“What to do is another story,” he added, laughing.
The reason for creation and its context most fascinates Felder, a longtime Chicago favorite whose first one-man show, “George Gershwin Alone,” had an extended run during the early aughts at Chicago’s Royal George Theatre.
He still performs that show, which premiered 30 years ago, and he’s grateful for the opportunity.
“As an artist, I feel I’m one of the luckiest people in the world,” said Felder, who received a 2024 Joseph Jefferson Award for his solo performance in Writers’ revival of “Monsieur Chopin.”
“The luck I’ve had as an artist, the things I’ve learned,” he said, “this is a luxury and a blessing.”
Not one to rest on his laurels, Felder serves as artistic director for the Teatro della Signoria in Florence, Italy, and for Teatro Nicollini, Florence’s oldest theater. He’s also preparing his next show, his 19th.
“I’m not living if I’m not doing the work,” he said.
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“Rachmaninoff and the Tsar”
When: Opens at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 15; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 16; 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 17; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 20; and 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 21, and through Sept. 21
Where: Writers Theatre, 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe, (847) 242-6000, writerstheatre.org
Tickets: $35-$95