TheatreWorks to Stream HERSHEY FELDER AS IRVING BERLIN Through May 17

Due to overwhelming demand TheatreWorks Silicon Valley in partnership with Hershey Felder Presents will offer streaming access for the recorded livestream of Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin. Originally performed live from Florence, Italy by virtuoso performer/playwright/director Hershey Felder on Sunday, May 10, this celebrated solo show pays tribute to America's greatest songwriter, Irving Berlin.

The live online performance received rapturous praise from streaming audiences across the world. The recorded performance of Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin will become available to view from 6pm PDT, Thursday, May 14 and will expire at 9pm PDT, Sunday, May 17. Audiences who purchase streaming access will be able to view the musical masterpiece at their convenience during a 72 hour window. Proceeds from this event will benefit TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, which has been shuttered to prevent the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus). For tickets ($35 per household) and information the public may visit TheatreWorks.org or call (650) 463-1960.

"We're thrilled to offer streaming for this incredible and moving show," says TheatreWorks Founding Artistic Director Robert Kelley. "Hershey Felder is cherished by TheatreWorks audiences and has shattered box office records with four tour-de-force performances on our stages. Whether experiencing it again, viewing for the first time, or offering this opportunity to their friends near and far, I know viewers will enjoy watching this musical celebration of the human spirit, a reminder of a great American hero who had a song in his heart even when things were tough."

Hershey Felder, internationally acclaimed for bringing to life such composers as Debussy, Tchaikovsky, Gershwin, Beethoven, Chopin, and Bernstein, shares the inspiring story of "America's Composer" Irving Berlin. Fleeing the anti-Semitism of Czarist Russia, capturing the rhythms of the Lower East Side, and eventually enchanting the entire world, Berlin epitomized the American dream. Featuring some of Berlin's most popular and enduring songs including "God Bless America," "There's No Business Like Show Business," "Blue Skies," and "White Christmas," Felder's signature creation of character and musical performance weaves a narrative around Berlin's 101 year lifespan, including his long and heartening relationship with his wife, battles against anti-Semitism and, of course, his storied music. The Los Angeles Times called the piece "Richly entertaining and ultimately touching," Broadway World wrote, "You do not want to miss a delicious moment of it," and the Huffington Post said Hershey Felder "dazzles as Irving Berlin."

Directed by Trevor Hay, Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin premiered in October 2014 at The Geffen Playhouse, where it broke all box office records. The show has since been performed at theatres across the country including Off-Broadway at 59E59 Theaters, The Pasadena Playhouse, the Royal George Theatre in Chicago, and La Jolla Playhouse. The tour-de-force performance made its Northern California Premiere at TheatreWorks in 2016, dazzling audiences and critics alike-the San Francisco Chronicle called the show "Buoyantly tuneful," and the San Jose Mercury News declared the show would "put a tear in your eye and a song in your heart." Regional theatres across the country will join TheatreWorks in offering streaming of the show to their audiences.

An actor, pianist, writer, director, composer, conductor, and producer, Hershey Felder has created lauded shows about Claude Debussy, George Gershwin, Fryderyk Chopin, Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Liszt, Leonard Bernstein, Irving Berlin, and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Felder's solo shows have been seen across America at The Geffen Playhouse, Pasadena Playhouse, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Hartford Stage, San Diego Repertory Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, Old Globe Theatre, American Repertory Theater, and Cleveland Playhouse, and have received long runs at Chicago's Royal George Theatre and engagements at New York's Town Hall, 59E59, and the Streicker Center. Felder has become an enormous Bay Area favorite and has set all-time TheatreWorks box office records with his hit productions at the company, including the 2019 World Premiere of Hershey Felder: A Paris Love Story as well as Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin; Hershey Felder, Beethoven; and Our Great Tchaikovsky. The Pianist of Willesden Lane, directed by Felder and starring celebrated pianist Mona Golabek, was enthusiastically received by TheatreWorks audiences in early 2020. Hershey Felder as Monsieur Chopin is scheduled to perform at TheatreWorks in the 2020-21 Season.

Celebrating its 50th Anniversary Season, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley is the recipient of the 2019 Regional Theatre Tony Award. Led by Founding Artistic Director Robert Kelley, Artistic Director Designate Tim Bond, and Executive Director Phil Santora, the Palo Alto-based theatre company serves more than 100,000 patrons per year and has captured a national reputation for artistic innovation and integrity, often presenting Bay Area theatregoers with their first look at acclaimed musicals, comedies, and dramas, directed by award-winning local and guest directors, and performed by professional actors cast locally and from across the country. Founding Artistic Director Robert Kelley retires in June 2020, ending one of the longest current tenures in American Theatre, and will be succeeded by Artistic Director Designate Tim Bond. The company recently delayed the start of its 2020-21 season until October 2020, in accordance with global efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus).