FLORENCE, ITALY: The production company Hershey Felder Presents has announced Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin, a livestream musical event set 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.
“Over the past 25 years, the stages of many theatres across the United States have been my home for 11 out of 12 months each year,” said Felder in a statement. “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.”
The one-man-show will stream live from Florence on Sunday, May 10, airing in the United States at 5 p.m. PST, 7 p.m. CDT, and 8 p.m. EDT. With the help of director Trevor Hay and a Florence-based film crew—all of whom have been safely quarantining—Felder will recreate the set of Irving Berlin’s Beekman Place home to bring to life the remarkable journey and music behind the Tin Pan Alley hit maker. Viewers can expect to hear 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.”
Theatres and organizations participating in the event include:
- Berkeley Repertory Theatre, 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
Tickets are $50 per household and can be purchased on the websites of each of the participating theatres.
