gil cates theater at the geffen playhouse
WELCOME TO THE GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE
Photo by Jeff Lorch Photography
HERSHEY FELDER AS IRVING BERLIN
FROM THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR WELCOME TO OUR SUMMER ENCORE OF HERSHEY Felder as Irving Berlin. Hershey is a longtime member of the Geffen family, and last fall we were thrilled to premiere his work about the life and music of this tremendous American icon. For years, Geffen founder Gil Cates suggested to Hershey that he take on Berlin as a subject. In the midst of exploring heroes in the world of classical music, Hershey wasn’t inclined toward the subject. But in the last couple of years, Hershey has discovered and developed a story — a true “American Dream” story that, needless to say, has a soundtrack we all know and love. As Hershey’s passion for the subject grew, he began a relationship with Berlin’s daughters and has been able to gain tremendous insight into the man he is portraying. As always, he has combined biography, musicality and personality to create a rich and multi-faceted character. Through his storytelling, we are introduced to this complicated man behind America’s most beloved and enduring music. As director, Trevor Hay, a longtime collaborator of Hershey’s, has helped to create the elegance and fluidity that is so crucial with this type of storytelling. With a team of superb designers, Trevor is able to transport us with ease through 101 years of Berlin’s extraordinary life. We have produced many of Hershey’s plays, each unique and lovely in their own right. Having begun with Gershwin, we feel that Berlin is an appropriate next step in the Great American Songbook. We are pleased to be part of the journey and to bring Berlin back to Los Angeles for an encore engagement — a perfect way to close out the 2014/2015 season! Enjoy the show! Randall Arney Artistic Director
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LETTER FROM THE CO-CHAIRS
BOARD OF DIRECTORS MARTHA HENDERSON CO-CHAIR
PAMELA ROBINSON HOLLANDER CO-CHAIR
PATRICIA KIERNAN APPLEGATE RANDALL ARNEY BETH BEHRS DR. GENE D. BLOCK HAROLD A. BROWN GIL CATES, JR. VICE CHAIRMAN
MICHAEL CENTENO MARY ANN CLOYD DR. BRAD EDGERTON MARK FLEISCHER HERBERT M. GELFAND
Photo by Bobby Quillard
CHAIRMAN EMERITUS
MARTHA HENDERSON
PAMELA ROBINSON HOLLANDER
WELCOME TO THE RETURN OF HERSHEY FELDER as Irving Berlin in the Gil Cates Theater. Hailed by the Los Angeles Times as, “A remarkable portrait … richly entertaining and ultimately touching,” we know this special, limited run will delight Los Angeles audiences yet again, as it did back in the fall. Thank you to Hershey Felder and director Trevor Hay for sharing Irving Berlin’s unforgettable story with us all. As the 2015/2016 season quickly approaches, we would like to highlight the extraordinary generosity of our Geffen Playhouse Board of Directors, Trustees, Advisory Board, major donors and season sponsors, without whom we could not exist. Our deepest gratitude to the loyal subscribers and single ticket buyers who return season after season to support our art onstage, who are bold enough to join us on this artistic journey every year. Thank you for your trust and loyalty, as we could not create new work or take chances bringing world premieres or American premieres to our stages without such dedicated patrons in the audience. Our sincere thanks to all of you for joining us today and for being such an integral part of the Geffen Playhouse. We cannot wait for you to see what our landmark 20th anniversary season brings in 2015/2016. We hope you enjoy today’s performance of Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin. Enjoy the show,
PATRICIA L. GLASER SAM GORES ADI GREENBERG ARTHUR GREENBERG JOAN KALOUSTIAN GLORYA KAUFMAN LORETTA EVERETT KAUFMAN DR. GERALD S. LEVEY CARLA MALDEN SUSAN MALLORY GINNY MANCINI BARRY MEYER SCOTT MINERD STEVEN A. OLSEN HOLLY RICE LOREN ROTHSCHILD LINDA BERNSTEIN RUBIN TERI SCHWARTZ RICHARD SHERMAN FRED SPECKTOR LORRAINE SPURGE CYNTHIA P. STAFFORD HOWARD TENENBAUM
FOUNDING TRUSTEES KIRSTEN COMBS ROBERT A. DALY DAVID GEFFEN QUINCY JONES JEFFREY KATZENBERG FRANK G. MANCUSO CHAIRMAN EMERITUS
RON MEYER LESLIE MOONVES JERRY MOSS JERRY PERENCHIO BRUCE M. RAMER FOUNDING CHAIRMAN
VICTORIA MANN SIMMS ANDY SPAHN STEVEN SPIELBERG STEVE TISCH DR. CHARLES E. YOUNG CHAIRMAN EMERITUS
Martha Henderson Co-Chair, Geffen Playhouse
Pamela Robinson Hollander Co-Chair, Geffen Playhouse
IN MEMORIAM GILBERT CATES FOUNDER
MARCIA ISRAEL-CURLEY AUDREY SKIRBALL KENIS CHARLES KENIS KARL MALDEN EDIE WASSERMAN LEW WASSERMAN PETER ROSEN
LEGAL COUNSEL, LATHAM & WATKINS LLP
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HERSHEY FELDER: ARTISTS AND REPERTOIRE HE EXPLAINS THEM, HE EMBODIES THEM, HE PLAYS THEIR MUSIC WELL. THE GREAT COMPOSERS HAVE BEEN GOOD TO HIM, AND HE’S RETURNING THE FAVOR. BY HEDY WEISS
Hershey Felder in Maestro: The Art of Leonard Bernstein. Photo by Michael Lamont.
Reprinted with permission from American Theatre (November, 2014).
WHEN PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY welcomed an audience of Nobel laureates to the White House in 1962, he famously remarked that it was the most extraordinary collection of talent that had ever gathered there, “with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone.” That quip easily could be reworked to apply to Hershey Felder: actor, pianist, writer, director, composer, conductor, mentor, producer and conjurer of the spirits of George Gershwin, Frédéric Chopin, Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Liszt, Leonard Bernstein and Irving Berlin. Felder, 46, the Canadian-born artist whose solo shows have been seen across America — at the Geffen Playhouse, Pasadena Playhouse, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Hartford Stage, American Repertory Theater and Cleveland Playhouse, as well as in long runs at Chicago’s Royal George Theatre and in brief engagements at New York’s Town Hall, among many other venues — is in a category all his own. Felder has devised a type of performance that feeds on his unique gifts as a seductive portraitist, compelling storyteller and superb concert pianist. Musical biographies? That doesn’t come close to suggesting what it is Felder does. It would be one thing for an actor to arrive onstage, as Felder does in his show George Gershwin Alone, and present a
self-penned study that captures alluring if often anguished aspects of the composer who died far too young. It is quite another to also sing and play your way through the story — including an aria from Porgy and Bess — and then top it all off with a knockout rendition of “Rhapsody in Blue.” Similarly, it’s conceivable that you might be able to find an actor who could capture a sense of the polymorphous talent that was Bernstein, an impression of his ability to teach and perform in the most seamless way, a suggestion of the man’s desperate energy, intellect and neuroses. But it is the rare performer who also possesses the profound musical understanding that could bring this legend to life — or the ability to sit at the piano, as Felder does in Maestro Bernstein, and play and sing excerpts from West Side Story and Candide as if had composed them himself. And then there is the way Felder finesses an enthralling performance of the “Moonlight Sonata” in his show Beethoven As I Knew Him, a portrait that draws on the memoir of Gerhard von Breuning, a friend of the composer in his later years. Felder can captivate an audience with little or no background in classical music while at the same time satisfying aficionados. And, when he is dealing with masters of the great American songbook, he can easily leave a crowd unable to suppress the desire to sing along. PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE P3
ARTISTS AND REPERTOIRE FELDER HAS BECOME A SORT OF one-man cottage industry. At the same time he’s busy creating a new show — most recently, Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin, slated for its world premiere November 11 – December 21 at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles — he keeps his other productions in rotating repertory. Over the course of the past 15 years, he has given more than 4,500 performances and never canceled a single date. Work ethic? Call Felder for a chat at 9 a.m. and he might tell you he has just completed three hours of practicing the piano. “I’ve been working on an interesting project for myself,” says Felder. “I’m playing all the preludes in Bach’s ‘WellTempered Clavier,’ and all the Chopin preludes, and have been looking for the connections and dramatic through lines in them. I’ve also been consulting what has become my greatest teacher now, YouTube, which gives me access to so many archival recordings and rare videos of great artists. I study them, and they help keep me on the ball pianistically.” So which came first, the acting or the piano? They seem to have blossomed in tandem. Felder was born into an observant Jewish immigrant family in Montréal, Quebec, in 1968, the child of a Polish father and Hungarian mother, and was educated at the city’s Hebrew Academy Day School. He admits to being something of a ham from the start. “I was a quiet child, but I loved telling stories, and my parents would put me in the center of the room where I would repeat things I’d heard in funny ways,” he recalls. “Friday nights we observed the Sabbath, so there was no television or Atari, just singing and storytelling at the table. The fascination with music began when I was four and visited my grandmother at a senior home in Montréal. They had a piano there, and I would escape the adults and pound on it. The lady in the gift shop at the place finally said: ‘Kill that kid or give him piano lessons.’” His grandfather gave him an upright piano as a Passover gift and a friend of his mother’s began giving him lessons. He took to it, but confesses, “I wanted to be accomplished right away, and I struggled with the discipline you need to make that happen. I also had an ability to read music very quickly, which could have been my downfall, because while that enabled me to learn things easily, I would also muck things up just as easily, and blur the details.” Acting also came naturally. He began playing roles in a semiprofessional Yiddish theatre in Montréal from the age of nine, and loved the whole environment of the stage. Still, he says, “My childhood was far more of a rabbinic world than a cultural world. I went to the synagogue, and unlike my secular friends, I saw only a couple of musicals. P4 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
Mona Golabek in the Pianist of Willesden Lane. Photo by Michael Lamont.
But I think my sense of storytelling began in that world. And my understanding of how theatre is important — not in the showbiz sense of it being an exclusive universe — is a result of that upbringing. I also think it’s why I create my own work.” The piano began to take precedence as Felder studied with teachers from McGill University in Montréal, then headed to New York while still a teenager to work with pianist Jerome Lowenthal at the Juilliard School. “I wasn’t crazy enough to be an actor at that time, and I wasn’t ready to take those risks,” Felder admits. “Then, at 19, I was hired as a pianist for the workshop of a new musical based on The Master and Margarita being showcased at Hal Prince’s Musical Theatre Program in New York. That’s where I met actress Tovah Feldshuh, and found myself friends in a whole new circle of theatre people.” It was Stu Silver, a film and television writer, who noticed Felder’s energy and told him he should meet his pal, movie director Joel Zwick (who turned out to be a distant cousin
IN RECENT YEARS, FELDER HAS BEEN approached by others inspired by his particular mix of storytelling and live music. His greatest success as mentor has been as the adapter and director of The Pianist of Willesden Lane, in which the superb concert pianist Mona Golabek spins the story of her mother’s experiences as a young pianist sent to England from Vienna as part of the Kindertransport during World War II. “I approached Hershey after I saw him in his Beethoven show, and he just took me under his wing,” said Golabek, who debuted Willesden Lane at the Geffen Playhouse in 2012, and has had successful runs with it in Chicago (also at the Royal George, where Felder’s Gershwin Alone ran), at Berkeley Rep, at New York’s 59E59 Theater and, this past September, at San Diego Repertory.
“Hershey has an incredibly generous spirit, but he also is utterly, painstakingly demanding, and uncompromising in his vision,” said Golabek. “He is adamant in his attention to detail, and insists that every element of the production be at the highest artistic level. Having him as your director is no picnic — I will always remember him telling me, ‘Absolutely no water during the show, and if your mouth gets dry, just use spit.’ But he is the first to say that anything worthwhile is achieved at a tremendous cost. And the way he was able to help me blend the music and narrative of my mother’s story was magic.” If Felder can be hard on his collaborators, he’s no less demanding of himself. Says Randall Arney, artistic director of the Geffen since 1999 and a presenter of most Felder’s shows, as well as Golabek’s, “Hershey does something that no one else does — he has the ability to forge an astonishingly personal, deeply connected relationship with his audience. He can hold an audience at attention, teach them things, bring such nuance to many different characters, then sustain the incredible focus required for playing the most technically demanding music. He is prolific, indefatigable.” It was Arney’s predecessor at the Geffen, the late director/producer Gil Cates, who was not only a fan of Felder’s but made him promise that he would create a show about Irving Berlin. “It is an amazing story, and in many ways the most dramatic piece I’ve done,” Felder ventures. “It’s really the story of this country — about an immigrant kid who created America’s most iconic music, who went with the flow of every style for six decades, who faced anti-Semitism even as he wrote two of the most iconic songs about Christian holidays [“White Christmas” and “Easter Parade”], and then felt completely betrayed when rock-and-roll pushed him out of the picture.” Felder admits that the world of the one-man show can be lonely, but he has a team of offstage collaborators that has worked with him on many productions. And he has begun work on that most collaborative of all endeavors — the stage musical — teaming up with journalist Joshua Hammer to adapt his book Chosen by God: A Brother’s Journey. “I suppose you could call me an auteur,” Felder says, summing up. “But I create and produce my own shows because the only thing I care about is quality. It’s not about ego — it’s about responsibility. I have to keep my promise to the audience.” Hedy Weiss is theatre and dance critic for the Chicago SunTimes and WTTW-TV’s Chicago Tonight. Visit AmericanTheatre.org for more stories about theater in the U.S. and abroad. PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE P5
HERSHEY FELDER AS IRVING BERLIN
of Felder’s, and who, many years later, would direct him in George Gershwin Alone). At 21, Felder headed to Hollywood, thinking he would get work as a pianist, but instead was asked to do interviews for Steven Spielberg’s Shoah Foundation (in part because he spoke Yiddish). While at the Canadian consulate to get his passport updated, he met the new consul general of Canada, Kim Campbell (who briefly served as prime minister of Canada). The two married in 1997, and now have apartments in New York and Vancouver, and houses in Paris and San Diego. Zwick told Felder to contact him if he had, “anything interesting.” A friend, producer Greg Willenborg, suggested to Felder that he do a play about Gershwin. He spent five years researching what would become George Gershwin Alone, along the way realizing that securing the rights to the music would be difficult. But, as Felder explained, “I just pestered the estate — not to be defiant, but because I had a vision of what the show could be. I asked them to just let me try. I did a reading in Los Angeles, and realized I had something. Then I took it to Florida, and finally, in 2001, to the Helen Hayes Theatre on Broadway. It ran for 12 weeks and got some nice reviews, but it got lost amid the fervor surrounding The Producers, and it suffered from having practically no advertising budget.” That was hardly a setback; in fact, the show got better as it moved forward. “I think my gift is to know when and how to listen to criticism,” says Felder. “I knew how to fix the show. I also learned what it takes to be a producer. Gershwin ran for six months at the American Rep in Cambridge, went on to Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., and in 2004 arrived in Chicago, running for 11 months in a theatre that some had warned me was ‘cursed.’ My time in Chicago marked the launch of the mature part of my career.”
GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE PRESENTS
THE EIGHTY-EIGHT ENTERTAINMENT, EVA PRICE, SAMANTHA F. VOXAKIS AND KAREN RACANELLI PRODUCTION OF
HERSHEY FELDER as IRVING BERLIN Lyrics & Music by
Irving Berlin Book by
Hershey Felder Hershey Felder & Trevor Hay
Scenic Design
Richard Norwood
Lighting Design
Original Lighting Design
Projection Design
Sound Design/Production Manager
Production Stage Manager
Andrew Wilder
Christopher Rynne
Erik Carstensen
Dramaturg/Research
Meghan Maiya
Jill Gold
Scenic Decoration
Meghan Maiya, Jordan Hay & Emma Hay
Directed by
Trevor Hay With thanks to Joel Zwick, Production Consultant. Based on an idea by Gil Cates and Eva Price. Presented by permission of Rodgers & Hammerstein: an Imagem Company, on behalf of the Estate of Irving Berlin, www.irvingberlin.com. All Rights Reserved.
RUNNING TIME Approximately two hours. There will be no intermission.
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PRODUCTION BIOGRAPHIES
RICHARD NORWOOD (Lighting Designer) Designs for Hershey Felder Presents: Louis and Keely ‘Live’ at the Sahara, Monsieur Chopin, and Beethoven, As I Knew Him. Richard’s most recent designs include Le Bête and Cookie Play for Trap Door Theatre, and King Hedley II for Congo Square. Richard is the production manager for the theatre at the Museum of Contemporary Art. CHRISTOPHER RYNNE (Original Lighting Designer) This marks Chris’ fourth collaboration with Hershey Felder. Other productions with Mr. Felder include An American
Story for Actor and Symphony, The Pianist of Willesden Lane, and Maestro Bernstein. Other theatre and opera lighting credits include designs for the Geffen Playhouse, Pasadena Playhouse, South Coast Rep, The Old Globe, San Diego Opera, San Diego Rep, Cygnet Theatre, San Diego Musical Theatre, North Coast Repertory Theatre, Berkeley Rep, Houston Grand Opera, Madison Opera, and Michigan Opera Theatre. Chris also designs lighting for museum exhibitions, special events and lighting systems for new venues. ANDREW WILDER (Projection Design) Andrew’s experience in lighting design, web design, and photography have led him to the world of projection design, and he is thrilled to be a part of the Eighty-Eight Entertainment team, having designed projections for Beethoven, As I Knew Him, Maestro Bernstein, Abe Lincoln’s Piano, The Pianist of Willesden Lane, and Franz Liszt in Musik. Andrew also designs websites and consults on internet strategy at BlogTutor.com, writes about being a “healthy foodie” at EatingRules.com, and is the founder of HealthyAds.com. He leads the annual October Unprocessed challenge, which most recently helped more than 20,000 people became healthier by avoiding processed food for the entire month. The challenge has been featured in major publications across the U.S. including The New York Times and Los Angeles Times. He is also the founder of International Kale Day, which is celebrated every year on October 10th. ERIK CARSTENSEN (Sound Designer/Production Manager/Producer)
Sound Designer on Beethoven As I Knew Him (2009 Ovation Award Winner, Large Theater Sound Design), Maestro Bernstein, An American Story, The Pianist of Willesden Lane (2012 Ovation Award Nomination), Franz Liszt in Musik, Abe Lincoln’s Piano, and Jack Lemmon Returns. Master Sound Technician at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego 1997-2012. Production Engineer on over 60 productions, including Allegiance, Robin and the Seven Hoods, A Catered Affair, Hershey Felder’s George Gershwin Alone, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Chita Rivera — A Dancers Life, Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, The Full Monty, Dirty Blonde, and Floyd Collins. Erik is a member of IATSE Local 122. JILL GOLD (Production Stage Manager) Jill Gold is thrilled to spend more time singing along with Irving Berlin. She has stage managed over 150 Equity productions including numerous shows for the Geffen Playhouse, Pasadena Playhouse, Reprise Theatre Company, McCoy Rigby Entertainment, LATC and the Mark Taper Forum. Jill toured the US with Les Misérables, The Unsinkable Molly Brown, City of Angels, Wicked and Not The Messiah, as well as Germany and Austria with Sisterella. Thanks to Hershey and the team for having me back! MEGHAN MAIYA (Production Research) Meghan Maiya is a Project Manager and Senior Program Evaluation Specialist in the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health at the University of California, San Diego. She manages multiple research projects in the fields of Complementary
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HERSHEY FELDER AS IRVING BERLIN
HERSHEY FELDER (Irving Berlin/Playwright) Mr. Felder created and performed George Gershwin Alone, which played on Broadway at the Helen Hayes Theatre, in the West End at the Duchess Theatre, and in theatres around the country. His Composers Sonata — George Gershwin Alone; Monsieur Chopin; Beethoven, As I Knew Him; Maestro: The Art of Leonard Bernstein; Hershey Felder as Franz Liszt in Musik, Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin — has been presented at dozens of theatres across the U.S. and around the world. 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. As director, he premiered Mona Golabek in The Pianist of Willesden Lane at the Geffen Playhouse in 2012 and, earlier this year, produced and created scenic design for Taylor Hackford’s Louis and Keely ‘Live’ at the Sahara. Mr. Felder 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 and Hershey Felder As Franz Liszt In Musik. He is Associate Director for Mona Golabek’s The Pianist of Willesden Lane and for Jack Lemmon Returns. 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 Tharpe’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 work on Tracy Letts’ August: Osage County, directed by Sam Gold, and Hershey Felder’s George Gershwin Alone, Monsieur Chopin and Maestro: The Art of Leonard Bernstein.
PRODUCTION BIOGRAPHIES and Alternative Medicine and Behavioral Health. She also spent twelve years as a psychology professor (San Diego State University, San Diego Mesa College, Grossmont College, Cuyamaca College), courses in holistic well-being at Optimum Health Institute, and five years as a Career Transition Consultant working with military personnel transitioning into civilian life. Meghan has collaborated with Hershey Felder and Eighty-Eight Entertainment as dramaturge and historical/biographical researcher for Louis and Keely ‘Live’ at the Sahara and Franz Lizst in Musik. EVA PRICE (Producer) Eva was recently named one of Crain’s NY 40 Under Forty Rising Business Stars as well as one of Blouin Art Info’s Top 25 Under 35 Emerging Broadway Players. She is Executive Producer/EVP for Maximum Entertainment, a Producing and General Management company located in NYC. Recent Broadway and Off Broadway Productions include: On Your Feet! (The story of Gloria and Emilio Estefan), The Temptations & The Four Tops on Broadway, Found-a new musical, The Lion (Drama Desk Winner), John Grisham’s A Time To Kill, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, Lewis Black: Running on Empty, Annie, Peter and the Starcatcher (5 Tony Awards), Kathy Griffin Wants A Tony, Colin Quinn Long Story Short directed by Jerry Seinfeld (Drama Desk Nomination), The Merchant of Venice starring Al Pacino (Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Nominations), The Addams Family (Broadway, Tour, and Australia), Carrie Fisher’s Wishful Drinking and Dr. Seuss’
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How the Grinch Stole Christmas. International and Touring credits include: Ivy and Bean the Musical (National Tour) The Magic School Bus, Live! The Climate Challenge (National Tour), Ella — a bio musical about the life and music of Ella Fitzgerald (National Tour), S Wonderful: The New Gershwin Musical (National Tour), Tomie dePaola’s Strega Nona The Musical (National Tour), Irving Berlin’s I Love A Piano (National Tour and Japan), The Great American Trailer Park Musical (National Tour), Private Jokes, Public Places (London). KAREN RACANELLI (General Manager/Producer) Karen comes to Eighty Eight Entertainment from Berkeley Repertory Theatre, where she worked as General Manager since 1993, overseeing daily operations, and where she had the pleasure of producing several shows performed and/ or directed by Hershey Felder. She has represented the League of Resident Theatres during negotiations with both Actors’ Equity Association and the union of Stage Directors and Choreographers, served on LORT’s Executive Committee and served as a panelist at several LORT meetings. Prior to her tenure at Berkeley Rep, Karen worked as an independent producer at several Bay Area theatre companies and has served on the boards of Climate Theater, Overtone Theatre Company, Park Day School, and the Julia Morgan Center. Karen is married to arts attorney MJ Bogatin. SAMANTHA F. VOXAKIS (Company Manager/Producer) Samantha is a native of Maryland where she spent twelve memorable years in the
front office of the Baltimore Orioles. Since 2004, Sam has been responsible for the dayto-day operations of EightyEight LLC, working behind-thescenes with pride as well as an adding machine. With special thanks to her very supportive family and to Mr. Felder. EIGHTY-EIGHT, LLC (Producer) Eighty-Eight Entertainment was created in 2001 by Hershey Felder and is devoted to the creation of new works of musical theatre. Current projects include the musical plays The Pianist of Willesden Lane and Louis and Keely ‘Live’ at the Sahara. Recordings include Love Songs of the Yiddish Theatre, Back from Broadway, George Gershwin Alone, Monsieur Chopin, Beethoven As I Knew Him, and An American Story for Actor & Orchestra.
RANDALL ARNEY (Artistic Director) Randall Arney has been a theater professional for over 30 years and has served as Artistic Director of the Geffen Playhouse since 1999. In addition to his artistic programming and oversight at the Geffen, Arney has helmed more than 10 productions for the theater, most recently The Night Alive, Reasons to Be Pretty, Slowgirl, American Buffalo, Superior Donuts, The Female of the Species, The Seafarer, Speed-the-Plow and All My Sons. Arney is an ensemble member and former
Artistic Director of Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre where his directing credits include: Slowgirl, The Seafarer, The Beauty Queen of Leenane, Death and the Maiden, Curse of the Starving Class, Killers and The Geography of Luck, among others. Arney also directed Steppenwolf’s world premiere of Steve Martin’s Picasso at the Lapin Agile, as well as the subsequent national and international acclaimed productions. Mr. Arney’s acting credits with Steppenwolf include Born Yesterday, Ghost in the Machine, The Homecoming, Frank’s Wild Years, You Can’t Take it with You, Fool for Love, True West, Balm in Gilead and Coyote Ugly. As the Artistic Director for Steppenwolf from 1987 to 1995, he oversaw the creation of a new stateof-the-art theater which is Steppenwolf’s current home. Broadway transfers under his leadership include The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, The Song of Jacob Zulu (six Tony Award nominations) and The Grapes of Wrath (1990 Tony Award, Best Play). Mr. Arney has an MFA degree in Acting from Illinois State University and has taught master classes and workshops at UCLA, Steppenwolf, around the U.S. and in Tokyo.
GIL CATES, JR. (Executive Director) Gil Cates, Jr. has proudly served as Geffen Playhouse
PRODUCTION BIOGRAPHIES SPECIAL THANKS FROM HERSHEY FELDER REGINA MILLER (Chief Development Officer) Regina has been a development professional for over 18 years, working with non-profit institutions, foundations and corporations on strategy, analysis and fundraising. She has worked for Simon Wiesenthal Center, William J. Jefferson Clinton Foundation, Ben Affleck’s Eastern Congo Initiative, Hank Azaria’s Determined to Succeed, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Kind Campaign, Jewish Museum of Prague, among others. Prior to the Geffen, Regina served as the Director of Partnerships for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles and the Inland Empire where she led strategic planning and development while executing policies that advanced the organization’s visibility and growth. Regina also has a strong passion for teaching. After graduating from University of North Carolina School of the Arts and touring the world as a professional dancer, she worked as a teacher in preschools and kindergartens in New York, as well as lecturing at numerous schools in the U.S. and abroad. Regina is also a published author and photographer with Tallefellow Press and Prometheus Books and is currently working on a book with her 11 year old son Jaden.
Mary Ellin Barrett, Linda Louise Emmet, Elizabeth Irving Peters and the entire Berlin family for their support and encouragement. Eva Price, Ted Chapin, Mary G. Campbell, Susan Myerberg, Tim Splain, Sheila and Doug Graves, Jay Shields, Benjamin Salisbury, Irene Wlodarski, Mona Golabek and Jackie Maduff. Susan and Moses Libitzky, Richard and Robin Tennant Colburn, Irv and Dena Schechter, Mike and Jean Strunsky, Ken and Katrina Carlson. Susie Medak, Tony Taccone and Berkeley Rep; and Todd Salovey and Sam Woodhouse, Sheila and Jeff Lipinsky and San Diego Rep for hosting Berlin concert presentations. Grosses bises à notre famille à Seine-Port — Pierre, Isa, Amandine, et Reglisse. A heartfelt thank you to my team of devoted artisans without whom none of our work would be possible, especially Karen Racanelli, Trevor Hay, Erik Carstensen, Rebecca Peters, Andrew Wilder, Richard Norwood, Christopher Rynne, Meghan Maiya, Jordan and Emma Hay, Samantha and the entire Greek Family. Randall Arney, Gil Cates, Jr., Joseph Yoshitomi, Darren Rezowalli, James Grabowski, Jill Barnes, Matthew Carleton, Mary Garrett, Marguerite Harris and everyone at the Geffen Playhouse. A special thank you to Candice and Joel Zwick, and Joel Zwick “Alone” My father Jack, my sister and brother-in-law Tammy and Kevin, and their dear children Avery and Kiley. And of course, Leo and Kim.
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HERSHEY FELDER AS IRVING BERLIN
Board Vice Chairman since 2012 and has years of producing and directing experience in theater, film, and television. Gil’s theater credits include the award winning Names (Matrix Theatre) starring Dixie Carter and Greg Mullavey, The Night I Knocked Out Joe Frazer and Lost 90 Pounds (Gardner Stage Theater), as well as Three Sisters and David Mamet’s A Life In The Theatre (both at Syracuse Stage). Gil’s film credits include The Surface (starring Sean Astin and Geffen Playhouse alumnus Chris Mulkey), Jobs (starring Ashton Kutcher, Josh Gad, Dermot Mulroney, as well as Geffen Playhouse alumni Matthew Modine and Ron Eldard) and the 2011 feature film Lucky (starring Colin Hanks, Ari Graynor, AnnMargret and recent Golden Globe winner Jeffrey Tambor). In addition, Gil produced and directed the critically acclaimed Life After Tomorrow, featuring Sarah Jessica Parker, which won best documentary at the Phoenix Film Festival and later had its premiere Christmas Eve on Showtime. His other films include Deal (starring Burt Reynolds, Bret Harrison and Charles Durningw ), The Mesmerist (starring Geffen Playhouse alumnus Neil Patrick Harris), and the critically acclaimed independent film Order of Chaos. Gil also made his TV directorial debut with an episode of the NBC comedy, Joey, starring Emmy winner Matt LeBlanc. He studied at the National Theatre Institute in Waterford, Connecticut, and holds a BFA in Drama from Syracuse University in 1991.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
GEFFEN AT A GLANCE ADDRESS
PRODUCTION STAFF FOR HERSHEY FELDER AS IRVING BERLIN Light Board Operator Ramine Ameli Stage Crew Alex Norkus ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
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Hershey Felder, Steinway concert artist, thanks Steinway & Sons for their continued support. UCLA SCHOOL OF THEATER, FILM AND TELEVISION The Geffen Playhouse is affiliated with the University of California at Los Angeles, specifically the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. The Geffen Playhouse values its role as an important educational resource by providing students with master classes, workshops and internships. Students are also able to work and learn from distinguished visiting Geffen artists such as Alan Ayckbourn, Jon Robin Baitz, Annette Bening, Ed Harris, David Ives, Neil LaBute, David Mamet, Donald Margulies, Terrence McNally, John Rando and Kathleen Turner in areas of directing, playwriting, acting, design, dramaturgy, management and production. The Geffen Playhouse also draws upon the distinguished experts in the university to enhance the theater’s programs and research.
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OUTREACH
GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE EDUCATION & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS When Hershey Felder was here in the fall of 2014, 500 high school students, 100 veterans and 561 disadvantaged community members experienced his extraordinary musical biography of Irving Berlin, thanks to our generous donors. The Geffen Playhouse believes that the arts are essential to the lifelong development of individuals and to the creation and sustenance of thriving communities. We believe all people are entitled to experience the arts, to engage their imaginative powers, to communicate and to celebrate their unique and shared voices. 15,000+ disadvantaged children, youth, adults and seniors are served annually through education programs designed to help them learn in and through theater in ways that significantly enhance the quality of their lives and the impact of their educations. P12 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
OUTREACH HERE IS WHAT THESE INDIVIDUALS HAD TO SAY ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE HERSHEY FELDER AS IRVING BERLIN: “It was literally a healing experience. Belonging to the audience that was so attuned to Hershey Felder, singing and breathing together was unforgettable.” “Terrific nonstop performance! Well-done mix of storytelling and actual music/piano/singing! Impressive set design. Wanted so much to sing louder, but was emotionally choked up — very effective music. Loved the whole experience.” “I did not realize how Irving Berlin had such an impact on our American culture. The play was very emotional for me. It made me realize how patriotic our country is and how anyone with work and determination can be a success in this country.” “I’ll be 93 in five weeks. I grew up with Irving Berlin music. All those Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers musicals. When I was 10/11 years old I didn’t have the money for admission, so us kids would sneak into the theatre through the side door. I have been a great admirer of Berlin’s music since I can remember.”
Photos by Jeff Lorch Photography
“Many of the songs were favorites of my husband who passed away a year ago — they brought back good memories.” “Being with other attendees and talking about being at the Geffen, it came over me how truly fortunate we are and how generous you are to give us tickets to such a stimulating experience. A most sincere thank you!”
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Donors enjoying the Winter Cocktail Party held at Tanzy
Donors having fun at the Winter Cocktail Party held at Tanzy
Donors meeting Brian Stokes Mitchell at the Spotlight event
Donors at the Opening Night of The Night Alive
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Photo by Jeff Lorch Photography
Donors at the Opening Night of Choir Boy
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GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE STAFF Randall Arney Artistic Director ARTISTIC
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The Geffen Playhouse is supported, in part, by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission. This project was also funded in part by the Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles. The Geffen Playhouse, a non-profit theater company, is proudly affiliated with the University of California at Los Angeles.
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