For the past seven months, pianist, performer and producer Hershey Felder has been finding ways to support theatres and theatre artists, while entertaining audiences during these complicated times.
Behind the scenes for Hershey Felder’s Beethoven | photo by Marco Badiani for The Florentine, July 7, 2020
His Live From Florence brand was born with the live broadcast of the Irving Berlin production in May, gaining momentum with Beethoven in July and Gershwin in September. Given the various unknowns, Hershey Felder was asked to create a season of beloved shows and world premieres in order to continue raising funds for artists and theatres in need.
The 2020-21 season will continue with A Paris Love Story with Felder in a personal journey through Paris and the music of Debussy on November 22; Tchaikovsky, with a focus on the composer’s time in Florence, in honour of Christmas on December 20; and Before Fiddler featuring the dazzling Klezmerata Fiorentina on February 7. World premieres of Puccini and Rachmaninoff will take place in the spring.
2020- 21 SEASON
A PARIS LOVE STORY – LIVE FROM FLORENCE
Sunday, November 22, 2020 at 5pm Pacific / 7pm Central / 8pm Eastern.
(Includes extended viewing access of the recording through Sunday, November 29)
A personal journey through beloved Paris and how it shaped a whole new world of color in sound in the music of Claude Debussy, This new world of “impressionistic” sound gave us the beginnings of what we have come to know as “Movie Music.”
Purchase a ticket for Debussy and The Florentine will receive a percentage of the proceeds.
TCHAIKOVSKY – LIVE FROM FLORENCE
Sunday, December 20, 2020 at 5pm Pacific / 7pm Central / 8pm Eastern.
(Includes extended viewing access of the recording through Sunday, December 27)
Based on the original OUR GREAT TCHAIKOVSKY, and featuring an extended focus on The Nutcracker (in honor of Christmas) and Tchaikovsky’s life in Florence (Live from Florence) filmed live on location where Tchaikovsky actually lived and worked in Florence. An interesting, surprising and engaging holiday treat.
BEFORE FIDDLER – LIVE FROM FLORENCE
Sunday, February 7, 2021 at 5pm Pacific / 7pm Central / 8pm Eastern.
(Includes extended viewing access of the recording through Sunday, February 14)
Before the beloved musical Fiddler on the Roof there was Sholem Aleichem and his beloved character of ‘Tevye the Milkman.’ Before the beloved songs, “Tradition,” “If I Were a Rich Man,” “Matchmaker” and more, there was music of the old world, music that imitated talking, laughing, weeping and singing, where musicians didn’t just make music, they spoke to you in song. In Florence, a group of such musicians have been by day, virtuosos in Florence’s world famous Maggio Musicale symphony orchestra, by night, they are the Klezmerata Fiorentina, with their ancient European roots, and Hershey as their storyteller, playing an array of characters from the “old world,” from a Tevyeh, to a Yenteh, a Rabbi, a newlywed daughter, and many more…
PUCCINI (WORLD PREMIERE) – LIVE FROM FLORENCE
Sunday, March 14, 2021 at 5pm Pacific / 7pm Central / 8pm Eastern.
(Includes extended viewing access of the recording through Sunday, March 21)
In the traditional of the “one man composer shows” adding operatic voices when called for, filmed live on location in the places where these events and these compositions and premieres actually took place and include operas like La Bohème, Tosca, Turandot, etc. and the deliciously scandalous life of Puccini, and his “women,” his female leads, and how the real women in his life affected the women he created on stage.
ANNA & SERGEI – the story of RACHMANINOFF (WORLD PREMIERE) – LIVE FROM FLORENCE
Sunday, May 16, 2021 at 5pm Pacific / 7pm Central / 8pm Eastern.
(Includes extended viewing access of the recording through Sunday, May 23)
Taking place as a memory play in the house in which the Russian Rachmaninoff died in Beverly Hills, this is the story of a very strange meeting between Rachmaninoff and Anna Anderson, the woman who claimed to be the sole surviving member of the Romanov Dynasty, the Princess Anastasia. Featuring Rachmaninoff’s most beloved melodies and music.
