Pianist Hershey Felder has portrayed the likes of Beethoven, Gershwin, Chopin and Bernstein on stage and in film for nearly 30 years, serving as both actor and pianist in his own productions that turn a spotlight on the life and music of these masters. This month he's bringing his Rachmaninoff and the Tsar to People's Light theatre in Malvern, PA, which tells of a brief encounter between the pianist and the last Russian Tsar, Nicholas II, portrayed by actor Jonathan Silvestri.
A Tempo host Rachel Katz chats with Felder about the production and the process of portraying these characters. The show runs Aug. 28-Sept. 20.
The program also includes a conversation with New Jersey Lyric Opera Founder and Artistic Director John Calkins about the company's 2026 Summer Opera Fest at Mercer County Community College's Kelsey Theatre, Aug. 28-30.
