You may be familiar with the songs “Blue Skies,” “There’s No Business Like Show Business” and "White Christmas." These are three classic songs composed by Irving Berlin, the man many consider to be one of the greatest songwriters of all time.
Herberger Theater audiences are able to take a behind the scenes look at how this musical legend came to be with the production "Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin."
This one man show takes a very talented actor to pull it all off and engage the audience in the way Felder did. The show begins with Berlin's roots in Tyumen, Serbia. He later migrated to New York with his parents and siblings. It was there where Berlin got his first musical gig as a singing waiter.
From the moment the lights went up and he began his first monologue, Felder proved he was not only capable of pulling off a one man show, but accurately portraying the legendary songwriter.
From playing the piano on soft ballads such as “What’ll I Do?" to belting out old classics like “Cheek to Cheek” to his spot on celebrity impressions of artists from Elvis Presley to Ethel Merman, Felder does it all, and it is quite impressive to see.
With the play following Berlin’s 101-year life span, the show takes audiences through American history as it walks you through his life. From World War through the '80s, audiences have a better understanding of how Berlin’s career was affected during each time period. For instance, during World War I, Berlin helped pen the famous song “I Hate To Get Up In The Morning” as a protest to trench warfare during that era.
Perhaps the most memorable scene in the play was when Felder took to the piano and sang Berlin’s most famous song, “God Bless America.” Halfway into the song, he stopped singing, but the whole audience continued to belt it out in unison until the song’s finish. The fact that many are still familiar with the song shows the exact legacy that Berlin has had on music.
There are even a few heart wrenching moments in the play, particularly when Berlin talks about his personal life. What is amazing to see in the show is how music is used as his healing power and always pushes him through hard times.
One of the best quotes of the entire play is when Berlin addresses the audience and says, “Music may leave you heartbroken, but it’ll never leave you lonely," giving off this idea that you will never be lonely in life if you have music.
Aside from vivid storytelling, the show was also a visual experience. It featured various real life photos and videos of Berlin and people that he worked with, most notably showcasing clips from two movies he composed the score for.
Actor, Pianist Hershey Felder Plays Legendary Composer In Phoenix Play http://t.co/R9Gyku9viw pic.twitter.com/x4tAr957bE
— Phoenix AZ (@PhoenixAZRR) October 8, 2015
By the time the show wraps up, the connection with the character is so deep that you want Berlin to keep telling his story. It is remarkable to see how far a poor immigrant from Serbia can go in life, thus inspiring everyone to dream big because you never know how far life will take you. This show is definitely a must see for all who enjoy music and American history.
“Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin” is playing at Herberger Theater in Phoenix as a part of the Arizona Theatre Company until Oct. 25. For more information, click here.
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Reach the reporter at obie.dieke@asu.edu, or on Twitter @20crowndancer14
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