Boston Audience's Love Affair With Hershey Felder Continues - "ArtsEmerson Presents "Abe Lincoln's Piano" at the Cutler Majestic Theater

Hershey Felder as Dr. Charles Leale
Phpto by:
Eighty Eight LLC

Over the year's accomplished musician, actor and story teller, Hershey Felder, has presented to Boston audiences evenings at the theater that have introduced us to Gershwin, Chopin, Beethoven and Bernstein.  In this present production, he gives us a fresh and indirect look at Lincoln.

The conceit is that we have been invited into the attic of the Chicago Museum that houses many artifacts related to the life and death of Abraham Lincoln: his piano, the blood-stained cloth upon which his wounded head lay, a civil war officer's uniform.  Our host, the museum's curator, begins to tell stories, tying the piano and the other artifacts to incidents in Lincoln's life. After some preliminary silliness that recounts an evening at the White House that involved some spiritualist mumbo jumbo and the piano levitating, we get to the real emotional heart of the evening's presentation.

Mr. Felder walks downstage left and slowly and deliberately dons the tunic and sash of a Union Army officer, 23 year-old Dr. Charles Leale.  Through a complex series of circumstances, Dr. Leale found himself at Ford's Theater on the evening of April 14, 1865.  After shots rang out, the cry soon followed: "Is there a doctor in the house?"  Thus was young doctor Leale thrust into the center of one of history's most tragic and poignant moments.  Using recollections that Dr. Leale shared many years later along with music from the Civil War era, Felder spins a series of vignettes that invite the audience to experience Lincoln's last hours from a different perspective that we usually view that signal moment in our nation's history.

I found particularly moving the recollection of Dr. Leale trying to comfort the hysterical Mrs. Lincoln by singing the line from a popular Stephen Foster tune: "Weep no more my lady."  The telling of the story was gently enhanced by sumptuous draperies that line the stage, and by the projections that were superimposed upon those draperies, the piano and Mr. Felder.

Because the focus of this presentation was an indirect telling of the story of Lincoln's death, the audience has to work harder to enter the spirit of the piece than was the case in the more straight forward presentations of famous composers whom Mr. Felder has depicted.  But I found that it was worth doing that work to be transported to a place from which I could consider in a new way that moment when our fractured nation was plunged into mourning and Lincoln was consigned "to the ages."

If you are already a fan of Hershey Felder's musicianship and story telling acumen, you will not want to miss "Abe Lincoln's Piano."  If you are unfamiliar with Mr. Felder's unique talents, this production will serve as a fitting introduction.

Enjoy!

Al

ArtsEmerson Website



HERSHEY FELDER IN ABE LINCOLN’S PIANO
Music by Stephen Foster, Hershey Felder and others
Book by Hershey Felder
Produced by Eighty‐Eight Entertainment


SCENIC DESIGN LIGHTING DESIGN SOUND DESIGN
HERSHEY FELDER & CHRISTOPHER RYNNE ERIK CARSTENSEN
TREVOR HAY

PROJECTION DESIGN SCENIC DECORATION
ANDREW WILDER, GREG SOWIZDRZAL, MEGHAN MAIYA, JORDAN HAY
& LAWRENCE SIEFERT & EMMA HAY

COSTUME DESIGN DRAMATURG PRODUCTION MANAGER
ABIGAIL CAYWOOD CYNTHIA CAYWOOD, PHD ERIK CARSTENSEN

DIRECTED BY
TREVOR HAY

Steinway piano provided by M. Steinert & Sons




Remaining Performances:

Sunday, May 25, 2PM
Wednesday, May 28, 7:30PM
Thursday, May 29, 7:30PM
Friday, May 30, 8PM
Saturday, May 31, 4PM
Saturday, May 31, 8PM