Review: Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin (Royal George Theatre, 2016)

Felder's latest biography succeeds on many levels

During World War II, Frank Capra directed a series of propaganda films promoting the U.S.A.'s involvement in the war, all under the umbrella title of the "Why We Fight" series. Hershey Felder's canon of one-man shows celebrating the work of composers might be called the "Why We Write" series, and so far it's explored Gershwin, Chopin, Beethoven, Bernstein, Liszt and this latest. They're all fascinating pieces, filled with great music performed by this exceptional performer who is a concert pianist as well as actor, singer, writer and set designer. Surprisingly - at least to me as a fan of those earlier shows (though I've not seen the Liszt piece, which has yet to be performed in Chicago) - this Irving Berlin piece is the most satisfying yet. Of course, it's filled with standards - Berlin published over 1000 songs over his 64-year career - but there's a subtext to the script that gives it an unusual resonance beyond just a "behind the music" story, though it's quite entertaining on that level.

The magic here is that Berlin had an improbably symbolic life, one you would guess might have come from a writer's imagination rather than real life. Born in 1888 in a small village in Russia, Berlin's family emigrated to the U.S. in 1893 after a pogrom destroyed their village. The family settled in New York City and Berlin's "adult" life began right around the turn of the 20th Century when he began to sell newspapers to help support his family. It spanned most of the Century - as the composer lived through most of its first nine decades - dying in 1989 at the age of 101. Berlin was the quintessential American success story - an immigrant who assimilated into the culture and made good - becoming one of the most successful songwriters of the Century. And speaking of assimilation, what could have been more symbolic than this Russian-Jewish immigrant marrying the rich WASP debutante Ellin Mackay over her father's opposition and staying married to her for the rest of their long lives?

Through his songs, Berlin was a chronicler of American life and as synonymous with America as anyone. Through his music he supported the U.S. in two World Wars, writing the revues Yip, Yip, Yaphank during World War I and This is the Army during World War II. He commented on American race relations in the song "Suppertime," from the revue As Thousands Cheer, and ecumenically reinforced religious beliefs of the American Christian majority through his songs "White Christmas" and "Easter Parade," finding a commonality in those holidays that people of all faiths could share. He wrote what is still the best-known anthem for show business ("There's No Business Like.... ) as well as the song many think should be the United States's national anthem, "God Bless America." In the post-WWII years, he bucked the trend of light entertainment with his Broadway musical Miss Liberty - reminding the public of the "tired and poor" immigrants who found a home in America. Still photos and video designed by Andrew Wilder and Lawrence Siefertare seamlessly integrated into the storytelling to provide additional historical context.

Berlin, of course, was not a symbol but a real person and arguably the most likable of all Felder's biographical subjects. Felder shows him to be warm and outgoing, with relentless energy. A man extraordinarily fortunate in his professional and personal lives, yet he had heartbreak in both. He lost his father at an early age, his first wife just weeks after their marriage and a son in infancy. In the irony of ironies, the curse of living 101 years is that he outlived his beloved second wife Ellin even though she was fifteen years his junior and lived to the age of 85. On a professional level, Berlin's popularity declined in the 1950's and 1960's due to changing musical tastes (the rise of rock 'n roll) and shifting political sympathies. Berlin's patriotism - borne of his own experience as an immigrant and supporter of the military in the two World Wars - was seen as passé by a public that became increasingly sensitive to the enduring discrimination against African-Americans and opposed to a war in Vietnam that they considered unjust. Berlin's perspective on the American dream as he and so many other immigrants experienced it in the 20th Century was now irrelevant to many. Felder's script brings this dichotomy into sharp perspective and his nicely modulated performance keeps Berlin accessible and real.

Berlin is the first of Felder's composer subjects who did not write for the concert hall, but who can be termed as primarily a popular songwriter. Previous subjects Gershwin and Bernstein spanned both the pop and classical worlds, and like Felder's earlier subjects Chopin, Beethoven and Liszt, wrote much of their work for the piano. If Berlin's music isn't as meaty as some might like, it's lots of fun and more accessible. Given that Berlin was a self-taught pianist who played only in one key (F-sharp, because he found the black keys easier to hit), his songbook doesn't provide the same sort of showcase for Felder's considerable pianistic skills, but Felder gives the Berlin standards fresh and lovely piano arrangements and he frequently invites the audience to sing along. At the performance I attended, they were only too happy to do so and in fact would probably have joined in without the invitation.

This show, directed by Trevor Hayand performed on a gorgeous set designed by Hay and Felder that represents Berlin's last home, is a marvelous history lesson as well as an entertaining and moving show. Like all good history lessons, it has resonance for the present. America's welcoming of European immigrants in the first part of the 20th Century - and acknowledgement of such acceptance as a core national value - appears threatened today in our political discourse. The resonance of Berlin's story and the reasons for his patriotism have become stronger even in just the short time since Felder first brought this piece to Chicago last fall. It's a good time to take another look at that songwriter's view on what really made America great.

Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin continues through May 8th May 22nd at Royal George Theatre, 1641 N. Halsted (map), with performances Wednesdays & Thursdays at 7:30pm, Fridays 8pm, Saturdays 3pm & 8pm, Sundays 2pm. Tickets are $60, and are available by phone (312-988-9000) or online through Ticketmaster.com (check for half-price tickets at Goldstar.com ). More info at TheRoyalGeorgeTheatre.com. (Running time: 1 hour 45 minutes, includes an intermission)

Photos courtesy of Eighty-Eight Entertainment

behind the scene

(director, co-scenic design), Hershey Felder (book, co-scenic design), Richard Norwood (lighting design), Andrew Wilder , Lawrence Siefert (projection design), Erik Carstensen (sound design, producer), Meghan Maiya (dramaturg, research, co-scenic decoration), Jordan Hay, Emma Hay (co-scenic decoration), Megan Snowder (master electrician), Michael Daly (sound engineer), Rebecca Peters, Brett Taylor (production stage managers), Eva Price, Samantha F. voxakis, Karen Racanelli (producers), Eighty-Eight Entertainment (photos)

Tags: 16-0416, Andrew Wilder, Brett Taylor, Chicago Theater, Eighty-Eight Entertainment, Emma Hay, Erik Carstensen, Eva Price, Hershey Felder, Irving Berlin, John Olson, Jordan Hay, Karen Racanelli, Lawrence Siefert, Megan Snowder, Meghan Maiya, Michael Daly, musical review, post, Rebecca Peters, Richard Norwood, Royal George Theatre, Samantha F. Voxakis, Trevor Hay

Category: 2016 Reviews, Extensions-Remounts, Irving Berlin, John Olson, Musical Revue, National Tours, One-Man Show, Royal George Theatre