ongoing - Sun. Dec. 16

    Hershey Felder may be best known for being other people. From Ludwig von Beethoven to Leonard Bernstein to Frederic Chopin to George Gershwin, Felder has made his name taking on the names of other people in his acclaimed one-man shows. As the writer and performer of such performances as “George Gershwin Alone” and “Maestro: Leonard Bernstein- A play with music,” the Canadian virtuoso has wowed audiences around the world by taking on the lives and mannerisms of his famous forebears, altering his looks, his voice and his extraordinary piano skills to resemble and pay tribute to each one. Though he continues to perform in front of thousands of adoring fans (many of whom come back show after show to see what Felder does next), Felder has recently taken a new turn in his career by becoming the producing director of a new show that deals with a famed pianist but that does not feature himself.

     “The Pianist of Willesden Lane” is a play with music that tells the story of (and also stars) fellow concert pianist Mona Golabek (in photo). After a successful and repeatedly-extended debut at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles, “Pianist” is coming to Boston as part of the ArtsEmerson season at the 150-seat Paramount Black Box Theatre from Fri. November 23-Sun. December 16. Set in Vienna in 1938 and London during the Blitzkrieg, “Pianist” tells the true story of Golabek’s mother Lisa Jura, a talented pianist whose life was changed when she was swept up in the life-saving youth migration system known as Kindertransport. From her love of music to her harrowing escape from the Nazis, Jura’s story is captured in a captivating and caring way by her daughter. In the process of telling the story,

    Golabek also has the opportunity to perform some of the music that helped sustain her mother’s life and now enriches her own. Part biography; part concert, “Pianist” is a touching tribute to family, fortitude, and the power of music. In addition to allowing her a career she loves, music also offered Golabek a way to connect with her mother and to hear her stories. “My mother would be giving us piano lessons,” she recalls, “and suddenly she would be reminded of some childhood event and would talk about it.”

Fri. Nov. 23- Sun. Dec. 16

    Hershey Felder may be best known for being other people. From Ludwig von Beethoven to Leonard Bernstein to Frederic Chopin to George Gershwin, Felder has made his name taking on the names of other people in his acclaimed one-man shows. As the writer and performer of such performances as “George Gershwin Alone” and “Maestro: Leonard Bernstein- A play with music,” the Canadian  virtuoso has wowed audiences around the world by taking on the lives and mannerisms of his famous forebears, altering his looks, his voice and his extraordinary piano skills to resemble and pay tribute to each one. Though he continues to perform in front of thousands of adoring fans (many of whom come back show after show to see what Felder does next), Felder has recently taken a new turn in his career by becoming the producing director of a new show that deals with a famed pianist but that does not feature himself.

    “The Pianist of Willesden Lane” is a play with music that tells the story of (and also stars) fellow concert pianist Mona Golabek (in photo).  After a successful and repeatedly-extended debut at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles, “Pianist” is coming to Boston as part of the ArtsEmerson season at the 150-seat Paramount Black Box Theatre from Fri. November 23-Sun. December 16. Set in Vienna in 1938 and London during the Blitzkrieg, “Pianist” tells the true story of Golabek’s mother Lisa Jura, a talented pianist whose life was changed when she was swept up in the life-saving youth migration system known as Kindertransport. From her love of music to her harrowing escape from the Nazis, Jura’s story is captured in a captivating and caring way by her daughter. In the process of telling the story,

     Golabek also has the opportunity to perform some of the music that helped sustain her mother’s life and now enriches her own. Part biography; part concert, “Pianist” is a touching tribute to family, fortitude, and the power of music. In addition to allowing her a career she loves, music also offered Golabek a way to connect with her mother and to hear her stories. “My mother would be giving us piano lessons,” she recalls, “and suddenly she would be reminded of some childhood event and would talk about it.”

     When asked why she wanted to tell these stories to others, Golabek explains that her childhood piano lessons with her mother were among the most “extraordinary experiences” of her life. ‘They weren’t really piano lessons,” she suggests. “They were lessons about life.” Apparently, they also included lessons that Golabek felt she could and needed to pass on to others.

    “There are about 2,000 survivors left of the 10,000 original Kindertransport children,” Golabek explains. “What all of this is about is who is going to tell the stories when they’re gone?”

    This is not the first time Golabek has played her mother’s music or helped keep her story alive. A few years ago, she appeared with conductor Zubin Mehta in the documentary “Concerto for Mona.” In addition to adapting her book The Children of Willesden Lane into this popular play, Golabek has also brought it in the form of a curriculum to schools and students around the world as well. Her foundation, Hold On To Your Music (www.holdontoyourmusic.org) also works to spread the message of music’s power. “The name comes from my grandmother’s final words to my mother,” Golabek explains, recalling the moment when Mona was put on the train that would ultimately save her life. “She said, ‘Hold on to your music. It will be the best friend you ever have.”
     As she was sent off on the Kindertransport surrounded by children but knowing few if any of them, Jura’s music was often her only friend and the force that sustained her, just as it had sustained her mother and now her daughter as well. When Jura finally arrived at a Jewish hostel in London, she attributed her survival to her music. “It became a beacon of hope for those kids,” Golabek explains. “It reminded them of what they had left behind.”  

     A Grammy nominee and Avery Fisher Prize winner who has also performed at such vaunted venues as the Hollywood Bowl, the Kennedy Center and Royal Festival Hall, Golabek has a noted career on her own. In addition to performing her mother’s music and story, Golabek has also performed and recorded with her sister Renee Golabek-Kaye and also with Academy Award-winning actress Meryl Streep.  Even so, she was vry excited to work with Felder. “I knew of Hershey Felder, of course,” Golabek explains, calling her director a “consummate artist” who was known even among other pianists for his “tour de force” performances as other pianists and also as himself. As soon as Felder saw a sample of what Golabek had put together, he agreed to produce the show. “I did a mini version of what we now have’ Golabek recalls. “He said, ‘I will produce you.’ Just like that!”

     Though she has performed internationally and has her own radio show, Golabek admits to a lack of theatrical experience. Therefore she is very grateful to Felder and very much looking forward to performing in Boston and beyond. “I knew this would be an extraordinary opportunity for me to work with him,” Golabek says. “It [has been] and exhilarating…process!”

    As Felder has never been behind the scenes for an entire show before, many colleagues wondered how and in what guise he would appear onstage. “They suspected I might play Mona’s role in drag,” Felder smiles. While Golabek hopes to take the show to Broadway, her larger goal is to bring it to London so the people who helped her family there can experience it as well. “That would be like my paying tribute to their enormous generosity,” Golabek reasons.

    In the meantime, Golabek is very grateful to have the opportunity to pay tribute to her family and to the music that has sustained and enriched it for generations.  “My role allows me to pay homage to my parents,” Golabek observes. “How many people get to do that?”

Tickets $25-69. Tues-Sun. Check website for showtimes.
 
- Matt Robinson

559 Washington St., 617-824-8000  www.artsemerson.org