Review: 'Our Great Tchaikovsky' at Hartford Stage

“Tchaikovsky’s story is relevant today because our world - as was his - is threatened by the rewriting of truth, and without truth, there is no humanity.” - Hershey Felder

Hartford, CT - At the end of October in 1893, Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky conducted the premiere of his Sixth Symphony, the Pathétique, in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Nine days later, he died there, at the age of 53.

Hershey Felder has conceived a theatrical experience to examine the life and music of the beloved Russian composer, as he has for several other iconic composers. Mr. Felder has played over 4,500 of his self-created solo productions and broken box office records at many well-known theatres. His unique shows include ‘George Gershwin Alone,’ ‘Monsieur Chopin,’ ‘Beethoven,’ ‘ Maestro (Leonard Bernstein,') ‘Franz Liszt in Musik,’ ‘Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin’ and ‘Our Great Tchaikovsky’ currently running for a limited engagement at Hartford Stage. The Chopin and Gershwin works ran at Hartford Stage and Mr. Felder shared during the talkback following the first matinee in Hartford that his next work will feature the composer Claude-Achille Debussy.

What inspires Mr. Felder to create his solo works based on the lives of some of the world’s most famous composers? One reason is the need to set great works of music in their historical context so that audiences can come to better understand from where the pieces sprang. He also appreciates the element of time travel to the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries that gave us the most remarkable works of musical art. Another reason: to pay the rent.

The story that this extremely talented musician wrote about Mr. Tchaikovsky began with house announcements in Russian and English, and then Mr. Felder entered the stage as “the artist” to share a letter he had received inviting him to bring ‘Our Great Tchaikovsky’ to Russia. He then slipped into the character of the Russian composer as a young man who began to tell the story of his own life, all the while accompanying himself on a grand piano with pieces written by Tchaikovsky.

Photos of Hershey Felder in 'Our Great Tchaikovsky' courtesy of Hershey Felder Presents

As the narrative unfolded, the compositions became longer and more familiar to me. We learned that “The Year 1812, festival overture in E flat major, Op. 49,” popularly known as the “1812 Overture,” was not a favorite of the composer, but became one of his most popular works. The inspiration for the classic ‘The Nutcracker’ came while Tchaikovsky was on tour in America.

Mr. Felder does not avoid the subject of the composer’s sexual orientation in an era and homeland that made it impossible for him to come out. (In fact, Tchaikovsky paid hush money to his “old wife,” from whom he permanently separated after six weeks, and he lost a patron when her family wanted to expose him.) It is for this reason that the playwright will most likely never take this production to Russia.

Mr. Felder’s director was Trevor Hay and Joel Zwick (‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding’) was consulting producer. Christopher Ash designed both the beautiful lighting and the gentle projection design that always enhanced the scenes. Erik Carstensen, production manager and co-producer, designed the sound and Abigail Caywood designed the period costume. Kudos to Meghan Maiya for her research as dramaturg.

‘Our Great Tchaikovsky’ is more than a concert and more than just a play with music. It is an immersion into the life and compositions of the Russian treasure brought to vivid life by a talented actor and supreme pianist. I was captivated throughout the almost two hour performance/post show discussion and the matinee audience showed their appreciation with a standing ovation. The production runs through Aug. 27 at Hartford Stage. Click here for tickets.

Nancy Sasso Janis has been writing theatre reviews since 2012 as a way to support local theatre venues and posts reviews of well over 100 productions each year. In 2016, she became a member of the Connecticut Critics Circle. She continues to contribute theatre news, previews, and audition notices to local Patch sites. Reviews of all levels of theatrical productions are posted on Naugatuck Patch and the Patch sites closest to the venue. Follow the reviewer on her Facebook pages Nancy Sasso Janis: Theatre Reviewer and Connecticut Theater Previews and on Twitter @nancysjanis417