Our Great Tchaikovsky at Steppenwolf Theatre

Chicago Tribune - Recommended

"...My favorite part of any Felder show is when he focuses in on what these composers actually did — not so much in any technical sense, but with a wide yet precise lens. In this show, for example, he homes in on how the unspeakably talented Tchaikovsky knew that fully evoking the melodic perfection of the natural world would make his works bland; thus they all have a lingering off-note, a conscious discord that makes their harmonics feel all the more human."

Chicago On the Aisle - Recommended

"...Musically, this portrait is as authoritative and satisfying as any of its predecessors; but as a dramatic, balanced and illuminating exploration of Tchaikovsky, man and artist, Felder’s breathing sculpture left me with the impression of a work not yet finished."

Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended

"...When it comes to music appreciation/history, there is no better professor than Hershey Felder. who once again brings one of his showcases to Chicago. Over the years we have seen him do Berlin, Gershwin (George), Beethoven, Leonard Bernstein, Chopin as well as stories such as "The Pianist of Willesden" ( where he does not appear) and Liszt. In all of his solo performances, not only does he take us into the lives of these artists, but when it is his solo, he performs as the artist."

WTTW - Highly Recommended

"...Not only is Felder a superb storyteller as both the writer and performer of his one-man shows, but he is an immensely gifted concert pianist. And his ability to weave all these talents into a dramatic whole is unmatched. The seamless connection between the music and the narrative is so compelling that the audience’s rapt attention becomes palpable. And in this case, contemporary events only serve to intensify the story. But more about that later."

Chicagoland Musical Theatre - Highly Recommended

"...With internationally-renowned talent and a production crew of unparalleled facility, Our Great Tchaikovsky is an intimate and intriguing theatrical journey that is unlikely to be replicated anywhere-or anywhen, for that matter-in this city, or any other."

Chicago Theater and Arts - Highly Recommended

"...After creating highly regarded stage productions about Gershwin, Chopin, Beethoven, Bernstein, Berlin and others, Felder is now garnering some of his best reviews for ‘Our Great Tchaikovsky.’"

Picture This Post - Highly Recommended

"...Felder made Tchaikovsky the subject of his latest play, which is now in its Chicago premiere in Steppenwolf Theatre's upstairs space. He opens the show by telling the story of how it came to be, and then, with a shift in lighting and subtle change in voice inspired by a surviving recording of the composer, transforms into Tchaikovsky as a child. Eyes-a-twinkle, he tells us how he used to play variations on Chopin in front of the famous Polish pianist himself at only six years old. His passion was always music, and although his parents prepared him for a life in the civil service, he reached adulthood just as the first classical music conservatories in Russia were being founded. He also made a devoted group of friends, but although some of them were openly gay, he soon lost the nerve to be seen in public with them, which made him vulnerable to blackmail."