<\/p>\n
Hershey Felder makes a welcome return to Berkeley Repertory Theatre with another one-man show, \u201cMaestro,\u201d focusing on 20th century musical genius Leonard Bernstein.<\/p>\n
Felder previously delighted audiences with his \u201cGeorge Gershwin Alone.\u201d As he did in that show, Felder talks, \u00a0sings and plays the Steinway to illustrate his story.<\/p>\n
This time he examines the influences in Bernstein’s illustrious career, starting with his pious Jewish immigrant father. He initially discouraged his son’s musical inclinations, but unwittingly caused young Leonard to see connections between traditional Jewish songs and themes by composers like Beethoven.<\/p>\n
Indeed, Beethoven was one of Bernstein’s compositional inspirations, starting a line that continued through later composers like Mahler, Wagner, Copland and Gershwin, whom he wanted to succeed.<\/p>\n
Bernstein is perhaps best remembered for his musicals, especially \u201cWest Side Story\u201d and \u201cCandide.\u201d Several musical highlights of the show come from \u201cWest Side Story\u201d: \u00a0\u201cSomewhere,\u201d \u201cMaria,\u201d \u201cTonight\u201d and \u201cOne Hand, One Heart.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also composed piano and orchestral works and was an accomplished conductor, eventually becoming leader of the esteemed New York Philharmonic. Furthermore, he was a musical educator featured on such TV series as \u201cOmnibus\u201d in the ’50s and ’60s. One of those broadcasts is seen on a backdrop of the score for Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 as the audience enters the theater. (Set by Fran\u00e7ois-Pierre Couture, lighting by Couture and Christopher Rynne, projections by Couture and Andrew Wilder.)<\/p>\n
Felder speaks as if he were Bernstein at his final concert and recreates conversations with and opinions of people in his life.<\/p>\n
During the 100-minute, intermissionless show, Felder points to conductors who influenced Bernstein. And he talks about Bernstein’s wife, Felicia, with whom he had three children. He loved her and appreciated the way she helped him with some of his writing, yet he also had affairs with men.<\/p>\n
Because Bernstein had such a full life during his 72 years, it’s not easy to encapsulate everything, but Felder does a good job of keeping the focus on his musical career, contributions and influences. It’s an absorbing theatrical work.<\/p>\n