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 Known for his hit portrayals of musical geniuses in his beloved composer series, Felder now renders a different musical artist: himself. In this deeply moving new play, Felder pulls back the curtain on his own story. Growing up in Montreal as the child of Polish and Hungarian immigrants, a young Felder discovers the piano, its captivating music connecting him to his unsuspected heritage.
ENSEMBLE THEATRE COMPANY and HFP LIVE
Present the Southern California Premiere of
THE PIANO & ME
A New Musical Play
With Hershey Felder as Hershey Felder
And sixteen other characters
Music of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Bartok,
Rachmaninoff, Gershwin, Williams & Felder
Book by Hershey Felder
Dramaturgy by Jerry Patch
Replacing the previously announced “Monsieur Chopin” –
Performances Begin Thursday, April 30
at The New Vic Theatre in Santa Barbara!
Ensemble Theatre Company of Santa Barbara (ETC) and HFP LIVE presents pianist/actor/playwright/producer present the Southern California premiere of Hershey Felder starring in a new play, THE PIANO & ME, with book by Hershey Felder and dramaturgy by Jerry Patch. This newest work is scheduled to open off-Broadway in New York following the ETC premiere. Critics have lauded THE PIANO & ME as his finest work to date following its world premiere at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, The previously scheduled Hershey Felder as Monsieur Chopin will be replaced by THE PIANO & ME, a new musical play. All performances will take place on the same dates and times as originally scheduled. Current ticket holders for Hershey Felder as Monsieur Chopin will be automatically transferred to the corresponding performance of THE PIANO & ME at no additional charge. Known throughout the world for his solo composer plays, for the first time Felder unravels the story of how it all happened. THE PIANO & ME will open on Thursday, April 30 and run through Sunday, May 10 at the New Vic Theatre, 33 Victoria Street in Santa Barbara.
Known for his hit portrayals of musical geniuses in his beloved composer series, Felder now renders a different musical artist: himself. In this deeply moving new play, Felder pulls back the curtain on his own story. Growing up in Montreal as the child of Polish and Hungarian immigrants, a young Felder discovers the piano, its captivating music connecting him to his unsuspected heritage, while opening up a remarkable new world full of adventure, possibility, heartbreak, and connection. Featuring performances of beloved compositions by Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Bartók, and more, Hershey Felder: THE PIANO & ME recounts the inspiration behind Felder's illustrious career of more than 6,000 performances across the globe and offers a poignant and profoundly touching portrait of the power of music. Santa Barbara audiences have a rare opportunity to experience this celebrated production on its world premiere tour before it makes its off-Broadway debut in New York City in July 2026.
THE PIANO & ME was universally lauded by all professional critics in its world premiere in January of 2026 with David John Chavez former chair of the American Theatre Critics Association as well as two-time jurist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama calling it “Magnificent, enthralling, brilliant and engaging.”
“We are making a change to our scheduled season programming: in place of Hershey Felder as Monsieur Chopin, ETC will now present The Piano & Me on the exact same performance dates and times. We love Monsieur Chopin and hope to bring it to Santa Barbara in a future season. But when I attended the world premiere of The Piano & Me, I knew immediately that this was something we could not wait to share with Santa Barbara. This is Hershey at his most profound and most personal — a once-in-a-generation theatrical experience that we are honored to bring is newest piece to The New Vic,” comments Scott DeVine, Executive Artistic Director, Ensemble Theatre Company of Santa Barbara
Since the 1998 premiere of his internationally lauded play with music “George Gershwin Alone,” Hershey Felder has appeared on world renowned stages throughout the United States and abroad giving more than six thousand performances on stages in original works that include “George Gershwin Alone,” “Beethoven,” “Maestro Bernstein,” “Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin,” as well at the appearances of “Our Great Tchaikovsky,” “A Paris Love Story - Debussy,” and more. Film world premieres at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills include several of his award-winning films: “Musical Tales in the Venetian Jewish Ghetto,” “The Assembly,” “Noble Genius Chopin & Liszt,” and more. In all, Hershey Felder has performed on more than one hundred stages in leading worldwide theatres. He is currently that Artistic Director of Florence Italy’s most historic theatre, Teatro Niccolni (1648) where he presents great and celebrated American and International artists from Jeff Goldblum to Helen Mirren, Malcom McDowell, Mikhail Baryshnikov and many more.
HERSHEY FELDER (Actor, Pianist, Producer, Playwright, Composer) is currently the Artistic Director of FirenzeOnStage, directing TEATRO NICCOLINI in Florence, Italy, (Florence’s oldest theatre, 1648) at the left wing of Florence’s historic Duomo. Mr. Felder opened the 2024-2025 season with film and stage superstar Jeff Goldblum, and presented international superstars such as Helen Mirren, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Boris Giltburg, Taylor Hackford, Tony winners Santino Fontana, Jenn Colella, the cast of the film of the Sound of Music and many more.
For the 2025-2026 season, Felder presented the Italian premiere of CALIGULA the FINAL CUT, with the presence of its superstars, Malcolm McDowell and Helen Mirren in a discussion with the audience. The season continues with stars of stage, screen, opera and classical music,
American Theatre Magazine has said, “Hershey Felder, actor, Steinway Concert Artist and theatrical creator is in a category all his own.” Following 28 years of continuous stage productions and over 6,000 live performances throughout the U.S. and abroad, Hershey Felder created Live from Florence, An Arts Broadcasting Company, based in Florence, Italy, which has produced eighteen theatrical films to date.
Verdi’s Traviata Dante and Beatrice Mozart and Figaro in Vienna the world premiere musicals Nicholas, Anna & Sergei the story of Sergei Rachmaninoff Puccini, the story of famed opera composer Giacomo Puccini Before Fiddler, a musical story about writer Sholem Aleichem Great American Songs and the Stories Behind Them, Leonard Bernstein and the Israel Philharmonic, a documentary, and the popular Musical Tales in the Venetian Jewish Ghetto. Two seasons of programming are currently available at www.hersheyfelder.net with season 3 being launched in spring of 2026.
They include the recently-released Noble Genius-Chopin& Liszt The Assembly Violetta, the story of Verdi’s Traviata Dante and Beatrice Mozart and Figaro in Vienna the world premiere musicals Nicholas, Anna & Sergei the story of Sergei Rachmaninoff Puccini, the story of famed opera composer Giacomo Puccini Before Fiddler, a musical story about writer Sholem Aleichem Great American Songs and the Stories Behind Them, Leonard Bernstein and the Israel Philharmonic, a documentary, and the popular Musical Tales in the Venetian Jewish Ghetto. Two seasons of programming are currently available at www.hersheyfelder.net with season 3 being launched in spring of 2026. Upcoming films include The 60th anniversary documentary story of The Sound of Music film The Joe Alterman Project featuring the story of Jazz pianist Joe Alterman, and Tender Art, the story of George Sand, Eugène Delacroix and Fryderyk Chopin.
Hershey has given performances of his solo theatre productions at some of the world’s most prestigious theatres and has consistently broken box office records. His shows include George Gershwin Alone (Broadway’s Helen Hayes Theatre, West End’s Duchess Theatre) Monsieur Chopin Beethoven Maestro (Leonard Bernstein) Franz Liszt in Musik, Lincoln: An American Story, Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin, Our Great Tchaikovsky, and A Paris Love Story, (Debussy) Monsieur Chopin and Rachmaninoff and the Tsar. Season 2024 saw the world premiere of Rachmaninoff and the Tsar, as composer-pianist Sergei Rachmaninoff opposite Jonathan Silvestri as Tsar Nicholas II. His compositions and recordings include Aliyah, Concerto for Piano and Orchestra Fairytale, a musical Les Anges de Paris, Suite for Violin and Piano Song Settings Saltimbanques for Piano and Orchestra Etudes Thematiques for Piano An American Story for Actor and Orchestra, and the opera IL QUARTO UOMO that premiered in Fiesole, Italy in the summer of 2023 with the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. Hershey is the adaptor, director, and designer for the internationally performed play-with-music The Pianist of Willesden Lane with Steinway artist Mona Golabek producer and designer for the musical Louis and Keely: ‘Live’ at the Sahara, directed by Taylor Hackford and writer and director for Flying Solo, featuring opera legend Nathan Gunn. Hershey has operated a full-service production company since 2001. He has been a scholar-in- residence at Harvard University’s Department of Music and is married to Rt. Hn. Kim Campbell. Hershey currently resides in Florence where he is the director of a full-service film production studio, Monte Acuto Arti, in Bagno a Ripoli.
The Piano & Me features the music of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Bartok, Rachmaninoff, Gershwin, Williams and Felder with a book by Hershey Felder. Dramaturgy by Jerry Patch. Concept design is by Hershey Felder. Lighting is by Christopher Rynne, Ssound and production management is by Erik Carstensen, Sound assistance by Jeremy Kalke. Projections are by Stefano Decarli. Produced by HFP and Tammy Globerman.
ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
THE PIANO & ME previews on Thursday, April 30 at 7:30pm and Friday May 1at 8:00pm opens on Saturday, May 2 at 8:00pm (press opening) and runs through Sunday, May 10, 2026 at 2:00pm at The New Vic, 33 W. Victoria Street in Santa Barbara.
Performances are Performances are Tuesdays at 7:30pm Wednesdays at 2:00pm & 730pm
Thursdays at 7:30pm Fridays at 8:00pm Saturdays at 3:00pm & 8:00pm and Sundays at 2:00pm & 7:00pm (There will be no performance on Sunday, May 10 at 7:00pm) at The New Vic, 33 W. Victoria Street in Santa Barbara.
Ticket prices range from $40 - $119. All Patrons 35 and under are always $35. Student tickets are $25. Single tickets are available through the ETC ticket office at (805) 965-5400, or online at etcsb.org. Prices subject to change.
To schedule press interviews, photos or press comps, please contact David Elzer/DEMAND PR at 818-508-1754 or by e-mail at davidelzer@me.com.
ENSEMBLE THEATRE COMPANY, a member of the League of Resident Theatres (LORT), is Santa Barbara's sole professional Equity theater company. ETC is committed to producing the highest professional quality theater in Santa Barbara, employing accomplished professional actors and stage managers.
ETC has been home to several world, American and West Coast premieres and has received recognition and accolades throughout its enduring history, including being recognized as an Equity theater company by the Actors' Equity Association, the labor union for American actors and stage managers. As the sole professional Equity theatre company in Santa Barbara, ETC brings a wide range of accomplished theatrical professionals to the region. For more information, visit our website at etcsb.org.
Presenter / Producer: Ensemble Theatre Company and HFP Live
Listed Categories
Theater > Musicals
Event Phone: 805-965-5400
Venue
The New Vic Ensemble Theatre Company
33 W. Victoria Street
Santa Barbara CA 93101
Regions:
Ventura, Santa Barbara & San Luis Obispo
Performance Dates: 4/30/2026 - 5/10/2026
Thursday, 04/30/2026
Friday, 05/01/2026
Saturday, 05/02/2026
Sunday, 05/03/2026
Tuesday, 05/05/2026
Wednesday, 05/06/2026
Thursday, 05/07/2026
Friday, 05/08/2026
Saturday, 05/09/2026
Sunday, 05/10/2026
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Performance Times
Previews on Thursday, April 30 at 7:30pm and Friday, May 1 at 8:00pm
Opens on Saturday, May 2 at 8:00pm (Press Opening)
Runs: Thursday, April 30 - Sunday, May 10, 2026
Performances are Tuesdays at 7:30pm
Wednesdays at 2:00pm & 730pm
Thursdays at 7:30pm
Fridays at 8:00pm
Saturdays at 3:00pm & 8:00pm
Sundays at 2:00pm & 7:00pm
(There will be no performance on Sunday, May 10 at 7:00pm)
The New Vic, 33 W. Victoria Street in Santa Barbara.
Running time is 110 minutes with no intermission
Ticket Information:
Ticket Prices range from $40 - $119
All Patrons 35 and under are always $35. Student tickets are $25. Prices subject to change.
Ensemble Theatre Company at The New Vic 33 W. Victoria Street in Santa Barbara
For tickets -- visit www.etcsb.org or call (805) 965-5400
PLEASE NOTE:
PRODUCTION CHANGE NOTICE: ETC’s previously announced production of Hershey Felder as Monsieur Chopin has been replaced by Hershey Felder: The Piano & Me. The performance schedule remains unchanged. All current ticket holders will be automatically transferred to the corresponding performance of the new production at no additional charge.
Due to current health and safety variables, performances are subject to change, postponement, or cancellation.
Web Link for ticketing
Websites:
Event Information
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