Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – Channeling the past through music: Hershey Felder’s MONSIEUR CHOPIN and the Mloteks’ AMID FALLING WALLS

• By drediman
• December 6, 2023
• No Comments

Music has the power for thrilling dramatic evocation when wielded in the right manner. This was the case with two works of theater that I came across this week, both of which potently channeled the past through music. Here are my thoughts on these encounters.

MONSIEUR CHOPIN
Hershey Felder Presents at 59E59 Theaters
Through December 24

For more than two decades now, Hershey Felder has carved a niche for himself for playing iconic composers while accompanying himself on piano to tell their stories. The popularity of such shows as George Gershwin Alone (which played a stint on Broadway in 2001) has proven that there’s a market for such educational hybrid entertainments. Felder returns to New York with this fall’s 59E59 Theaters engagement of Monsieur Chopin (RECOMMENDED), his one-man portrayal of the life of iconic Polish pianist-composer Fryderyk Chopin. Using live music as the gateway into Chopin’s soul — as well as his life and times — Felder melds the man and his art in a way that’s only been partially possible in your typical biopic or jukebox musical. In Chopin, Felder has arguably found his ideal subject. A generous, naturally animated performer, Felder’s transformation into the pensive, subdued composer gives him ample opportunity to flex his acting skills. Indeed, by tempering his tendency for outsized dramatic flourishes, Felder here gives one of his more affecting performances to date. Aside from being a compelling storyteller, Felder also distinguishes himself through his encyclopedic knowledge and his expert talent as a pianist — both of which are put to extensive use here. As elegantly directed by longtime collaborator Joel Zwick, the show’s set up as a somewhat interactive piano lesson (we the audience are Chopin’s students) ensures that no two shows are alike.

AMID FALLING WALLS
The National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene at the Museum of Jewish Heritage
Through December 10

The National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene has been enjoying a winning streak as of late — two of the company’s recent productions have transferred uptown for commercial runs (e.g., its production of Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman’s Harmony can be currently found on Broadway). Now we have Amid Falling Walls (RECOMMENDED), a timely musical revue that assembles Yiddish songs and poems written in Eastern Europe leading up to and during World War II and the Holocaust. All in all, the revue deftly plows through a patchwork of some 28 musical numbers, which has been curated by Avram Mlotek (librettist) and his father Zalman Mlotek (music director). Powerfully sung by a fantastic company of seven (including the great Steven Skybell, who was so affecting in the other Folksbiene success, a Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish) in various modes of musical expression — folk tradition, cabaret stylings, nationalistic anthems, etc. — the songs pop to vivid life, transporting audiences and conveying defiance, sorrow, and resilience with urgency and soul. Director Motl Didner efficiently stages the production, smartly moving things along via informative projections and seamless blocking, all the while maintaining an air of authenticity throughout. Non-Yiddish speakers, fear not — the production implements projected translations (in English and in Russian), as well as occasional passages in English to provide level-setting context. Although a future life for Amid Falling Walls remains uncertain, you probably won’t find the piece as viscerally charged as it is currently at the Museum of Jewish Heritage.