Cleveland Play House presented “Rachmaninoff and the Tsar,” a new musical play starring Hershey Felder, at the Allen Theatre in Playhouse Square from March 5 through 15. The production, written by Felder and directed by Trevor Hay, explored a fictional encounter between composer Sergei Rachmaninoff and Russia’s last Tsar, Nicholas II.
Felder, known for his solo theatrical portrayals of classical composers, starred as Rachmaninoff, with British-Italian actor Jonathan Silvestri in the role of the Tsar. The play was set in Rachmaninoff’s Beverly Hills home, where the composer — having fled Russia during the 1917 revolution — reflects on his earlier life and a meeting with the doomed monarch. The production featured several of Rachmaninoff’s best-known compositions, including the Prelude in C-sharp minor and the Second Piano Concerto.
The engagement was billed as a special presentation by Cleveland Play House, separate from its regular subscription season. It ran at the Allen Theatre, 1407 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland.
Source: Cleveland Play House