Hershey Felder Keeps Irving Berlin’s Legacy Alive

Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin. – Photo courtesy Eighty Eight Entertainment

By Nathaniel Cayanan

Over 40 years ago, the legendary American songwriter Irving Berlin appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show and performed perhaps his most famous song, “God Bless America.”

This particular episode was a special one. It was Berlin’s 80th birthday, and Sullivan, along with an array of celebrities, paid tribute to Berlin’s impressive career that saw an endless list of songs that won awards and would forever become embedded in American culture.

As Berlin sang with a voice filled with wisdom, he was then joined by a chorus of boy scouts and girl scouts, singing in one voice what came to be known as the nation’s unofficial anthem.

This image of the elderly Berlin, surrounded by youngsters singing his famous song, is a symbol of both a celebration for a man’s career and also a promise made by generations to come, that his legacy would be preserved.

Today, this task of preserving Berlin’s work and influence has been undertaken by musician and actor Hershey Felder. Felder, along with Director Trevor Hay, will be performing “Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin” at the Pasadena Playhouse.

Portraying Berlin and performing some of his popular songs such as “God Bless America,” “Always,” and “White Christmas,” Felder tells Berlin’s sweeping story, covering his life as a young boy escaping anti-Semitism in Russia and his journey in becoming the epitome of patriotism and the “American Dream.”

Ironically, however, Felder’s interest in Berlin was not one that came naturally. In fact, according to Felder, at first, “I was not drawn to him at all, me being a classical person. It was the suggestion from other people that led me to understand that this was something worth doing. Little did I know what a genius this man was – what a chronicler of the ages, what an incredible, incredible individual.”

With the help of Berlin’s children and grandchildren, who wanted to make sure that Felder maintained a level of authenticity, Felder created a show that saw incredible success when it first opened at Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles.

Surely, the music had much to do with that success. “The music is what resonates first and foremost, of course,” Felder says. “It’s what the audiences are familiar with.”

But, the show is not just some guy dressed up like a long passed musician and performing his music. To Felder, it’s about using the music to tell a story. “One of the things about Irving Berlin that is remarkable, more than anything, is that he told stories in songs,” he explains. “When you connect the music to the actual story itself, it’s a remarkable experience what audiences go through. What makes (the show) so powerful is the music and the story, all of it wrapped into one.”

It goes without saying that playing a real person who had such a significant influence on American society can be nerve-racking. But, when asked if he ever gets intimidated, Felder responds with a laugh, “Oh it always is intimidating. Anything done well requires a tremendous amount of work. But you know, you get over it. You get to work. That’s it.”

“Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin” will play from July 19 to Aug. 7 at the Pasadena Playhouse (39 S. El Molino Ave.). Ticket prices range from $25 to $125 and can be purchased online at www.pasadenaplayhouse.org or by calling (626) 356-7529.

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