World Premiere Live from Florence! Only $55 per household
Decades before the beloved musical Fiddler on the Roof first delighted worldwide audiences, there was Sholem Aleichem and his beloved character of ‘Tevye the Milkman.’ When he was only 24 years old, Aleichem published his first story, Tsvey Shteyner (“Two Stones”), and by 1890, he had become a central figure in Yiddish literature. Aleichem was known as the “Jewish Mark Twain” for his similar writing style and pen name usage.
Felder will play Sholem Aleichem himself – giving audiences the true story of what happened ‘Before Fiddler.’
Long before songs like “Tradition,” “If I Were a Rich Man” and “Sunrise, Sunset” first beguiled audiences, there was Klezmer, the music of the Old World; a music that imitated talking, laughing, weeping, and singing, and where musicians didn’t just make music, they spoke to you in song.
In Florence, Italy, one of the oldest artistic centers in the world, a group of musicians have been virtuosos in the world-famous Orchestra of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino by day (under the baton of famed conductor Zubin Mehta), and then become the Klezmerata Fiorentina by night. The quartet consists of violinist and violist Igor Polesitsky; clarinetist Riccardo Crocilla; accordionist and bassoonist Francesco Furlanich; and double bass player Riccardo Donati.
Filmed on location where events actually took place, this streaming production will feature the stories and characters of Sholem Aleichem, along with music that is sure to move the soul.
Special Exclusive Package!
Get access to BEFORE FIDDLER, HERSHEY FELDER PRESENTS: BACKSTORY and AN EXCLUSIVE ZOOM WITH FELDER
Hershey Felder is the only artist to have portrayed for the stage many of history’s greatest composers, including Irving Berlin, George Gershwin and Leonard Bernstein. While creating these pieces, he has had close access to the family members and descendants of these three great American artists. In the exclusive film HERSHEY FELDER PRESENTS: BACKSTORY, Hershey will share stories known by select few and music that you won’t soon forget. For $180 per household, you will receive tickets for this virtual extravaganza, the live performance of Hershey's world premiere BEFORE FIDDLER, as well as an exclusive lunchtime Zoom discussion with Hershey himself!
HERSHEY FELDER: BACKSTORY -- In the last century, three children of Russian and Ukrainian immigrants were a massive part of shaping the American Musical Landscape. Irving Berlin (1888-1989), George Gershwin (1898-1937), and Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) gave us “God Bless America,” “A Rhapsody in Blue,” and “West Side Story," respectively, but the “story behind the story” is even more fascinating than we ever knew.
EXCLUSIVE ZOOM WITH HERSHEY FELDER -- Exclusive for our $180 ticket holders, a chance to ask Hershey himself about his amazing work. Hershey will join us live from Florence, Italy where you will have a chance to ask him about his shows, his work and his journey. Don't miss this exclusive chance to talk to the man himself!