Photo Flash: MAESTRO Opens at Royal George Theatre

Award-winning actor and musician Hershey Felder (George Gershwin Alone, Monsieur Chopin, Beethoven As I Knew Him) returns to Chicago with Maestro: The Art of Leonard Bernstein. Combining first-person narrative with the music of composer Bernstein and the artists who inspired him, Maestro: The Art of Leonard Bernstein is the story of the legendary American composer and longtime music director of the New York Philharmonic. Helmed by award-winning director Joel Zwick, Hershey Felder will return to Chicago's Royal George Theatre, 1641 N. Halsted, where from September 2004 through January 2006, he held residence with George Gershwin Alone and the World Premiere of Monsieur Chopin, culminating in 70 weeks of live performances. Maestro will begin previews on November 1st with press opening November 9th, and will play through December 30.

With a story spanning the entire 20th Century, Leonard Bernstein, America's greatest musician, broke through every artistic ceiling possible to become the world's musical ambassador. Conductor, composer, pianist, author, teacher, librettist, television star...for Leonard Bernstein, boundaries simply did not exist.

Hershey Felder (Leonard Bernstein/Playwright) Broadway, London's West End: George Gershwin Alone (Helen Hayes Theatre, Duchess Theatre). Over 3,000 regional and international appearances of Composers Sonata 1999 -2010 - George Gershwin Alone, Monsieur Chopin, and Beethoven, As I Knew Him, Maestro: The Art of Leonard Bernstein - include Old Globe Theatre, Arizona Theatre Company, Geffen Playhouse, Laguna Playhouse, Ford's Theatre, Cleveland Playhouse, American Repertory Theatre, Hartford Stage, Ravinia Festival, Asolo Repertory, Chicago's Royal George Theatre, Prince Music Theatre, The Gilmore International Keyboard Festival, Uijeongbu Theatre Festival (South Korea) and many others. Command Performance of Monsieur Chopin for the Polish Ambassador to the United States, Polish Embassy, Washington.Winner of 2007 Los Angeles Ovation Awards, Best Musical and Best Actor for George Gershwin Alone. Compositions include Aliyah, Concerto for Piano and Orchestra; Fairytale, a musical; Les Anges de Paris, Suite for Violin and Piano; Song Settings, poetry by Vachel Lindsay; Saltimbanques for Piano and Orchestra; Etudes Thematiques for Piano; An American Story for actor and orchestra (members of The Chicago Symphony, Ars Viva). Recordings include Love Songs of the Yiddish Theatre, Back from Broadway, George Gershwin Alone and Monsieur Chopin for the WFMT Radio Network Recordings label, Beethoven, As I Knew Him, and An American Story (Nine Hours on Tenth) for the Eighty Eight Entertainment label. Worldwide live broadcasts, George Gershwin Alone, July 2005, May 2011. Mr. Felder has been a Scholar in Residence at Harvard University's Department of Music and is married to Kim Campbell, former Prime Minister of Canada.

Joel Zwick (Director) Joel Zwick directed My Big Fat Greek Wedding, the highest-grossing romantic comedy of all time, produced by Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson and Gary Goetzman. Recent films include Fat Albert (with Bill Cosby), and Elvis Has Left the Building, starring John Corbett and Kim Basinger. Mr. Zwick directed the Broadway production of George Gershwin Alone at the Helen Hayes Theatre, as well as all other productions. Mr. Zwick began his theatrical career at La Mama E.T.C., as director of the La Mama Plexus. He has directed on Broadway, Off-Broadway and Broadway touring companies. Currently, Mr. Zwick is recognized as one of Hollywood's most prolific director of episodic television, having the direction of 525 episodes to his credit. These include having directed 21 pilots, which have gone on to become regular series. Television shows include: Laverne & Shirley, Mork& Mindy, Bosom Buddies, Webster, Perfect Strangers, Full House, Step By Step, Family Matters, It's a Living, Bros. Wayans, Joanie Loves Chachi, Jamie Foxx, Kirk, Parent 'Hood, Angie, On Our Own, Two Of A Kind, Love Boat, Hangin' With Mr. Cooper, etc. Previous New York productions have included Dance With Me (Tony nomination), Shenandoah (Broadway national tour), Oklahoma (national tour) and Cold Storage (American Place Theater). He acted in the original New York production of MacBird. He directed Esther (Promenade Theater, NY), Merry-Go-Round (Chicago and Las Vegas), Last Chance Saloon and Woycek(West End, London). Mr. Zwick has taught drama at Yale University, Brooklyn College, Queens College, Wheaton College, and the University of Southern California. He is a graduate (B.A., M.A.) of Brooklyn College. He is currently in pre-production on Sleepless in Seattle - the Musical, and Serrano. He directed Jamaica Farewell for Garry Marshall's Falcon Theater, and is busy directing TV shows for It's a Laugh Productions. He is thrilled to be reunited with Hershey for Maestro, their fourth production together.

Tickets for performances are priced at $55 and are now on sale. Tickets are available at the Royal George Box office (1641 N. Halsted Street), box office charge-by-phone at (312) 988-9000 , at all Ticketmaster ticket centers, Ticketmaster charge-by-phone at (800) 982-2787 , or online at ticketmaster.com. Website: www.theroyalgeorgetheatre.com