Piano lessons are a pastime many children grudgingly endure during their early years. But what if your teacher was a world famous composer? The Geffen’s “Monsieur Chopin” uses this premise to explore the fascinating life of renowned musician Frédéric Chopin.
“Monsieur Chopin” immediately welcomes its audience into Chopin’s salon in Paris as he teaches a piano lesson on March 4, 1848, just after the February 1848 revolution.
Throughout the lesson, Chopin recounts tales of his own life, from his first composition at the age of 7, to his relationship with the female novelist, George Sand. During the performance, Chopin uses the tone of his music to reflect the different periods of his life.
Hershey Felder wrote and stars in this show, and it is the second in his “composer trilogy,” after “George Gershwin Alone,” which recently closed at the Geffen Playhouse. It is a one-man show (unless you consider his piano a fellow accompaniment), with Chopin in his parlor for the duration of the performance.
Felder executes this role with ease. His musical ability is uncanny, and as the audience watches him play, Chopin comes to life inside the theater. His Polish accent slightly falters at times, but the precision of his music never changes.
A surprising element of Felder’s performance is the wit that he brings to the role of Chopin. When one thinks of a composer, humor is not the first trait that comes to mind. Felder however, gives the character of Chopin a talent for comic impressions of the people in his life. These aspects of the show make Chopin a relatable man, rather than just a famous figure who wrote incredible music.
Aside from Felder’s portrayal of Chopin, the design of this show really makes the performance a worthwhile spectacle. Even though the blocking of the stage does not alter and there is no outright action between different characters as there is only one actor, the lighting design reveals the changes occurring.
The drapes of Chopin’s salon are of a scrim material, and with different lighting effects, they change from blue to red and even contain printed designs at certain points depending on his period of life. The most spectacular of all is when Chopin’s handwriting appears on the drapes as Felder uses the crescendo of the music to exclaim Chopin’s emotion. This dark lighting and scrolling handwriting captivates the audience and draws them into the moment.
Although the design and music is excellent, the show does stumble at times. The integration of the music and monologue is unbalanced at points, and with the extremely dark lighting and long piano pieces, it can be a bit soporific.
Also, a picture frame outlines the stage and with Chopin sitting at the piano for lengthy periods, the show comes across as a painting on a wall, rather than a piece of conventional theater.
In the traditional fashion of the time period, the piano lesson ends with an evening in Chopin’s salon where Felder as Chopin fields questions about the life of this great composer.
This portion of the performance almost takes on a style of “stand-up Chopin,” and as much as it is entertaining, it seems odd to see a composer in this type of arena. Felder goes in and out of character and reflects on Chopin’s death in the first person.
But overall, the show is creatively done, taking on the various elements of art, music and theater, while imparting insight into Chopin’s life that even the non-musical can appreciate.
““ Suzy Evans
E-mail Evans at sevans@media.ucla.edu.