'Maestro' Is The Best Of All Possible Worlds

‘Art isn't easy', or so the song goes. Neither is getting into the mind of an artist, which Hershey Felder has brilliantly accomplished in his newest work, ‘Maestro: The Art of Leonard Bernstein'.

After tackling George Gershwin, Beethoven and Chopin, Mr. Felder's latest endeavor is a fascinating portrait of Leonard Bernstein, arguably one of the greatest composers and conductors who ever lived. Told through oratory and music, Felder's Bernstein weaves the life of a complex man who struggles to find his place in the world of his contemporaries while always seeming to get pulled in the opposite direction on the course he sets. Raised by his staunchly traditional Jewish father, Bernstein quickly discovers his gift for music and begins his journey through his many mentors, including Fritz Reiner; Serge Koussevitsky; and Aaron Copland who sets him on his path to become a conductor.

Trying to find what drives an artist such as Bernstein is what gives the work its gravitas. Like the play ‘Red' in which artist Mark Royko is struggling with the popularity of his work rather than the true artistic force behind it, so is Bernstein in ‘Maestro'. Felder gives us that edge to the man who wants to leave behind one great artistic piece but in the end, does not believe he accomplished that task. Through the course of the show, Felder takes us on a musical journey of not only Bernstein's compositions but of others whom he admired, done in the spirit of the television concerts that gained him such household notoriety.

Then there is Bernstein's music; the glorious music. Mr. Felder is a master at the piano and brings forth Bernstein's compositions with exacting force and detail. "Somewhere" from West Side Story sets the structure of the piece as his life unfolds. Each selected piece moves the story forward with great emotional affirmation. Projections of the Maestro in concert and television are seamlessly integrated along with orchestral tracking, which more than once, will give you goose bumps. Long time Felder collaborator and director Joel Swick knows his actor and visa versa. The trust each one puts in the other is seen here much more than their prior shows involving Gershwin and Chopin and Mr. Felder truly gets to show is acting chops in this portrayal.

At its core, ‘Maestro' is a love story. Bernstein's journey and struggle with his sexuality is as much a part of him as was his compositions. From his first crush with conductor Dimitri Mitropoulos to his truest love, actress Felicia Cohn Montealegre (for whom the melody for ‘Maria' was initially written), Felder explores this complex and sad side of Bernstein, including the immense guilt and shame he felt after leaving Felicia for another man, then taking care of her when he was dying of cancer. The dichotomy of an artist and human being are shown with great care, especially the love he had for his children.

‘Maestro' is work of art in its own right with Mr. Felder capturing the genius of Mr. Bernstein by letting the soul of the artist arise from the music.

‘Maestro: The Art of Leonard Bernstein runs through December 30, 2011 at the Royal George Theatre. Tickets are available at the Royal George Box Office, 1641 N. Halsted St., 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 For more information, please visit www.theroyalgeorgetheatre.com