Beethoven, Chopin, Debussy, Bach, Greg, Rachmaninoff performed at their best
By Camille Bounds
TheatreWorks’ “The Pianist of Willesden Lane” is an exquisite journey of music and hope. This true story is superbly told by Hershey Felder who took the book by Mona Golabek and Lee Cohen and turned it into a brilliant stage presentation of fantastically played music and combined narrative.
A young Jewish musical prodigy Lisa Jura. Mona Golabek, (daughter of Jura) also an award winning pianist plays her mother from a little 14 year old girl in Vienna and London. Escaping Vienna as the Nazis start taking over she flees with some 10,000 Kindertransport Jewish children to Britain. Mixing superbly played classics by Golabek with dialogue that takes the journey to fear, hope and somehow survival. We are invited to hear, Beethoven, Chopin, Debussy, Bach, Greg, Rachmaninoff at their best and a feeling of fulfillment of having been exposed to such a well done presentation is hard to explain you have to have been there.
The set design by Fielder and Trevor Hay is unique within itself made up of gilt framed portraits where wartime images and pieces of Jura’s story are projected.
For one of the finest presentation that TheatreWorks has presented “The Pianist of Willesden Lane” should not be missed.
“The Pianist Of Willesden Lane”
Directed by Hershey Felder, based on the book by Mona Golabek and Lee Cohen, presented by TheatreWorks Silicon Valley
Where: Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts
500 Castro Street. Mountain View
Through: Feb. 16
Running time: 1 hour and 40 minutes – no intermission
Tickets: $40.-$120
Reservations and information: (650) 463-1960 or visit www.theaterworks.org
