Beethoven Live' to be livestreamed

SAN DIEGO – San Diego Repertory Theatre is holding a fundraiser featuring the renowned pianist Hershey Felder in a direct live broadcast streamed from Florence, Italy.

In a repeat of a past performance, “Beethoven Live,” Felder reenacts the maestro’s last days at the piano. The fee is a nonrefundable $55 per household for the streaming Sunday, July 12, at 5 p.m. PDT.

For more details visit San Diego Repertory Theatre’s website at http://SDRT.org or call 619-544-1000 between noon and 6 p.m.

The livestreaming event features the music of Ludwig van Beethoven, text by Felder and is based on the original stage play direction by Joel Zwick. As with “Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin,” this production will benefit national U.S. theater and arts organizations. Felder will also donate a portion of the proceeds to the Penumbra Theatre Company in St. Paul, Minnesota, to support the work of black theater artists.

In the tradition of his popular after-performance audience “encore,” Felder has created the Hershey Felder Presents Arts Prize Competition, in honor of Beethoven’s 250th birth year. This prize of $25,000 will be awarded to one of five artist finalists submitting “anything Beethoven” as inspiration for their video presentation.

The five finalists will be presented at the completion of “Hershey Felder: Beethoven.” Viewers will be eligible to vote, with the winner announced one hour after the completion of voting. All competition information is available at https://www.hersheyfelder.net/contest-page.

“Hershey Felder: Beethoven” is based on “Memories of Beethoven: Out of the House of Black-Robed Spaniards,” a firsthand account by Dr. Gerhard von Breuning. “Schwarzspanierhaus,” or House of Black-Robed Spaniards, was the name of Beethoven’s final residence in Vienna, Austria, where he died in 1827.

Felder brings Beethoven to life through the eyes of the Viennese doctor, who spent his boyhood by the aging maestro’s side. The one-man musical play features some of the composer’s most well-known compositions from his keyboard works such as the “Emperor Concerto” to the fifth and ninth symphonies, his keyboard sonatas and chamber music selections

Purchase includes the livestream and an additional 72-hours of demand viewing access to a video recording of the livestream, which are available one-hour after the live broadcast ends and which is best viewed on a computer, smartphone or tablet.

The livestream can be viewed on some Smart TVs depending on model and age of TV – a computer, smartphone or tablet is still needed in conjunction with a Smart TV for screen mirroring.

Reading the “How to Watch” instructions at https://www.sdrep.org/howtowatchbeethovenlive.php is recommended before purchasing to ensure one has the capabilities to enjoy this video.

Submitted by San Diego Repertory Theatre.