Cleveland Play House’s ‘Rachmaninoff and the Tsar’ is not to be missed

There is great theater...then there is GREAT THEATER such as Hershey Felder and Jerry Patch’s “Rachmaninoff and the Tsar produced by Cleveland Play House and now on stage in the Allen Theatre at Playhouse Square. This two hour show without intermission flies by with such solid entertainment that you do not even notice the passing of time.

It is March of 1943 and Sergei Rachmaninoff (Hershey Felder) has returned to his home in Beverly Hills, California. At 69 years old he is suffering from an advanced case of melanoma that will claim his life three days short of his 70^th birthday (April 1, 1943). In celebration of his receiving citizenship in the United States of America he has adapted a version of “The Star Spangled Banner” done in his dramatic style.

Because he is in tremendous pain he is given twice daily injections of morphine. This medication causes Sergei to have complex hallucinations where he is visited by Tsar Nicholas II (Jonathan Silvestri), the last Tsar of Russia. In a beautifully accented garden at the back of a modest yet impressive home sits a Steinway and Sons Grand Piano that Sergei goes to from time to time to play.

There is a love/hate relationship between Sergei and the Tsar. The composer blames Nicholas for forcing him to leave Russia and for allowing the entire Communist revolution to happen because of his family’s exorbitant lifestyle. As the two men talk they begin to realize at this point that assigning blame is hopeless. The conversation ends up as two friends catching up on each other’s lives.

Sergei tells of his early fame as a young man, his touring all of Russia, his meeting Nicholas and his family at the winter palace, his having to escape to Denmark on the premise of performing (taking his family with him), his gradually ending up in London, England and from there to America. It was there he became what Nicholas refers to as “a touring monkey” playing the same compositions over and over again. Sergei became so disgusted with audiences (who would simply call out “Play It!”) that he began referring to his Piano Concerto No. 2 as “It”. References are made concerning Sergei’s problems with depression and health and how mental and medical therapy helped him to carry on.

Nicholas tells of his problems as Tsar having taken the throne at an early age with scant training but how he was totally devoted to his family. Great detail is given to the Tsar and his family’s last days. With Sergei doing well in his adopted country he was able to help many Russians in the immigrant community begin their new life in America. Upon learning of a woman in a German Asylum who claimed to be Anastasia Romanov, the daughter who it was believed survived the family’s murder, he made arrangements for her to be brought to the States. The show ends with a tender scene between the two men. Following the show the audience is allowed to ask questions to fill in the bits and bobs not covered by the show and ends with a wonderful encore.

This show is a wondrous blend of history, music, laughter, sorrow, lost opportunities and love. Both men play well off each other in a truly natural manner. Hershey Felder has a sharp wit and fascinating facial expressions that emphasize his thoughts on the way of the world. His piano playing of the over dozen works is soul inspiring and uplifting and alone is worth the price of the ticket. Jonathan Silvestri is the perfect foil for the maestro coming up with various observations that are totally entertaining.

First and foremost is the stage set designed by Hershey Felder and constructed by Brandon Rice. It is phenomenal to say the least. Marysol M. Gabriel’s costume design is perfect, outfitting both men in period appropriate garb. Erik S. Barry’s lighting design sets the mood from light to somber that truly adds to the feel of the play. The sound design by Eric Carstensen not only is wonderful in delivering the voice and piano crisply to the audience but adds various environmental sounds and orchestral music to the various pieces. Judi Lewin’s wig and makeup design adds to selling the show. Lastly, the video sequences shown at various times are subtle yet easy to see. In the Tsar’s filmed family sequences Jonathan Silvestri’s wife appears as Grand Duchess Alexandra Feodorovna (the Tsarina) and his own daughter as Anastasia.

If there is only one show that you intend to see at Playhouse Square this season, this is the one. It simply has everything one longs for in a great performance. It is as complete an evening of theater as one could hope for.

The Cleveland Play House production of “Rachmaninoff and the Tsar will be on stage in the Allen Theatre at Playhouse Square in Cleveland, Ohio through March 15, 2026. For more information and tickets go to http://www.clevelandplayhouse.com or call (216) 241-6000.