Box office smash
Pianist/actor/playwright/producer Hershey Felder broke his own box office record for single ticket sales pre-opening night for TheatreWorks Silicon Valley’s current production of “Rachmaninoff and the Tsar.” The show is the last in Felder’s series of composer plays, which have seen him portray musicians from Beethoven to Irving Berlin.
“Rachmaninoff and the Tsar” is a first in another way, as Felder is appearing opposite another actor for the first time: British-Italian Jonathan Silvestri as Russia’s last tsar, Nicholas II.
In this memory play Rachmaninoff, having safely left Russia during the 1917 revolution, recalls meeting the tsar and his daughter, the Grand Duchess Anastasia.
“Rachmaninoff and the Tsar” runs through Feb. 9 at Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St. Tickets are $34-$115 at TheatreWorks.org or 877-662-8978.
Library play spaces
The Santa Clara County Library District is creating interactive children’s spaces in all of its libraries, including the Los Altos branch. Storybook SCCLD play spaces are designed to promote the five early learning principles of Every Child Ready to Read: talking, singing, reading, writing and playing.
The first play space is due to be installed at the Saratoga Library on Jan. 20, with installation at the Los Altos Library set for March 4-May 17. To keep patrons safe during construction, the children’s room will be closed to the public during installation at each library. Children’s materials will be made available in other parts of the library.
For more information, visit https://sccld.org/storybooksccld.
