An American Story Tickets

Story of a man we do not know but who should be known. Hershey gives a wonderful show even though he is not sitting at a piano as in his Composer Trilogy. He is a great story teller. The show includes original music based on Stephen Foster themes. Visual effects are projected on drapes and change as needed for the story. Hershey delivers the narrative in 90 minutes without an intermission, so the mood is not disturbed. It ends too soon.

Performance was powerful, patriotic and educational.

Something we did not know about treatment after Lincoln was shot.

Though the storytelling is wonderful, the show seemed incomplete without the master playing the piano.

Around the world are unsung heroes we would never know if not for the consummate story tellers among us. Such is the incomparable Hershey Felder who researched the life of Dr. Charles Augustus Leale and presents through word and music the doctor's mind, heart and words the night he gave aid to President Abraham Lincoln in Ford Theater. Emotional, uplifting, poignant, unforgettable. Those are the elements given to the audience, rivited for 120 minutes of untold history on the remarkable tale of a man called suddenly to assist America's dying President. Like Dr. Leale, we never know what courage we might find inside us when we are unexpectedly confronted with a call to action. Assisting Felder are 11 members of the renowned Ars Viva Symphony Orchestra who accompany the actor as he sings Lincoln's favorite songs by Stephen Foster, and who play the score written by Mr. Felder. A must see for both children and adults.

We have seen just about everything Hershey Felder has perforemed in Chicago. This did not disappoint. Best part for me was when he came out after performance & talked with audiance

This show was wonderful. Mr Felder was able to make the audience feel so many different emotions with only the spoken word. An amazing story about an unforgettable yet humble American.

I loved the production - the theatre is very intimate and probably any seat would be good but I liked sitting up close. I was thrilled to be able to learn more about Lincoln and the history of our country. I hope to see more plays at Royal George during the year.

Took my parents and is a play could take anyone to see. No cursing which is almost unheard of these days. Enjoyed the living history.

The arc of the play is perfect--building steadily to the Ford Theater scene and absolutely gripping from there to the end.

The depth of knowledge of the subject and the deft handling of it with Mr. Felder's skill as a performer made for an incredible time at the theatre. Mr. Felder raises the standard of what one should expect at the the theatre.

I was transformed in time. The story was so interesting, and the way it unfolded captivated my attention. I enjoyed the music as well.

Captivating. Fielder is excellent. He takes us back in time right to the moment of Lincoln's assassination, and we mourn as those who were there mourn.

Anything Hershey Felder does is absolutely wonderful. We will always try to make any performance he does in Chicago. This is one to share with others.

This truly was an amazing performance. So much so that there were several points where many of us in the audience were weeping. Some not so quietly. However, that didn't bother me. I was crying, too for several parts because they rang so very true. The 90 min. flew by because the presentation was so engaging. The orchestra sort of drowned out Hershey a few times, but mostly I was happy for its background sound. There were numerous lessons in this play, but the delivery was not at all didactic. The burden of being the doctor in charge that night is clearly presented. The way if affected Dr. Leale's life is well conveyed. The tone and delivery were consistent. The plot lines-brief bio of the Booth family, Dr. Leale's first view of Lincoln, what happened after that night-frame the story well. And I did look up the speech at the Library of Congress website. It's been digitized for all to see. Hershey's standing ovation was well deserved. The man is brilliant and does excellent research (I'm a librarian). Even as Dr. Leale's father felt he should always be teaching his son, so I would say Hershey Felder is always teaching his audiences. This is some of the best time I've spent in a theater in a while.

Once again Hershey Felder tells a seamless story intertwined with music and facts of history superbly written and wonderfully acted on the stage. The historical facts, mixed with personal life story and music of the day drew me in and I was enraptured from beginning to end. Hershey Felder has a way of telling a story, singing, and capturing the feelings of the day. There were a number of facts I had forgotten about that period in history so I learned as well as being entertained.

This was our fourth Hershey Felder performance. He is truly amazing. How any performer can perform for one and one-half hours and keep the audience engaged is beyond me. The audience was perfectly quiet for the entire performance. This is a wonderful show, but let me warn you, you won't leave the theatre with a warm and fuzzy feeling. The audience did not reward Mr. Felder with a standing ovation afterwards. I think we all were just too awestruck to respond!

I think I have seen every one-man show performed by Hershey Felder and have been wowed by all of them. I look forward to his returns to Chicago each time. However, I was greatly disappointed by An American Story. Mr. Felder is immensely talented and I did enjoy some of the performance, but overall I felt the writing fell short. Some of the songs were inserted at points in the drama that made them rather laughable. EG, "weep no more my lady" directed at Mary Lincoln whose husband has just been shot, seemed just silly.