The Pianist of Willesden Lane

The Pianist of Willesden Lane is supported in part by the Arthur Tracy “The Street Singer” Endowment Fund which honors the legacy of renowned singer and entertainer Arthur Tracy and from the Fisher Family Foundation Visiting Artist Fund.
Discount ticket codes
If applicable, use the following coupon codes:
TJSENIOR65: 10% off for people over 65
EDCJCCMem: 10% off for EDCJCC members
TJBLUESTAR: $15 off for members of the military
TJUNDER35: a $25 ticket for people 35 and under
Based on the book The Children of Willesden Lane
By Mona Golabek and Lee Cohen
Adapted and directed by Hershey Felder
September 12 – 30, 2018
Set in Vienna in 1938 and London during the Blitzkrieg, The Pianist of Willesden Lane tells the true and inspiring story of Lisa Jura, a young Jewish pianist whose dream of making her concert debut at the storied Musikverein concert hall is dashed by the onset of World War II. Despite devastating personal loss, her music enables Jura to endure and pursue her dreams.
Performed by Jura’s daughter, Grammy®-nominated pianist Mona Golabek, The Pianist of Willesden Lane combines enthralling story telling with breath-taking live performances of Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Rachmaninoff, and more.
“This elegant, heartfelt solo show…is an arresting, deeply affecting triumph.” –The Los Angeles Times
Tickets: $44-$74
Running time: 90 minutes with no intermission
Purchase single tickets online or call the Kennedy Center box office at 202.467.4600
To save up to 30%, purchase a 3 or 4- play subscription ticket package for as little as $102!
All tickets will be held at Will Call at the Kennedy Center to be picked up one hour before your scheduled performance.
Open Captioned performance will be September 23 at 7:30 PM
At the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Family Theater
Theater J Season Sponsors
Leading Producers
Arlene and Robert Kogod, The Robert and Arlene Kogod Family Foundation
Sponsoring Producers
Carolyn June Kaplan
The Morningstar Foundation
Nancy and Saul M. Pilchen
The Revada Foundation
The Share Fund
The Shubert Foundation
Supporting Producers
The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities
Hubert M. Schlosberg
Marion Ein Lewin
Post Show Discussions
• | Creative Conversation |
• | Cast Talkback |
• | Sunday Symposium |

All events are free and open to everyone except where noted otherwise. All events and times subject to change. Please check this page for up-to-date announcements.
Date | Discussion |
Sunday, September 16 following the 2:00 PM matinee | Creative Conversation Join Mona Golabek for a conversation about the artistic origins The Pianist of Willesden Lane, her experience of portraying her mother on stage, and the power of music to tell stories. Bring your questions and be prepared to dive a little more deeply into the performance you’ve just witnessed. |
Monday, September 17 following 7:30 PM performance Thursday, Sept. 20 following 12:00 PM performance Wednesday, Sept. 26 following 12:00 PM performance |
Cast Talkback Q&A with Mona Golabek, Grammy®-nominated pianist and solo performer in The Pianist of Willesden Lane. |
Sunday, September 23 following the 2:00 PM matinee | Sunday Symposium Lisa Jura was able to escape Nazi-occupied Vienna on the Kindertransport. Join Elizabeth White, Historian, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) and Esther R. Starobin, a Kindertransport Survivor and Volunteer, USHMM, to discuss the history of this remarkable rescue effort and to learn about the impact it had on the lives of some of the children it saved. To learn more about Kindertransport, please visit the USHMM web site.The USHMM seeks to secure the permanence of Holocaust memory, understanding, and relevance and to create a world in which people confront hatred, prevent genocide, and promote human dignity. |
The Pianist of Willesden Lane is made possible through the support of our production angels
Leading Angels
Ginny and Irwin Edlavitch
Stuart Eizenstat
Myrna Fawcett
Melanie and Larry Nussdorf
The Pianist of Willesden Lane is supported in part by the Arthur Tracy “The Street Singer” Endowment Fund and from the Fisher Family Foundation Visiting Artist Fund.