Dear Friends and Gentle Hearts

In the world-premiere musical DEAR FRIENDS AND GENTLE HEARTS, Chicago playwright David Biele has explored the music of Stephen Foster and his long-time collaborator George Cooper, to trace the rise and fall of Foster’s career. Set in a run-down bar in the bowery district of New York as Foster celebrates his birthday in 1863, the classic Foster melodies are presented in unusual flashback sequences to trace the career of this American icon. Despite his musical successes, Stephen Foster died alone, with only 23 cents in his pocket, along with a scrap of paper with the words “Dear Friends and Gentle Hearts.”