I used to go to Feinstein’s around once a month. It was easily my favorite cabaret. I liked the hotel, I liked the sitelines from the seats, I liked the food, I liked the musicians they booked and I liked that you could book for one person whereas at other high toned cabarets you had to book for two minimum.
But for some weird reason I had never seen the namesake owner over the premises, Mr. Michael Feinstein, himself there. The Mr. Piano Man who began his career as Ira Gershwin’s assistant. Actually, that doesn’t quite say it, and it is about as cool a thing to have on your resume as humanly possible so here it is from Wikipedia: “Through the widow of legendary concert pianist-actor Oscar Levant, in 1977 he was introduced to Ira Gershwin who hired him to catalogue his extensive collection of phonograph records. The assignment led to six years of researching, cataloguing and preserving the unpublished sheet music and rare recordings in Gershwin’s home, thus securing the legacy of not just Ira but also that of his composer brother George Gershwin, who had died four decades earlier.”
So, if only for that, right?
However, Feinstein has enjoyed a tremendous career after this, Grammy nominated, Emmy winner, King of The Great American Songbook and the sort of career Michael Buble can only dream of, after Tony Bennet, Feinstein is the man
He is playing a residency at Birdland’s this December and I am going at 830p on Christmas Eve. I am trying to track down rock nyc’s fave cabaret artist Jack Phillips to see if he wants to join me. Ask him to give me a call if you see him.
MEANWHILE…
It’s the New York City Nightclub event of the year!
Michael Feinstein, the multi-platinum-selling, two-time Emmy and five-time Grammy Award-nominated entertainer dubbed “The Ambassador of the Great American Songbook,” is considered one of the premier interpreters of American standards. His 200-plus shows a year have included performances at Carnegie Hall, Sydney Opera House and the Hollywood Bowl as well as the White House and Buckingham Palace.
More than simply a performer, Feinstein has received national recognition for his commitment to celebrating America’s popular song and preserving its legacy for the next generation. In 2007, he founded the Michael Feinstein
Great American Songbook Initiative, dedicated to celebrating the art form and preserving it through educational programs, Master Classes, and the annual High School Vocal Academy and Competition, which awards scholarships and prizes to students across the country. Michael serves on the Library of
Congress’ National Recording Preservation Board, an organization dedicated to ensuring the survival, conservation and increased public availability of America’s sound recording heritage.
Most recently, in April 2013 Michael released a new CD, Change Of Heart: The Songs of Andre Previn, (Concord) in collaboration with legendary composer-conductor-pianist Andre Previn.
Performance Schedule:
Tuesday December 17 @ 8:30pm; Wednesday December 18 @ 8:30pm; Thursday December 19 @ 8:30pm; Friday December 20 @ 8:30pm & 11pm; Saturday December 21 @ 8:30pm & 11pm; Tuesday December 24 @ 9pm; Wednesday December 25 @ 9pm; Thursday December 26 @ 9pm; Friday December 27 @ 8:30pm & 11pm; Saturday December 28 @ 8:30pm
& 11pm.
Ticket Prices:
$200 Front Row Seats (parties of 2 only please);
$150 General Admission- Center Seats;
$100 General Admission- Side Seats;
$75 General Admission- Bar Seats.