Review of Jackie
Evancho’s Guest Performance with Michael Feinstein at Feinstein’s/54 Below, New
York City (Manhattan)
August 23, 2019
Riding
from Boston to New York City on the Greyhound bus, to attend a cabaret show
where Jackie, a guest performer, would sing at most 3 or 4 songs, I wondered if
I had finally lost my mind. This would be my 14th time since 2013 watching
Jackie perform live. I had already seen her perform twice this year, including
her performance in April at this same venue, and I had tickets for two more of
her concerts later this year.
Well, the logical left side of my brain tried to tell me that I had indeed lost my mind, but the emotional right side of my brain just as quickly dismissed that notion. I once flew from Boston to Pittsburgh, and stayed overnight in a hotel, in order to watch Jackie perform three songs at a private appearance in the WQED television studio. Was that worth it? Well, you be the judge – I sat in the front row, about 4 feet from Jackie. She sang “Take Me There,” “Your Love” and “Je t’aime” and then stayed around for a very nice long meet and greet. Enough said.
The
bus ride from Boston was pleasant enough, but we arrived in Manhattan very late
– already an hour behind schedule – and due to Friday afternoon rush hour
traffic, the driver advised us that it would take another hour just to get to
the Port Authority Bus Station. In short, it looked like I was going to miss
dinner, and as much as the first 20 minutes of the show. Fortunately, the
driver let me get off the bus before we got to the station, within easy walking
distance of the club. I arrived about 15 minutes before the show started – just
enough time for a quick dinner.
The
club has “cabaret style” seating, so I knew solo guests like me would be
sharing a table with three other people. I had paid for a “good” table, but
exactly where you sit is up to the maître d’, and I was so late, I was
afraid that the “best” good tables would already be full. I stuck a couple of
20’s in my fist, and was prepared to pony up a nice tip to the maître d’ if
that was going to make the difference.
Fortunately, no tip was necessary. I was promptly seated front and center at the exact same table where I sat for Jackie’s solo show last April. How close was I to the stage? Well, I could have rested my elbow on the stage during dinner.
Fortunately, no tip was necessary. I was promptly seated front and center at the exact same table where I sat for Jackie’s solo show last April. How close was I to the stage? Well, I could have rested my elbow on the stage during dinner.
My three table mates were all Jackie Evancho “first-timers” – two of them – a very nice mother-daughter duo from Alabama - had taken the time earlier that day to watch the YouTube video of Jackie’s first appearance on America’s Got Talent. My third table mate – an older gentleman from Connecticut who came specifically to see Michael Feinstein – had no prior exposure to Jackie’s music. Needless to say, it was fun to watch their reaction.
Speaking
of “first-timers,” I had no prior exposure to Michael Feinstein’s music. During
my previous visit to the club for Jackie’s show last April, I learned that the club’s
owners, four Broadway producers, thought highly enough of Michael’s talent to enter
into a “creative alliance” with him and to add his name to the name of the club.
Accordingly, I assumed that I would be, well, pleasantly entertained. Boy, was
I surprised…
In
a word, Michael’s show was fabulous. Being the official archivist for
the so-called “Great American Song Book,” his knowledge of this body of work is
unmatched. Some of the songs he chose were iconic, with nods to Ira Gershwin
and of course, the late great Bobby Short, who played piano at the legendary
Café Carlyle for 35 years. Some of the songs were lesser-known, but Michael performed
them flawlessly with the casual sophistication perfectly suited to a small New
York City cabaret/supper Club.
In
preparing for my review, I came across a review of Michael’s show written for
DC /Metro by Deb Miller. She attended one of his performances the week before I
was there. After reading her review, I despaired of ever being able to describe
Michael’s performance anywhere near as well as Ms. Miller did, so I’m going to cop
out and reproduce much of her review here. I have omitted her comments about
Melissa Manchester, Michael’s special guest performer for that show.
Review: ‘Michael Feinstein: I Happen to Like New York’
at Feinstein’s/54 Below
“For his annual summer engagement at
Feinstein’s/54 Below, the eponymous multi-platinum Grammy-nominated artist
celebrates the songs, entertainers, and musical history of our city in Michael Feinstein: I Happen To Like New York. And what a celebration it is! Joined by a series of
special guests throughout the month (beginning with Marilyn Maye, followed by
Melissa Manchester, who appeared on the date I attended, and closing with
Jackie Evancho), the golden-throated and ever-charming Feinstein shares not
only his encyclopedic knowledge of New York’s classics, but also his personal
reminiscences of the iconic numbers, people, and moments that made him a
lifelong fan and advocate.
The
mood of the evening was upbeat, warm, and personable, as the enthusiastic
Feinstein introduced his selection of songs to the audience with fascinating
tidbits about their creation, the significance of their lyrics, the stars who
made them popular, and his own experiences and thoughts on performing them.”
(Here, Ms. Miller discusses some of the specific songs that Michael sang that night. I’m going to omit this section of her review, because I’m not sure if Michael sang the same songs the night I saw the show).
(Here, Ms. Miller discusses some of the specific songs that Michael sang that night. I’m going to omit this section of her review, because I’m not sure if Michael sang the same songs the night I saw the show).
Her
review continues: “In a heartfelt segment in between [these songs], Feinstein
paid special tribute to the acclaimed cabaret singer and pianist Bobby Short,
whose rendition of Cole Porter’s “I Happen To Like New York” (1930) inspired
the name of the present show…. Short became a fixture at Manhattan’s Café
Carlyle, performing and preserving “The Great American Song” of the first half
of the 20th century, inspiring Feinstein to continue his mission and
to honor him on the cabaret stage with blockbuster versions of “I’m Confessin’”
and “From This Moment On…”
A
natural entertainer, Feinstein never failed to impress with his engaging style
and masterful voice – flawlessly melodic, smooth, and refined, with an
outstanding richness, range, and capacity to hit, and to hold, the big notes.
He also brought bits of comic relief to his performance, presenting a hilarious
parody of Kander and Ebb’s wildly popular “New York, New York” of 1977, with
revised lyrics begging us not to make him sing it again (for the millionth
time!), and sharing funny anecdotes… [which] served to immerse the audience in
the unforgettable memories, music, and spirit of old New York.
If
you’ve ever wondered why one of Manhattan’s premiere nightclubs, Feinstein’s/54
Below, was named in his honor, be sure to catch “Michael Feinstein: I Happen
to Like New York” there and you’ll have your answer. He is the consummate
cabaret performer, dedicated champion of “The Great American Songbook,” and
enthusiastic devotee of the city and its musical legacy. And if that weren’t enough,
he also has great taste in guest stars. Melissa Manchester appears with
Feinstein through August 20, and Jackie Evancho joins him from August 21-23.” -
Deb Miller, August 17, 2019’
You can find Ms. Miller’s complete review online at:
You can find Ms. Miller’s complete review online at:
With apologies to Ms. Miller, and many
thanks for her well-written review, I do have a few comments of my own to add
about Michael’s performance. He wrapped up his solo performances with exquisite,
intimately emotional renditions of two very surprising yet inspired song
choices: “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight,” written and recorded by James Taylor
(1972); and “One Less Bell to Answer,” written in 1967 by Burt Bachrach and Hal
David and recorded most famously in 1970 by The Fifth Dimension, featuring the
fabulous Marilyn McCoo.
Apart
from his obvious musical talents, my own over-arching impression of Michael was
that he is a genuinely nice person. It was not surprising then, that there was
great chemistry between him and that other genuinely nice person on the stage,
namely, Jackie Evancho.
Their
duets were reminiscent of Jackie’s duet of “Say Something” with another
Broadway fixture, Cheyenne Jackson. Interestingly enough, back in 2009, Michael
and Cheyenne performed a highly-acclaimed two-man cabaret show in New York
City, entitled “The Power of Two”. It’s a small world indeed.
Incidentally,
there is a CD available for Michael and Cheyenne’s show. Oh, and if you like
that CD, and want to hear more of Michael’s music, be prepared to dig deep into
your cookie jar. Michael has released an astounding total of 32 CD’s: 28 in the
studio, 3 live performances and 1 compilation CD. And somehow he still has time
to perform about 150 times a year.
After
Michael performed a few songs, Jackie took the stage, looking absolutely
stunning in an impossibly short, intensely sparkly, uh… thing. It was the same thing she
wore in April for her encore. I’ve
since been told that it was a “blazer dress” – I’d say mostly blazer, not much
dress. It was spectacular. There are plenty of pictures online if you want to check it out.
For her solos, Jackie sang two songs from her
new CD “Debut:” “Burn” from “Hamilton” and “She Used to Be Mine” from
“Waitress.” The latter, fast becoming my favorite, was also a clear crowd
favorite. I suspect many people in the audience who had never seen Jackie
perform were nonetheless familiar with this song.
Jackie’s
renditions of these two songs were wonderful -quintessentially “Jackie” - at
times heartbreakingly soft and delicate, at times soaring and powerful. Just as
I recalled from her two shows I attended earlier this year (Cabot Theatre, Beverly, Massachusetts, in February, and Feinstein's/54 Below, New York City, in April), every move, every
expression, every vocal nuance was musically honest and emotionally authentic, in
perfect service to the song. As before, Jackie was in total command of her art.
Jackie’s
other two songs for the evening were duets with Michael. I thought the song
choices – “When You Wish Upon a Star,” from “Pinocchio” (1940) and “Somewhere,”
from “West Side Story” (1961), were predictable and a bit weak.
However,
I think these songs gave Michael and Jackie the opportunity to “connect” with
each other, by truly singing “together,” for each other, as opposed to merely singing
simultaneously at the audience. They
clearly respected each other’s talent - neither tried to musically overpower
the other. Jackie has always been instinctively very good at adjusting her
voice to blend well with her duet partner, and Michael was obviously very adept
at this as well.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention
the trio of musicians who backed up Michael and Jackie – drums, guitar, and
piano. They were excellent, especially the piano player – hey, if you’re going
to cover Ira Gershwin and Bobby Short, you’d better be awfully good. By the
way, Michael took a few very impressive turns himself on the piano. Bobby Short
is surely smiling down on him from piano heaven.
Jackie has planted herself smack in the
middle of the rarefied atmosphere of the Broadway theater scene, and has
connected with some very influential people. My opinion? It’s just a matter of
time before she’ll get the opportunity to star in a Broadway show. Dare we hope
for “The Phantom?”
-Steve Fischer,
September 8, 2019
P.S. Happy
Birthday wishes are due to Michael. He turned 63 yesterday - though he could
easily pass for mid-forties.
