We all remember Michael
Feinstein. He’s the tuxedo-clad charming
cabaret guy whose stock and trade is the Great American Songbook.
He sings the songs in a
sweet whisper and tells us everything there is to know about Berlin, Gershwin,
Jerome Kern, and all the other great song writers of he 30s and 40s.
But can you make a career
of that limited menu over a span of 30+years? Feinstein can. He is constantly
evolving from his beginnings, and as an example he is coming to Wharton Center
on Saturday for the fourth time with a new Vegas style show with edgy rock
singer, Storm Large (yes, it’s her real name – almost). The show is called
“Shaken and Stirred”.
Feinstein told me, “I’ve
done this kind of collaboration before.
I enjoy working with people I like.
I’ve toured with Rosemary Clooney, Alan Cumming, Nancy Wilson, David
Hyde-Pierce and others.”
Many think of Storm Large
as a brassy rock singer, but she has also done cabaret work, jazz and some
regional Broadway musicals. She has a
much broader repertoire than Portland’s Pink Martini, the band she often sings
with.
“Storm and I are very good
friends who feel comfortable together”, says Feinstein. “She stretches me
musically. Storm is a lady with a large
musical palette. In the show, we both have solo sections and several duets. We’ve performed on and off together for two
or three years.”
This show will feature a
7-piece band, and Feinstein says, “It’s very interactive with the
audience. Very in the moment. We will take requests and we love to
connect. It’s a live experience.”
Feinstein doesn’t stand
still. He made his reputation with very
popular PBS specials 20 years ago but has since purchased a high-end cabaret
club in New York City (Feinsteins), bought another one in California, runs a
summer academy for kids interested in the Great American Songbook and is the
artistic director of The Palladium, a major performing arts center in Carmel (Indianapolis
suburb) Indiana.
“I love learning about the
other side of the entertainment business – it’s been valuable for me. I’m not a
businessman, but I understand audience trends.
This teaches me the economics of it all.”
MICHAEL FEINSTEIN AND
STORM LARGE: SHAKEN AND STIRRED.
WHARTON CENTER GREAT HALL,
EAST LANSING.
TICKET INFO: WWW.WHARTON CENTER.COM
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