Michael Feinstein with Lorna Luft: A Salute to Judy Garland
Michael Feinstein with Lorna Luft
A Salute to Judy Garland
Feinstein’s at the Nikko, San Francisco, CA, September 28, 2016
Reviewed by Steve Murray for Cabaret Scenes
It’s always a special event when the namesake of San Francisco’s crown jewel cabaret venue makes his extended-run appearances, and this tribute to Judy Garland certainly fits this category. Michael Feinstein is the finest ambassador and steward of the Great American Songbook, and his knowledge and experience with its creators is second to none. When he pays tribute to a luminary performer like Garland, you’re not just going to hear her biggest hits sung just like she did (which would be an impossible task in and of itself). Oh no. With Feinstein you’ll hear lesser-known tunes and variations on the tried and true arrangements. A perfect example of his acumen is his take on John Meyer’s “I’d Like to Hate Myself in the Morning,” written for Judy. Feinstein bought the orchestrations from Mickey Deans, Garland’s last husband, and lovingly alters the tempo from the Judy version just enough to make it fresh and new.
The full version of the Yip Harburg/Harold Arlen “If I Only Had a Brain” is a revelation for most of us only familiar with the movie version. Feinstein sings the missing vocal stanzas and the song is fully realized. On “Just in Time” (Comden & Green/Jule Styne), a true Garland classic, Feinstein mines the wistful hope of the lyrics, building to a bigtime climax à la Garland. Adept at both big-time belting and tender ballads, Feinstein offered a medley of the beautifully optimistic Vincent Youmans/Edward Heyman “Through the Years” and “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” Rodgers and Hammerstein’s song of encouragement and comfort from Carousel. A set highlight for me was his lovely plaintive vocal on Noël Coward’s “If Love Were All.”
Feinstein welcomed Lorna Luft to the stage for a trio of her mother’s big, big numbers: “San Francisco” (Bronislaw Kaper/Walter Jurmann/Gus Kahn), the tormented “The Man That Got Away” (Arlen/Ira Gershwin) and “Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody” (Jean Schwartz/Sam M. Lewis/Joe Young), before she and Feinstein closed the show with the iconic Streisand/Garland “Get Happy”/“Happy Days Are Here Again” duet from the 1963 Garland TV show. The medley features that duet and add the “Hooray for Love” sequence which includes snippets from “After You’ve Gone,” “By Myself,” “’S Wonderful,” “How About You,” “After You’ve Gone” and “It All Depends on You.” It may be one the greatest medleys ever assembled and Feinstein and Luft milk it for all it’s worth.
With Michael Feinstein you always know what you’re going to get: pure sophistication, superb arrangements, strong and precise vocals and just the right amount of fascinating backstory and musical history.
Category: Cabaret Reviews, Regional, San Francisco, San Francisco Cabaret Reviews
