ENTERTAINMENT
dining room, carry-out and trays
• breakfast • lunch • dinner
• after-theater • kiddie menu
open tuesdays thru sundays
10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
lincoln shopping center, 101/2 mile & greenfield, oak park
•
968-0022
neli Unique
25290 GREENFIELD North of 10 Mile Rd.
967-39991
CATERING FOR ALL OCCASIONS
GOLDEN BOWL Restaurant
22106 COOLIDGE AT 9 MILE In A & P Shopping Center
DINE IN & CARRY-OUT
398-5502 or 398-5503
SZECNUAN, MANDARIN, CANTONESE & AMERICAN CUISINE
OPEN 1 DAYS-Mon.-11mrs. 11-10, Fri. & Sat. 11-11, Sun. & Holidays 1 p.m. to 10 p.m.
• Banquet Facilities
)4ig R(
COMPLETE
CARRY-OUT
AVAILABLE
Your Chef: FRANK ENG
GOLD COIN
OPEN 7 DAYS — YOUR HOST: HOWARD LEW
SZECHUAN, MANDARIN, CANTONESE
NEW A LA CARTE DINNERS UNDER S5
24480 W. 10 MILE (IN TEL-EX.PLAZA)
West of Telegraph
353-7848
INE GREAT WALE
SERVING YOUR FAVORITE EXOTIC
DRINKS & CHOICE COCKTAILS
I
PRIVATE DININ R uum
• BANQUETS • PARTIES • BUSINESS MEETINGS
I
Your host . . . HENRY LUM
Businessmen's Luncheons • Carry outs • Catering
476-9181
(Drakeshire Shopping Center) • 35135 Grand River
KABOB GRILL
Authentic Lebanese and American Cuisine
CARRY-OUT & CATERING AVAILABLE
29702 SOUTHFIELD AT 12% MILE (In Southfield Plaza)
557-5590
SAT. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
MON.-FRI. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
SUNDAY 1 p.m. to 8 p.m.
HOA KOW INN
Specializing In Cantonese, Szechuan & Mandarin Foods
Open Daily 11 to 10:30, Sat. 11 to 12 Mid., Sun. 12 to 10:30
—
13715 W. 9 MILE, W. of Coolidge • Oak Park • 547-4663
— Carry-Out Service
ENJOY
DINNER
OUT
TONIGHT
84
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1989
Life: 'S Wonderful, Marvelous
For Gershwin Maven Feinstein
MICHAEL ELKIN
Special to The Jewish News
L
ife is more a country
inn than a cabaret for
performer Michael
Feinstein, his clear and cozy
voice a soothing, soulful
reminder of romantic times
past.
Popular and polished,
pianist Feinstein brings new
life to the lovely lyrics of Ger-
shwin, Berlin and Kern.
There is a fireplace
smoldering in Feinstein's
soul, embers he stokes with
sensitive renderings of such
hits as "A Fine Romance" and
"Embraceable You."
Feinstein embraces
romance, clutching it to his
heart. "I find that I am get-
ting more joy and satisfaction
from my concerts than ever
before," says the performer.
He certainly has had ample
opportunity to enjoy himself.
Since 1983, when he first
started performing in
cabarets, Feinstein has been
whistling a happy tune all
over the world.
Last year, Michael Feinstein
in Concert playing to SRO
crowds on Broadway, won
Drama Desk and Outer
Critics Circle awards.
Perhaps the greatest
rewards Feinstein has receiv-
ed have been tributes he has
handed out himself Feinstein
especially enjoyed taking part
in last year's Carnegie Hall
fete to Irving Berlin on
Berlin's 100th birthday and
offering a tribute to Gershwin
on CBS-TV's "Sunday Morn-
ing."
But the most important
honor may be the one au-
diences hand him — their ap-
plause. And when Feinstein
goes on the record, he grabs
everyone's attention: Feins-
tein's fourth album, "Isn't It
Romantic," pleased critics and
audiences alike.
Michael Feinstein is in the
mood for love — and au-
diences love it. "I do believe
I was predestined to be doing
exactly what I'm doing" says
Feinstein of his career. "This
is such an important part of
my life, I feel that it is in-
evitable."
Early on, as a youngster
growing up in a Jewish home
in Columbus, Ohio, Feinstein
played to a different drummer
— and it wasn't Ringo Starr.
"I never cared for the
Beatles," he says. Feinstein
was more attuned to such
tunesmiths as Berlin, Ger-
shwin and Oscar Levant. "Le-
Michael Feinstein: Pianist.
.
vant was a hero of mine," he
says. "I was impressed with
his genius."
Feinstein impresses with
his archival knowledge of
musicians' work — which
worked to his advantage
when Ira Gershwin was look-
ing for someone to catalog-the
Gershwin Brothers' legacy of
lyrics and music. Introduced
to Ira by Levant's widow,
June, Feinstein spent six
years cataloging, concluding
his work with the death of
Gershwin in 1983.
But Feinstein was born to
perform, which he started do-
ing that same year. Before
long, Feinstein was apearing
at the Oak Room of the
Algonquin Hotel, attracting
such musical notables as
Leonard Bernstein, Liberace,
Stephen Sondheim and. Cy
Coleman to his performances.
His popularity has proved
so compelling that when
"thirtysomething" producers
went searching for a pianist
to perform in a romantic
dream sequence of the hit
television show they had only
to turn to thirtysomething
Feinstein, whose rendition of
"Isn't It Romantic" gave hope
to Hope and husband
Michael.
For inspiration, Feinstein
has only to tap into his own
background — his mother was
a tap dancer, his dad a barber-
shop quartet singer. "My
parents certainly were my
greatest influences," he says.
Indeed, the arts even played
a part in the Feinsteins'
romance. "They met at the
Columbus Jewish Center,
where they were players with
the theater group," says their
son. "They performed
together in a B'nai B'rith
show!'
Now their son is Mr.
Showman, showing off show
tunes to their best advantage.
"My father says that when I
was just a babe in arms, he
"My father says
that when I was
just a babe In
arms, he would
hum a tune and I
would pick it right
up and hum it
back."
would hum a tune and I
would pick it right up and
hum it back," says Feinstein.
One thing you won't hear
Feinstein doing is singing the
praises of rock music. "It
never interested me," he says.
"I find it boring. It never cap-
tured my attention,"
Feinstein is attentive to the
styles of other performers,
some of whom earn raves
from audiences and rants
from Feinstein.
Ella Fitzgerald, he admits,
"never churned my kishkas."
Frank Sinatra does it his way
— but not Feinstein's way.
"Sinatra was a phenomenal
singer, but he always got in
the way of songs for me!"