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!"