Review: Michael Feinstein and Marilyn Maye Give a Master Class in 'Summertime Swing' at Feinstein's/54 Below

Summertime brings to mind nighttime fireflies, lemonade that makes your lips pucker, rocking chairs creaking on the front porch, and, like the famous Porgy and Bess tune of the same name, melodies that trickle into the night. Summertime Swing is the latest masterpiece and collaboration at its finest by the legendary Michael Feinstein and Marilyn Maye, evoking a sultry, steamy love letter to the fleeting season and a prime example of craft, art, and passion.

The moment I walked into the dining room at Feinstein's/54 Below, where Summertime Swing played through September 1 a fashionably dressed gentleman greeted me with, "It's a fantastic show." The packed house was already alive with thrilling enthusiasm as they eagerly waited for the show to start. When you attend a show headlined by a golden age cabaret great and a prolific "music revivalist" who happens to have the venue named for him, you come expecting to be no less than entertained. Summertime Swing elevated the art of summer entertainment tenfold--- a tribute to anything we could hope for in the last days of summer.

Feinstein took the stage and the room roared with applause, to which he replied with a high-pitched, sing-songy, "Yay!" Appropriately for the 9:43 start on this 9:30 show, he greeted us with the lyrics, "It's later than you think" and the reminder, "Enjoy yourself" with his bouncy opening medley, fingers gliding across the piano keys as he sang before abruptly jumping from the piano with an emphatic, "Take it, Tedd!" to pass the baton to Musical Director Tedd Firth. Firth is a New York jazz great, having played everywhere from the White House to Carnegie Hall, and working with cabaret legends like Maureen McGovern and Karen Akers. With a musical savvy which matches Feinstein's, the two make a great pair for the evening.

Feinstein's sparkling voice beautifully compliments his sprawling piano solos, and much attention is given to the exquisite interpretation of each lyric, emphasizing each phrase with a specific intention and making it appear as though each word is personally addressed to each audience member. Feinstein has proved himself highly skilled in his song choices and his meticulously arranged medleys. Reflecting on Father Time in his first medley, which included "The Things We Did Last Summer," "Enjoy Yourself" and" Old Man Time," Feinstein warns, "He changes you."

From the start, Feinstein makes us feel right at home in "his home." After the opening number, he greeted audience members personally with some playful banter, and then, in a sincere aside, said it was a "blessing to be with all of [us] tonight." Mark McClean keeps a bouncing drumbeat, and Sean Smith sways back and forth as he strums the bass. Feinstein's voice is as strong as ever, and the three men create a lovely soundtrack for reflecting on the final days of summer, full of bluesy romance, nostalgia, and whimsy.

For those of us who have only heard Feinstein's contemplative ballads, sung with precision and poignancy, it was a pleasant surprise to witness what a full-force entertainer he is--- and quite the comedian! His light patter with the audience about New York "discounts," "newbies on the theatre scene" like Stephen Sondheim, and the sweltering summer heat all made for an enjoyable, lighthearted tone. Feinstein is a word maven, and his interpretations are clearly intended to passionately serve the music and lyrics. As he says, "Songs tell stories," and Feinstein was extremely effective at opening up these songs into stories that resonated within the hearts of the entire crowd.

Following a moving rendition of "Losing My Mind" from Sondheim's Follies, he lightened the tone with the Sinatra classic, "Without a Song," declaring, "If you don't know this song, you've come to the wrong show." The tone once again shifted with Jimmy Webb's solemn "Didn't We." The audience applauded to this heart-breaking ballad, clearly moved, to which Feinstein lightened the tone with, "I don't know about you, but after that, I feel lousy. But it's cathartic, therapeutic, right?" It's true. The art of storytelling is cathartic for a performer, but to move an audience in a true gift that Feinstein effortlessly possess.

This was never a more appropriate introduction for the great Marilyn Maye to take the stage, dressed in a sparkling blue blazer, majestically waving to rousing applause as she was carefully escorted up the stairs to the stage and greeting us with a husky, "Good evening." From what I had heard about her other recent appearances, I was prepared for a spellbinding performance, but I was stunned by how at her age, her vibrato is as youthful as ever, and her tone is still sparkling, resonant and pure. Her first song, "Look To the Rainbow," (Burton Lane and E.Y. Harburg) was part of cleverly constructed "rainbow" medley, ending with "The Rainbow Connection" from The Muppets. I had never taken the line as funny before, but by the time she got to this final song in her medley, the audience erupted with laughter when she finally got to this lovely tune's first line with some unexpected snark: "Why are there so many songs about rainbows?"

Vocally, Maye is flawless and ends the song on a powerful belt most 30 year olds would envy. At 88, Maye has a youthful glow to accompany her radiant smile, and a kindly, grandmotherly quality in her banter back and forth with Feinstein, referring to him as "her kid." She reflects on the first time she met him with his parents in Toledo, and "knowing he was going to be destined for greatness one day." There is a rapport that is lovely to watch among these two greats, and you can't help but feel like you're a welcome guest at a family dinner. You can tell how much fun the talented duo is having, along with how much they want the audience to be part of it. Their duets on songs like "It's a Most Unusual Day" from 1948's A Date With Judy are delightful to listen to, and the harmonies are satisfyingly smart. This act feels like a sultry summer soiree that we've all been graciously invited to, complete with bouncing bass lines, swinging jazz waltzes, and heartfelt ballads.

Feinstein takes the stage again, asking for requests for the rest of the night's "blank set list" before incorporating several of them into a beautiful, impromptu medley. As the jam-packed night comes to a close, each number gets bigger and better, starting with a grand "Hello Dolly" and ending with a moving "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye" (Cole Porter) and "For Love Alone" (Feinstein/Marshall Barer). His lives up to his own lyrics quite poignantly: "Like the ashes from the phoenix, I will rise and soar the skies."

Summertime Swing is everything that cabaret embodies and should continue to stand for. There is no end to the energy, craft, and entertainment that goes into this show. This riveting night is a tribute to the eclectic spirit of summer which we can only hope to take with us all year long.

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