By Shari Barrett
Michael Feinstein has built a dazzling career over the last three decades bringing the music of the Great American Songbook to the world. And on Saturday, October 14 in the Bram Goldsmith Theater at The Wallis in Beverly Hills, Feinstein presented the world premiere of his multimedia tribute to iconic artist Liza Minnelli and her legendary father, director Vincente Minnelli.
From recordings that earned him five GRAMMY Award nominations to his Emmy-nominated PBS-TV specials, Feinstein’s concerts have spanned the globe, including appearances at iconic venues such as the White House, Buckingham Palace, Hollywood Bowl, Carnegie Hall, and Sydney Opera House, with his work as an educator and archivist defining Feinstein as one of the most important musical forces of our time. His natural stage presence, incredible singing talent, and great skill on the piano combine into an extraordinary theatrical experience.
This one-night event was a very personal evening of fabulous musical entertainment that included personal recollections of his friendships with Vicente and Liza, during which film clips and songs celebrated his admiration for the two celebrated stars. I especially enjoyed a film clip collage of classic MGM musicals with Feinstein singing a musical tribute to the glory days of Hollywood, each song perfectly timed to the stars singing the lyrics. It was quite a way to start the evening’s celebration of all the magic of movie musicals with more stars than I could count including Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire with their celebrated dancing partners, among many others.
Vincente first met Judy Garland when he directed her in the 1944 movie Meet Me in St. Louis, with his love for the star evident each time she was onscreen. They married in 1945, and Liza made them a family of three in 1946. Film clips went on to celebrate the early life of Liza with her parents through when she exploded into concert, television, and movie stardom, including winning the Academy Award for her triple-threat performance as Sally Bowles in 1972’s Cabaret. Feinstein also shared how he first met and sang with Liza at Vincente’s 1984 Christmas party in Beverly Hills when she decided to sit next to him as he played piano. After several hours singing together, Liza told him they were forever “attached at the hip.”
Feinstein went on to accompany Liza throughout her career and talked about their time together while performing selected songs by Ira Gershwin (Liza’s godfather), Kander and Ebb, among several others they performed together. And the two entertainers remain best friends to this day. Accompanying Feinstein was an incredibly talented trio led by Musical Director Christian Jacob on piano, Chris Colangelo on bass, and Kevin Winard in drums.
After the performance, Feinstein shared with me that plans are in the works to take this concert on tour. I encourage you to see it when it comes to your town so you can thoroughly enjoy the movies, music, and magic that Liza and Vincente Minnelli brought into the world just as much as I did!
Look for my review next week of Sandra Bernhard: Lady of the Canyon in which the pioneer of the one-woman show promises to bring a brand-new, completely unique, and raucous mix of cabaret, side-splitting stand-up, rock-n-roll, and searing social commentary to The Wallis’ Bram Goldsmith stage on October 19. More info and tickets by calling (310) 746-4000 or sending an e-mail to Tickets@thewallis.org.
In his latest solo comedy show Unassisted Residency, based on his Unassisted Living podcast now airing on Tubi, Fritz Coleman reminds audiences why he’s been welcome in people’s homes for nearly four decades, whether as a legendary Los Angeles weatherman or as a tireless comic always developing new material for his act. “This one is about getting older,” shares Coleman, “and, as always, it’s just the truth of my life lately.” Some of his observations included senior retirement living, online dating, and the pitfalls of getting older in the age of social media.
As a youngish 70-something who has dealt with aging in the time of Obamacare, big pharma and the pandemic, Coleman was eager to get back to a “regular” comedy routine after two years of pandemic-era online shows. Fortunately, his age and peer demographic, including friends who have encouraged him to move into their retirement communities, provided lots of comedy material for his new stand-up act. “Most baby boomers don’t really go to comedy clubs anymore, but I started to get invited to speak at a lot of lunches and dinners as Covid wound down that gave me a chance to really work on some material in front of good audiences. So it’s been almost two years’ worth of developing this show.” And given the laughs from start to finish, his Unassisted Residency has hit a home run with aging boomers familiar with his own experiences.
Coleman and his production team also took advantage of Covid-era bingeing – in this case, the acclaimed HBO series “Hacks” – for inspiration. Delighted by the episode where Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) “revives” her tired act in a small nightclub, they sought out the same venue for Unassisted Residency, landing once a month in the intimate Marilyn Monroe Forum room at the El Portal Theatre in NoHo which offers cabaret-style seating for 80 people. As he walked around the audience, seated in a horseshoe formation, Coleman delighted the same generation of comedy fans who grew up with the hilarious extended riffs of George Carlin, Robert Klein, and Richard Pryor – but Coleman delivers his social bites with a gentler touch developed over years of working on local television news, reporting on the weather in a city “with no weather!”
After an opening act featuring a special guest each month, Coleman’s hour-long Unassisted Residency “baby boomer comedy support group” continues monthly in the intimate Monroe Forum at the El Portal Theatre, 5269 Lankershim Blvd. in North Hollywood on November 23, January 14, February 25, and March 24 at 3 p.m. General admission tickets are $45, with ringside cocktail table seating for two available at $70 per table. Tickets by calling (818) 508-4200 or online at https://elportaltheatre.com/fritzcoleman.html
Gang Theater. (Photo courtesy of The Actors’ Gang)
The Actors’ Gang in Culver City is presenting a new revival of their second production, Ivan Goll’s Methusalem or the Eternal Bourgois, a raucous, visionary German Expressionist play from 1922 that remains shockingly relevant today. Directed by founding company member Brent Hinkley, who appeared in the Gang’s original production in 1985, which was directed by Tim Robbins, this play speaks directly to chaotic times. Running October 14 through December 16, the cast includes a mixture of Gang veterans and the new youthful group that drove the energy and success of last year’s revival of the Gangs’ inaugural production from 1982, Ubu the King.
Originally produced at The Actors’ Gang in 1985, the Methusalem production was a milestone for the Gang in that it was the first production in which they applied what they had learned from Georges Bigot in the commedia del arte workshop he ran after his success with Theatre du Soleil at the Olympic Arts Festival in 1984. It centers on the oldest man in the world, Methusalem, a ruthless businessman with a troubled wife and robotic son who finds his daughter seduced by a revolutionary that would overturn his empire. Part dialogue, part dream, the play includes bizarre and surrealistic imagery, including anthropomorphic paintings, silent films, talking ids and superegos, and a bear rug coming to life to lead an animal revolution.
Performances continue through December 18 on Thursdays at 8 p.m. (pay-what-you-can), with regular priced shows on Fridays and Saturdays with drinks at 8 p.m. and the show at 9 p.m. Reserved seat tickets are $35, or $25 for seniors and students. SAG/AFTRA members receive half-off tickets at the door with your card. Reserve seats at https://theactorsgang.com/, via email to boxoffice@theactorsgang.com or by calling (310) 838-4264. The Actors’ Gang Theater is located at 9070 Venice Blvd. in Culver City 90232.
