Adelaide Cabaret Festival – Michael Feinstein: Sings Sinatra

Music royalty is part and parcel of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival and audiences have been treated to many big names this year. None has been more anticipated than multi-platinum artist and American Songbook expert, Michael Feinstein.

An awe-struck audience packed in to the Festival Theatre for this one-night-only closing performance of the festival, indicating that perhaps Feinstein should have been the headliner this year.

Feinstein has a charm and humble quality that immediately brings an intimacy to the vast venue… this is cabaret, not a concert.  Mostly singing Sinatra standards and giving some insight into old Blue Eyes’ shaping of music as we know it today, Feinstein also took a look at some of Sinatra’ contemporaries and other artists who have moulded Feinstein’s career.

Audiences would be forgiven if blown away by the number of names dropped – Liza Minelli, Peter Allen, the Sinatras, Sammy Davis, Ira Gershwin to name a few – all utilised to illustrate a wondrous life filled with talented mentors and supporters.

An accomplished pianist as well as singer, Feinstein also treated the audience to a concerto backed by the hardest working group of musos in this year’s Adelaide Cabaret Festival, the Adelaide Art Orchestra who have never missed a beat and ably supported all the big stars. Thank you AAO – you have made us proud.

Highlights of the night included a Cole Porter selection and a montage of Gershwin hits. This is big band music at world-renowned heights. To have the opportunity to see such talent in Adelaide is a blessing and David and Lisa Campbell (Artistic Directors) should be congratulated on going out on such a high. Life is definitely a cabaret and we can’t wait to see what Kate Ceberano has in store for 2012!

The Michael Feinstein performance was recorded by Foxtel for the Bio channel… look out for it, you won’t be disappointed!