Michael Feinstein Tells All About Singing & Sparring with Dame Edna

Michael Feinstein reigns as one of the most celebrated interpreters of classic American songs, which he performs at a grand piano in sophisticated, tuxedoed style. So what’s he doing co-starring on Broadway with Dame Edna Everage, the brash, bejeweled, lavender-haired comic creation of Australian actor Barry Humphries? The short answer: performing the music he loves and having fun playing the straight man (comedically speaking) with a Dame who knows how to get a laugh. Their show, All About Me, sets them up as rivals, but Feinstein says the collaboration has been friction-free and totally enjoyable. Midway through previews at Henry Miller’s Theatre, Feinstein gave Broadway.com a wide-ranging interview, speaking frankly about theatrical gossip (he ignores it) and touchingly about becoming a public face in the marriage equality movement since he and longtime partner Terrence Flannery were wed by Judge Judy Scheindlin on October 17, 2008.

What appealed to you about pairing up with Dame Edna for a Broadway show?
I’ve had many opportunities to go back to Broadway, but I didn’t want to do something obvious—another “in concert” show or a part in a musical that somebody might expect me to do. This was an idea that excited me because it had the potential of surprising an audience but also would give people what they wanted to see from me.

Is it odd to put together a show with Barry Humphries and co-star with Dame Edna? When he’s in character, it’s like he’s a different person.
They are two different people.

You say that very seriously.
Well, I’ve never seen them together [laughs].

How has the show changed during previews? Early on, there was an intermission, right?
The first two previews had an intermission, and then our wonderful director, Casey Nicholaw, suggested we try it without one. Everybody was skeptical at first, but we immediately realized that it worked as a 90-minute musical entertainment. Originally, there was a lot of back and forth and “fighting” about whose show it is, and that went on too long. The audience wanted to see us pair up sooner, so we had to cut some things that were wonderful. For example, we had a delightful sequence where we get a Skype call from Judge Judy, whom you see on a video screen. She yells at us and tells us we have to put a show together. It got a great reaction from the audience, but it took too much time. Judge Judy went to a lot trouble to create this sequence, and we were more disappointed than she was that it wasn’t used.

Has working out the kinks during previews been fun for you?
I have been exhilarated by the process. I put my [solo] shows together very quickly. I’m the writer, the director—I do it all myself. The collaborative process with this show is wonderful. The changes have all been very manageable, even though there are times when you try to remember a line or what song comes next. Casey is delightful to work with, and our musical director, Rob Bowman, has been a godsend. I was able to steal him away from La Cage, which delights me because I knew he was perfect for me, for Edna and for the show.

Are you happy with the decision to open this show directly on Broadway rather than trying out somewhere else first?
I am, because I don’t read anything that’s written about me. I haven’t since 1986, and it was the happiest choice I ever made. People have told me that bloggers are saying all kinds of things—I understand that people came to the first preview and then were saying disparaging things.

Commenting on a first preview is silly.
Well, it’s just short-sighted. It’s a lot more interesting to write negative things than positive things. But I have to say, some of the things we’ve heard about controversy and fighting delight me because you can’t buy that kind of publicity [laughs].

Your husband [Terrence Flannery] and Barry Humphries’ wife [Lizzie Spender] have “co-conceiver” credits. That makes people wonder how everybody is getting along and who’s doing what.
Lizzie came up with the idea of us being double booked. Terrence came up with a number of other key ideas that we’ve used. We don’t even remember who came up with what—sometimes I think it was my idea and Terrence thinks it was his. The idea of having two separate Playbills [one with Feinstein as solo star and the other with Dame Edna] has never been done. You have to get a special dispensation from Actors’ Equity because you can’t have a Playbill without an actor’s name listed in it. That has confused a lot of people, which again, I find delightful.

Did it take you a while to get used to being the brunt of Dame Edna’s jokes?
I love it. Every show is fresh and different, and it’s a great challenge to stay in character and keep the thread of the show going. I suppose many people would say, “There’s no way I’m going on stage with Dame Edna,” but the challenge of doing that was irresistible. It’s a great education in comedy for me to learn to be a Jack Benny or a George Burns type character.

I enjoyed Dame Edna’s interpretation of “The Ladies Who Lunch.” Was that your idea?
No, actually “Ladies Who Lunch” was something she did at a Sondheim tribute a few years ago, and it was very well received by everybody present except the Sondheim Society, which wrote disparaging things in their newsletter. But according to Dame Edna, Steve Sondheim hates the Sondheim Society, so it’s okay.

She performs those lyrics very precisely.
Well, we’ve already received a threatening e-mail from Sondheim warning us that he is regretting his generosity in granting us rights to his music, hearing that Dame Edna is massacring his work [laughs].

Was Sondheim joking?
I assume so. We have not been denied the rights to the music. Nonetheless, it’s clear that Sondheim is not a fan of Edna’s vocal prowess—let’s say that.

What’s fun about performing on a Broadway stage versus at Feinstein’s [at Loews Regency]?
One thing that’s exciting about Broadway is that I’m performing a lot of the music I love where it was created. I’m only at Feinstein’s once or twice a year—a Christmas run, and another one- or two-week gig. Last year, I played Carnegie Hall, the Boston Pops, the Hollywood Bowl, and the Fourth of July on the lawn of the Capitol, so I’m accustomed to doing not only intimate places but also very, very large venues.

Your recent duet shows at Feinstein’s [with Cheyenne Jackson, Christine Ebersole and David Hyde Pierce] have been really successful. You obviously enjoy trying new things.
That’s what’s kept my career thriving—I’ve never been content to do the same thing over and over. If I had just stuck to playing and singing classic songs solo, I would have a decent career but it wouldn’t have evolved the way this one has. People want fresh experiences. Even though these days, some people think, “Oh, he’s that guy that owns a nightclub!”

You do own Feinstein’s?
I’m partners with the Tisch family.

How much time does that take? Do you have to sign off on everybody who’s booked?
I’ve gotten to the point where I don’t always do that. John Iachetti, who runs the room, is responsible for booking. When I created the club, I did not want to be in the position of having friends asking me for jobs. So that was something I immediately delegated. But certainly there is input from me.

Who are your favorite living singers?
One of my all-time favorite singers is not very well-known these days, and her recordings are very hard to find. That’s Gogi Grant, who was a sensational singer with the dynamism of Judy Garland. She is now in her mid 80s and didn’t have a big career because of personal choices she made. Tony Martin, who’s 96, has always been a favorite. Of more contemporary performers, I’ve always loved k.d. lang’s voice. There’s a wonderful singer named Rebecca Kilgore who isn’t as well known as I wish she were. Joyce Breach is a fantastic singer.

How do you feel about some of the younger people who’ve become popular singing standards—Michael Buble, for instance?
I think Michael Buble has a great voice. I booked him when I had a Feinstein’s on the West Coast, his first major gig in the States, actually. I like him more when he sings pop stuff. When he first started doing the songs that Sinatra sang, with the exact same arrangements, it seemed redundant. I feel like he is very carefully engineered in the studio, but he does have talent.

Your romantic duets with Cheyenne Jackson make a subtle political statement. Have you gotten more political [about marriage equality] since your wedding?
Getting married was a statement—and it became political, whether I wished it to or not. I think the important thing is to live one’s life honestly and comfortably. I’ve found that letting go of the fear of expressing who I am has been the most successful way to help change people’s points of view. For example, I was asked to perform at the White House on Valentine’s Day during George W. Bush’s administration. Everybody said, “Oh, you’re not going to do it, are you?” Well, I did do it, even though I didn’t share his political views, because I felt that the White House is for everybody, and that it was my right as a citizen to go to the White House. I also realized that if I demonize the people with whom I disagree and never have dialogue with them, there’s no possibility of change.

What happened?
I went to the White House and met many friends of the Bush family who were largely conservative and Republican. I had a wonderful time and introduced everybody to Terrence as my partner. One of the conditions was if I went to the White House, he would have to be introduced as my partner and we would be treated as a couple, and they honored that. I met Justice Alito from the Supreme Court, who told me that he and his wife are fans of mine, and met many other people who affect what happens in our country. And they met two people who, hopefully, they enjoyed talking to and connected with on a human level. That’s how we evolve—by finding the commonality in our lives.

See Michael Feinstein in All About Me at Henry Miller’s Theatre.