Michael Feinstein and David Hyde Pierce: circumcized and circumspect

Or, DHP.org’s review of the Holiday Show in Peekskill, NY

Don’t let the name fool you – it’s not a holiday show. It’s a cabaret show that happens to fall between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Thankfully, it’s a very entertaining cabaret show, with plenty of crowdpleasing numbers and gentle banter (our heading being inspired by a zinger from David on the differences between Jews and WASPs).

Feinstein kicked off the show with a Johnny Mercer song, then opened the floor to requests; when someone bellowed “‘Our Love Is Here To Stay’!!!” he joked he’d better sing it before he got beaten up. After a few numbers, he invited David onstage, where they briefly recapped their friendship – they met 15 years ago at a Cole Porter benefit, and live a block from each other in LA. “And in New York, we live on the same island,” added David helpfully.

The guys dueted on a couple of numbers – most memorably, on a mutually complimentary version of Cole Porter’s ‘You’re the Top’ and on their show’s rather lovely encore, ‘Married’ from Cabaret. But mostly, it was only one of them holding the stage, with the other running backstage for a bit. David once reintroduced Michael by gesturing to his right, only for Michael to emerge from his left: “He came from that side in Palm Springs” was his excuse.

My Feinstein faves were ‘The Bigger the Figure’, a frantic English translation of an aria from The Barber of Seville; a heartfelt version of ‘Losing My Mind’ from Stephen Sondheim’s Follies; and the aforementioned ‘Our Love Is Here to Stay’.

As for DHP, his version of Flanders and Swann’s ‘Ill Wind’ had the audience in stitches. (The less mature members of the audience – i.e., DHP.org – particularly enjoyed such lyrics as “Where is the devil who pinched my horn? Without that horn I’m feeling so sad and forlorn.” We are but human.) Other highlights were Cole Porter’s ‘The Extra Man’ and John Kander’s gorgeous love song ‘Your Face On My Pillow’.

And then – OMFG! – he did ‘You Won’t Succeed On Broadway.’ Having totally missed Spamalot, DHP.org was most pleased. He introduced it by saying he wanted to do a Hannukah song, but couldn’t find anything to his tastes (“Dreidel, dreidel” – that’s a lyric?”), so this was the best he could do. He also mentioned that he wasn’t going to do any of his songs from Curtains, as they couldn’t really be taken out of context – but the Spamalot numbers were fair game, as “They didn’t make any sense in context.” He sang it both gleefully and apologetically, and ended up just mouthing the “if you don’t have any Jews” line.

All in all, DHP.org emerged from the theatre warm and fuzzy. They’re a good combo, having very different voices and a nice knack for harmonies (David usually taking the lower pitch). They also have different stage presences. Feinstein is a total pro, managing to flash big toothy grins even as he’s hitting the high notes. DHP, on the other hand, tends to ‘act’ the songs a lot more, getting preppy and mischievous, or morose and sentimental, depending on the material.

One disappointment: not much piano-playing from David. He accompanied Michael during ‘The Bigger the Figure’ and the two of them closed the show pounding the keys at the same piano, but unlike Feinstein, he never accompanied himself.

Oh well. Maybe he’ll work up that during the month-long stint at Feinstein’s. “It’ll be different to this,” David said of the run. “You should come!” Hmm … perhaps we shall …