I am so happy that this show was my return to live performance. I’ve been a fan of Mr. Feinstein for a very long time, and much of the show was made up of songs I’d heard him do several times before. Michael being the sensitive interpreter he is, however, gave every song new layers in keeping with changed times. He gave a warm but wistful twist to this line in his opening song “It’s A Most Unusual Day” : “There are people meeting people / There is sunshine everywhere / There are people greeting people.”

Michael talked about how “The Great American Songbook” – that assortment of timeless songs he is so associated with – is an ever-evolving thing, as he introduced “You and Me Against the World.” Famous from a sentimental hit version by Helen Reddy, Michael really dug into the pain behind the song, which paradoxically made it more comforting.

Sometimes when Feinstein has done Marshall Barer’s Gay Pride-inspired “The Time Has Come” in the past it had something of a dreamy quality. This time there was a new firmness and confidence to it, allowing no doubt that, indeed, “The time has come / to heed a different drum.” Potent.

The show is entitled “Summertime Swing,” and it never swings harder than when Michael tears into Louis Jordan’s jump blues classic “Is You Is, Or Is You Ain’t My Baby” with a vengeance. As always, Michael gives you the story behind the song, which took composer Billy Austin from janitor to successful songwriter.

Michael closed with a stunning medley of songs sung by Frank Sinatra – who had been a help to Feinstein early in his career – ending with a vigorous, rousing version of “Theme from New York, New York” which clearly read as a celebration of the city’s culture returning to something resembling life. Highly recommended.

For tickets, click here.

To learn about Jonathan Warman’s directing work, see jonathanwarman.com.