Feinstein’s at Hotel Carmichael Presents: Michael Feinstein Returns to Carmel With All-New Show

June 2022

Show Dates: July 27, July 28 and July 29, 2022

Doors: 5:30 p.m.

Showtimes: 7:30 p.m.

Location: Feinstein’s Cabaret

1 Carmichael Square

Carmel, IN 46032

Two-time Emmy and five-time Grammy Award-nominated Michael Feinstein returns to the club bearing his name with an all-new show featuring an eclectic mix of classics from the Great American Songbook, as well as some contemporary surprises.

A $25 Food and Beverage minimum will be required of all patrons. For tickets and additional information, visit feinsteinshc.com.

It is always a pleasure to speak with Michael Feinstein, and it is a true joy to hear him speak about performing in Carmel. In this particular instance, we spoke about how Feinstein’s at Hotel Carmichael and Carmel, Indiana, is developing a reputation throughout the industry as a “must-perform” club and city.

Feinstein also shared what his fans and audiences can expect to hear during his upcoming shows at the club this coming July.

Janelle Morrison: What are your thoughts on how the club has been developing since its grand opening?

Michael Feinstein: This club is the first one I’ve been involved with that was built, literally, from the ground up. It gave us all—collectively—the opportunity to create something that was not only purpose-built but, hopefully, would fulfill all the needs and desires of the patrons and the performers.

We really put our hearts and souls into the room, and I think the result is a very comfortable room that just feels welcoming and is something that heightens the experience—the performing experience, the music experience—because it just makes everybody feel good the minute that you walk into the room. And that’s something we all hoped for, and I think it [the room] has a certain energy that people feel the minute they are there.

JM: What is the feedback that you are receiving from some of the performers who have performed at Feinstein’s in Carmel and how are they comparing it to other venues?

Feinstein: The feedback from the many performers that have worked there has been extraordinarily positive. Because, as entertainers, we play so many different places, and to find a jewel like this one in the Midwest, I think, is probably initially surprising for performers, and that becomes something that they look forward to because it’s devoid any of the negative that sometimes can afflict a club.

JM: You mentioned that the performers have shared with you their delight in having exquisite accommodations in addition to performing in this gorgeous room.

Feinstein: With a night club there’s always the part that the audience sees, and then there’s the infrastructure and the backstage [environment]. For performers, sometimes, we play beautiful rooms, and then the dressing rooms are horrible because that’s not where the money goes—that’s not where the thought goes. And so, we’ve tried to make it gratifying on every level.

It’s rather amazing to me because you cross your fingers and hope and just see what happens. And I never could have dreamed that this would become, truly, a destination for people—not only audiences but for performers as well.

JM: I understand that there are discussions about using the room in experiential ways to increase the awareness of this fabulous venue and all that it currently offers and can potentially offer.

Feinstein: I think the room has not reached its full potential yet. I see it being used as a club—it could be a dance club or an after-hours hangout. It can have a longer life during the week and weekends. It can be a room that can become a different kind of experiential thing, and we’re now starting to explore further use of this space because it is so special.

JM: Share with me more about your upcoming performances here in Carmel, Indiana, and what your fans and audiences can expect?

Feinstein: This year is celebrating the centenary of Judy Garland and Peggy Lee—because it was delayed by a year because of COVID—and Doris Day. I’m planning on doing a show that celebrates the music of those three ladies. I will be doing my full-scaled “Judy Garland” show, which is a multimedia show with home movie and photographs and such, next April at the Palladium [in Carmel, Indiana], but this will be an intimate tribute to those three dames, along with some other music that I think is appropriate for the times. But the centerpiece will be celebrating their mutual legacies. There’s a lot of eclectic music there, in addition to music that people will know and love. It’s always fun to come up with a concept that will bring things that are familiar but will also have a lot of surprises for the audience.

For more information on Michael Feinstein’s tribute to Judy Garland—Get Happy: Michael Feinstein Celebrates the Judy Garland Centennial at the Palladium on Saturday, April 29, 2023, at 8 p.m. ET, visit thecenterpresents.org.