Mr Jackson at Feinstein's — Page 2

OMG... he was incredible. He told stories in between every song, and each one was funnier than the last. I could listen to him talk for hours... and then he opens his mouth to sing *sighs* I get chills every time. It was totally a mesmerizing evening... well worth the money, even though the food is overpriced.

And if you go to Feinstein's double check your bill. They overcharged us on both a salad AND a cocktail. We sent the bill back twice to be adjusted. And I spoke to somebody else there who had the same problem last night.

I spent about 45 minutes in the lobby talking to Foster & friends and then I found out later Cheyenne came out just seconds after I left
Oh well s--t happens, but it's okaaay cause I had a wonderful night watching this remarkable man... and I walked out on cloud nine ... I think we all did.

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If you do SRO, can you just opt to not have a table?

MillieDillmount, you don't need to spend $100 on food at Feinstein's. We spent $100+ each which included the $50 cover for general admission and the $40 minimum, plus tax and tips. I had a Cobb Salad for $25 and a bottle of sparkling water. You can also have a pizza or burger and fries, both in the $20 range. As far as seating goes, we had general admission tickets, got there at 6:30 for the 8:30 show and the room was more than half full already. I talked to friends who'd gone before and they recommended going that early, and I also let the people at Feinstein's know in advance we were going to have dinner and they were very nice to us. They seated us where they wanted us, and we had good seats. I saw other people who came later complain about their seats and move. We were 3 tables from the right side of the stage, against the wall, so we got to see Chey sing in profile most of the time, but he played to the whole room and worked the whole stage. There was a gigantic mirrored column directly across from him so we could also see his reflection and the full frontal performance the whole time. The sound was fine, and we were happy because we were out of the way of traffic. The room was packed and waiters had a tough time getting through to serve, and some friends who paid for premium seats (which are directly in front of the stage) had to keep getting up to let the waiters go by. So my advice is get there early to get good seats, because another friend who had premium seats was told there were no more left when she got there (!) and was offered a free dinner. BTW, I understand that Cheyenne did not come out to the lobby until about 10:30, and we were already home by then.

As of now I have standing room....does anyobe know if I will increase the chances of getting a seat at a table if I get there early? Seems like they would want to get people into as many seats as possible since then they can charge you for drinks and minimum etc.

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I like Cheyenne a lot, but I find Feinstiens prices and service obscene. I've missed many performers I'd would have to have seen there, but I'll live.

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Hate to sound like a broken record here - but, I've been to Feinstein's quite a few times, and have yet to experience the awful food and service that so many people refer to.

Interesting how some people find it expensive.....are there people out there who think that they can see a show there for, say $10? How is that possible? This is how the performer and the musicians earn their living.

I completely agree with you - absolutely. And, I can see both sides of the situations, of course. But, when you're not used to it, I can see how it can be expensive.

I think most people aren't looking at the big picture. A Broadway theatre seats over 1,000 vs. an intimate nightclub that can seat, maybe 75 at the most. A Broadway show will run for months and months and years and constantly have money coming in. Rather than a 3-4 night gig where all the money needs to be made fast, and as much as possible.

Every performance at Feinstein's has a food & beverage minimum. I think when I saw Linda Eder the first time there it was $60, and another time it was $75. It all depends on the performer, day of the week, busy season, etc.

The bottom line is the same, It's a business - this is how the hotel and the performer make their money.

Updated On: 3/4/09 at 01:22 PM

The great thing about Feinstein's is also that you are able to see performers there who may never be on Broadway again...like Linda Eder and Betty Buckley. I, for one, will be dropping $100 in a couple months to see the brilliant Barbara Cook perform there. She will certainly never do Broadway again at her age, and it will be a real treat to see her in such an initimate venue (even if the food and drinks are very overpriced).

are there people out there who think that they can see a show there for, say $10?

Uh, yeah. Most of the time I only spend between $10-50 per show. The ticket itself to Feinstein's isn't the problem, but the food/drink minimum is exorbitantly overpriced. The minimum at Joe's Pub is $12, Birdland is $10, BB King's is $10, the Metropolitan Room is also around $10-15. If the performer at Feinstein's is someone I really want to see, I'd spend the money, but let's not pretend that their $40 food minimums aren't way overpriced.

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Interesting how we all have different opinions on this subject. I love all this energy on the board. Again, this is how the artist and the hotel make money. This is how they earn their living. In my opinion, $40 is not a lot of money to spend for food what you are getting - the full experience...getting dressed up, making a night of it, and seeing your favorite performer, less than 20 feet away from you.

I rarely pay full price for theatre tickets, either. Not even an issue.

On the whole, most cabaret shows are an hour and 15 minutes or so - give or take.

Maybe, I'm just the type of person who focuses on the positive rather than the negative. I guess that's just me. In reading some of the posts, I'm wondering if some of the negative energy came off when they were at Feinstein's? Could be why they were treated "badly?" No one likes to deal with anyone who has a chip on their shoulder or thinks that they are entitled to things just because they are a fan. Who knows? Just my observation.

I remember when I saw Linda Eder at Feinstein's on New Year's Eve two years ago, there were a lot of people attending who have MAJOR TUDE. Thinking that they should get the best table, etc.....just because they were fans, saw her before, they talked to her at the stage door, etc. Never could really figure out why people think that because they buy a ticket to a show, that they are entitled to that special treatment. I'm not saying that happened now with Mr. J, just an observation.

Sounds like it was a great evening!

Updated On: 3/4/09 at 02:35 PM

PJ, you are so right!!

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I agree, I wish the show was a tad longer but I was told it was Feinstein's policy that the show be under an hour. Cheyenne actually had to cut some songs from his original playlist.

Wow, they made him cut songs? To keep his set to an hour? OMG!
Then I really do prefer Birdland or the Metropolitan Room.
I think we all agree we need more Cheyenne, more often!