Julie Wilson at The Metropolitan Room: A Real American Idol

No matter the opinions of network television programs and those who phone them, for my money you couldn't name a more dazzling American idol than Julie Wilson.  A singer who doesn't just wear her heart on her sleeve, she rips it off its threads through the lyrics of Gershwin, Sondheim and Coward and throws it unashamedly out at a thoroughly captivated audience.  Dressed in her familiar ensemble of a clingy sequined gown, red feather boa and a gardenia behind her left ear (her long-standing tribute to Billie Holiday), the Metropolitan Room is the sight of her latest love fest and the words and music of Kern, Fields, Styne and Porter have rarely had it so good.

At 82 years of age and a couple of years since a minor stroke, the lithe Ms. Wilson seems just as vigorous and commanding as ever.  She speaks most of her songs as dramatic monologues, though she can still hit the money notes with a whirlwind of force, revealing a kaleidoscopic array of vocal textures and dynamics.  She'll often look to music director Christopher Denny at piano to prompt her on forgotten lyrics, but the manner in which she does so is a study in composure and as soon as she is secure in her words again she immediately pounces back into the drama on the exact same emotional level where she left off.

Standards like "The Man I Love" and "Mad About The Boy" are caressed with phrasing that brings forth new shades of poetic luster.  A downright maniacal "The Ladies Who Lunch" is a searing self-reflection.  "Body and Soul" is a tragic confession as she mixes it with "Good Morning, Heartache."  She can still vamp with the best of them, as she proves with a delighted and delightful "Let Me Entertain You" and "I'm Unlucky At Gambling" shows her comic crackle hasn't slowed down a step.

Julie Wilson's performances inevitably attract customers from the cabaret and musical theatre worlds, giving the evening a party atmosphere as she greets talented friends she spots in the intimate space.  On opening night she pointed out her many fellow cabaret singers in the audience, enthusiastically praising their shows and urging everyone to catch them in performance.  Her magnificent warmth and her obvious love for the material she sings and the people who come to see her is the stuff that makes a consummate artist truly an idol.

Julie Wilson appears at The Metropolitan Room from now through June 23^rd and again from July 12^th through 21^st.