The Cabaret Chronicles: The Marvelous Marilyn Maye at Feinstein's!

“Tune the grand up, dance your shoes off, strike the band up” – it’s Marilyn Maye!  Yes, that’s right – the beloved, Grammy-nominated vocalist is back in town for a two-week run at Feinstein’s at Loews Regency, and that’s definitely a reason to celebrate!  Joined by a fantastic trio of musicians (drummer Jim Eklof, who has been playing with Ms. Maye for over 50 years, bassist Tom Hubbard, and musical director/pianist Billy Stritch, who has been playing with Ms. Maye for over 20 years), Ms. Maye is performing her new show, “The Happiest Sound In Town,” and never has a show been more aptly titled.  Rarely does one performer exude such joy, but from the moment Ms. Maye sets foot in the room, it feels like one big party, at which she is the charming, enchanting mistress of ceremonies. 

Now in her eighties, Ms. Maye was Johnny Carson’s favorite singer and appeared on his show a whopping 76 times (the record for a singer) – and it’s easy to see why!  She possesses that ever-so-rare combination of being able to belt to the rafters, yet establish an intimate connection with her audience.  Her relationship to her music is a beautiful thing to watch – it simply flows through her and is a part of her.  She lives and breathes each song as she performs them, and with an energy that would put women half her age to shame.  Her newest show is no exception, as she dedicates herself to her material with gusto and gives her audience everything she’s got – and then some! 

From the rousing opener, Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil’s “Make Your Own Kind of Music” (with a hint of the great William Rose/Edward Eliscu/Vincent Youmans standard, “Without A Song” thrown in for good measure!), through the uplifting encore (Jerry Herman’s “It’s Today” from Mame), this was a show full of showstoppers, and Ms. Maye’s delivery of them was, well, show-stopping!  By the time she got to her fourth number, “Are You Having Any Fun” (Jack Yellen/Sammy Fain), the audience did not need to be asked twice – they answered her query with a resounding, “YES!”  One of the things that is continually impressive about Ms. Maye is her ability to switch from raising the roof with one song to breaking your hear with the next, which was beautifully demonstrated as she (with duet partner Billy Stritch) delivered a high-octane “Mountain Greenery” (Lorenz Hart/Richard Rodgers), followed by the introspective, wistful “Too Late Now” (Burton Lane/Alan Jay Lerner).  Marilyn’s recording of this song was chosen by the Smithsonian Institute to be one of the 100 songs of the 20^th Century to be included in its 20^th Century Permanent Collection – and after hearing her performance of it, I wholeheartedly agree with their selection. It’s simply a beautiful rendition of a beautiful song. 

Ms. Maye paid tribute to New York City in her closing number, which was a mega -medley of classic New York songs: “I Happen To Like New York” (Cole Porter), “New York State Of Mind” (Billy Joel), “There’s A Boat That’s Leaving Soon For New York” (George & Ira Gershwin/DuBose & Dorothy Heyward), “My Personal Property” (Cy Coleman/Doroty Fields), “New York, New York” (Leonard Bernstein/Betty Comden & Adolph Green), and, of course, “Theme from New York, New York” (John Kander/Fred Ebb).  It was a heartfelt love letter to New York, and Ms. Maye may rest assured that the feeling is mutual! 

“The Happiest Sound In Town” is playing at Feinstein’s at Loews Regency Tuesday-Saturday through May 5^th.  Shows are at 8:00 p.m., with additional 10:30 p.m. shows on Fridays and Saturdays.  All shows have a $40.00 cover, with $60.00 premium seats and $75.00 up-front seats available, and a $25.00 food/beverage minimum.  For more information/reservations, please call (212) 339-4095 or visit www.feinsteinsatloewsregency.com or www.ticketweb.com.

Pictured: Marilyn Maye

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