Review: Grammy Nominee Jane Monheit Makes OC Return at Irvine Barclay

First, I should probably disclose that I am huge long-time fan of two-time Grammy Award-nominated jazz artist Jane Monheit, so this recap will probably sound like an endless stream of gushing praises from a rabid follower.

Well, okay, maybe it will sound very much like it… especially since it feels like forever ago that the continuously touring Monheit (who is also a well-documented fave amongst the NY cabaret/theater set) has graced a stage here in Orange County, California. 

So, naturally, there was a palpable excitement in the room when she made a return visit to our little corner of the freeway and stepped out to perform a one-night-only concert at the Irvine Barclay Theatre on Friday, March 15, 2024—particularly for her fans (myself included) who have become familiar with her long, successful career re-interpreting the Great American Songbook—which, of course, includes plenty of songs from the world of musical theater.

When you binge Monheit's entire discography—with particular attention to her beautifully polished 2004 album Taking A Chance On Love, a gorgeous collection that finds her paying homage to movie musicals—you will quickly discover a pitch-perfect voice of a natural storyteller, armed with an effortless ability to paint emotions tinged with a discernible theatrical flair, while also wowing jazz purists that have praised her enhanced interpretations. I mean… grown folks (myself included) have openly wept when she performs a torch song. But, then, she can also elicit pure joy and awe when she scats and coos through a Brazilian bop or a buoyant jazz-hot scorcher. She can belt like the best of them but then give you such goosebump-inducing beautiful quiet moments of deep reflection and pathos. This diva definitely knows how to put on a show.

And, no surprise, her set at the Barclay this past weekend was no exception.

Accompanied on stage by arranger Max Haymer on piano, Karl McComas-Reichl on bass, and husband Rick Montalbano on drums, Monheit presented an entertainingly seductive concert that included first-ever live performances of many of the songs slated for her next upcoming studio album that's scheduled to be released in June. This made the event so much more special, knowing that this OC audience was the first to hear these "new" tunes sung live in Monheit's inimitable style that often blends emotive, searing theatricality with masterful jazz intonation.

As expected with a cabaret-style concert, Monheit also provided some fun, frothy banter in between selections, which made for a really fun show. She was especially playful with her hubby Montalbano, a talented percussionist in his own right whom she's been married to for two decades.

She opened her program with her lovely take on "My Foolish Heart," a song featured in her debut album Never Never Land (which, yes, is a song from the Peter Pan musical), which, I must admit, I have sung in the shower quite a few times over the past two decades since first hearing her version. 

After brief, gushing introductions of her bandmates and her enthusiastically-received announcement that the concert will be comprised mostly with the live debut performances of songs from her next album, she first offered up Burton Lane and Alan Jay Lerner's "On A Clear Day," a song I instantly recognized as a showtune made famous by Barbra Streisand in the film adaptation of the 1965 Broadway musical of the same name, followed by the touching "Young and Foolish," a song first featured in the 1955 Broadway musical Plain and Fancy.

She continued the show with Fats Waller's playful "Honeysuckle Rose," the opening song from her album Taking A Chance On Love, followed by a very sultry "Whatever Lola Wants" written by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross for the 1955 Broadway musical Damn Yankees. She joked that people may think the song is right up her (Tin Pan) Alley, and, gurrrlll, was she right. Her sultry delivery fit the song like a (baseball) glove (Sorry, I'll stop with the puns).

This series of songs so far, of course, had me excitedly speculating in my seat—ohmigosh, is Monheit's next album going to be an all-musicals/showtunes extravaganza!? Funny enough, I was going to sort of beg her to theme her next studio album to be Broadway-centric (lord knows she definitely knows what to do with a showtune), so, perhaps, I thought… I was getting my wish!

My wishful thinking of a possible all-Broadway album hit a fever pitch when she next declared that she was going to be diving into the oeuvre of the Great Patron Saint of Musical Theatre himself, Stephen Sondheim for her next song—which, admittedly, my friend and I in attendance let out an audible gasp that broke through a quiet moment during her talk.

"Oh, wow," she reacted after hearing the gasp. "Well, you're gonna love this…because this will be just the first of several Sondheim songs I'll be doing tonight."

The audience cheered at this—a clear sign that my wish isn't a solo opinion.

And that first Sondheim cover turned out to be a superb rendition of "Not A Day Goes By," the heartbreaking ballad from Sondheim's 1981 Broadway musical Merrily We Roll Along, which is currently wowing audiences with its new Broadway revival. In her hands, the song took on a deeply yearning quality that Monheit masterfully executed. And, yes, I shed a tear or two. She can really wring out the heartache so effortlessly in these songs.

She contrasted that moment of heartbreak by following up with a fun, out-of-the-box jazz-ified arrangement (courtesy of Haymer) of a Disney deep cut, "In A World Of My Own" from the animated film Alice in Wonderland. After the song, she broke some very important news: that she considers herself a certified "Disney Adult" (Yay!) and that she is, in fact, a Disney Annual Passholder! She found kindred spirits in the audience.

No stranger to Brazilian jazz sounds, Monheit often collaborates with—and writes English language lyrics for—one of her idols, Grammy winning artist Ivan Lins, and for this concert, she gave us her bilingual cover of his striking song "Meu País (My Country)," which even hinted at slight R&B undertones.

Next, Monheit sang a lovely cover of Billy Joel's "And So It Goes," which had me wondering whether this next album was going to still be an all musicals album—then again, maybe it still was since this song technically did appear in Joel's jukebox musical Movin' Out. My hope withstands.

Another Sondheim song made an appearance next in the form of a melodic "Green Finch and Linnet Bird" from another currently running hit Broadway revival, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. She followed it with a bit of rousing jazz swing in a cover of Sammy Davis Jr.'s "Too Close for Comfort" which had the fiery band truly going off, showcasing that Monheit was well-backed by some incredibly talented musicians. The song, I found out post-concert, was also featured in a Broadway musical, 1956's Mr. Wonderful, further cementing my hopes that Monheit's next album remained a showtune-heavy affair.

She then revived a fun, lyrically off-kilter track from her first album, "Twisted" that showed off Monheit's talent for speedy lyrical delivery (I can only imagine what she could do with a patter song like "Not Getting Married Today" from Sondheim's Company!) followed by a couple of songs in Portuguese: the haunting "Começar De Novo" another Ivan Lins song from her album In The Sun and another song which, unfortunately, I didn't quite catch the title of during her set.

And perhaps my favorite song of the evening came during her final encore, which, I admit, left me an emotional wreck and, once again, secured her place as one of the most incredible interpreters of jazz-infused standards and musical theater gems in music today. Even from the first few notes strummed by Haymer, the audience was already enraptured. In what I can only describe as a tour-de-force performance, Monheit delivered her own superb iteration of "Being Alive" (from Sondheim's Company) that had the audience leaping to their feet. It was just perfection and I can't wait to hear the studio version of it when it is released as part of her next album.

Overall, Monheit exceeded expectations and, per usual, delivered a stellar, amazingly-performed concert that showcased her incredible, jawdroppingly-good musical gifts in spectacular fashion. Not only that, it was not hard to fall in love with her as a person as she cracked jokes and sass and shared personal stories like a seasoned diva throughout the entire evening. 

If you see Monheit listed as an upcoming act coming to a city near you, I urge you to seek her out and get tickets. You will not regret it. 

** Follow this reviewer on Twitter-X / Instagram / Threads: @cre8iveMLQ **

Photos courtesy of Irvine Barclay Theatre.

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Tickets to upcoming future performances at the Irvine Barclay Theatre can be purchased online at www.theBarclay.org, by phone at 949-854-4646 or in person at the box office located at 4242 Campus Drive in Irvine, on the campus of UC Irvine.

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