THE HANGOVER REPORT – Tony-winner BETTY BUCKLEY returns to Joe’s Pub with an eclectic, exquisitely-arranged set

Betty Buckley and her band perform at Joe’s Pub.

This week, the legendary Betty Buckley returns to New York with an ambitious slate of six back-to-back shows at Joe’s Pub (I attended the second show on the first night), the stage and screen star’s home base in the city when performing cabaret. It’s a welcome return, given that the Tony-winner (she won the coveted prize for her performance as Grizabella in Cats) recently had to take a year off of performing due to a number of health-related issues, including rehabbing her unmistakable voice.

For her latest cabaret outing, Ms. Buckley has chosen an eclectic and intimate set of songs, largely those culled from her youth — from classic pop standards to 1960s/1970s rock and roll (she’s even nabbed a guitarist from Steely Dan for her band!). Luckily, musical theater fans weren’t left out, notably with the inclusion of a pair sensitively performed Sondheim songs (“Not a Day Goes By” from Merrily We Roll Along and “Send in the Clowns” from A Little Night Music), as well as the uplifting song “Hope” by Jason Robert Brown. A highlight for me was the evening’s closer, a tender rendition of Billy Joel’s “And So It Goes”, which sent the audience into the night with misty eyes. Ms. Buckley has smartly surrounded herself with an expert team — many of them longtime collaborators — including music director Christian Jacob on piano (who provided the evening’s exquisite arrangements), Tony Marino on bass, Adam Rogers on guitar, and Jamey Haddad on drums.

Over the years, the 76-year-young Ms. Buckley has emerged as an engaging and in-demand concert artist. Admittedly, her iconic voice isn’t what it once was — namely, the belt — but it still possesses that steely yet seductive timber for which she’s well known, and she’s learned how to use her instrument with craft (especially useful when having to get through grueling two-show nights). In terms of banter and stage presence, Ms. Buckley can’t help being her authentic self. Her storytelling also remains on point, like her homage the Public Theater and fond recollections of participating in its Tony-winning production of The Mystery of Edwin Drood.

RECOMMENDED

BETTY BUCKLEY
Cabaret
Joe’s Pub
1 hour, 15 minutes (without an intermission)
Through May 18

Categories: Cabaret, Music, Other Music

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