Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – At 95-years-young, the unstoppable MARILYN MAYE still belts, kicks, and puts on one helluva joyous show

• By drediman
• June 2, 2023
• No Comments

This past week, the marvelous Marilyn Maye concluded her most recent stint at 54 Below. Having just recently celebrated her 95th birthday, I treasure every opportunity to catch the late-blooming cabaret star in live performance — the last time I caught her was in her belated Carnegie Hall debut just this past April backed by the terrific New York Pops. As much as I loved seeing her in that iconic venue, Ms. Maye shines most brightly when holding court at intimate cabaraet clubs like the beautifully appointed 54 Below.

And shine she did. At her closing performance, Ms. Maye was in jovial spirits and in spectacular vocal shape. She even effortlessly threw her requisite kicks — I counted 12 of them! She’s the kind of performer who gets stronger over the course of a performance, which is an astonishing quality given her age and goes to show that she’s the type of singer who is energized by and thrives on live performance. Indeed, Ms. Maye invariably lights up in front of a live audience. It’s this love affair between performer and audience that makes attending her shows such a joyous and vital experience, even if you’ve heard many of the songs before from her previous appearances.

… which was the case at the greatest hits show I attended last week. I’m not complaining — her renditions of standards like “It’s Today” and “Guess Who I Saw Today/Fifty Percent” are definitive, her dusky yet brassy voice powering through them like a luxurious Rolls Royce, complete with her distinctive belt and jazzy syncopations. And let’s not forget the medleys — Ms. Maye does love a good medley! — of which there were plenty (the frequently recurring “Smile” and “Rainbow” medleys that she and her invaluable music director Tedd Firth have concocted never fail to lift my mood).

Those of you who missed the cabaret legend’s latest New York outing, fear not. The unstoppable Ms. Maye will be back at 54 Below in October.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

MARILYN MAYE
Cabaret
54 Below
1 hour, 20 minutes (without an intermission)
Closed