Marilyn Maye

A return visit to Feinstein's nightclub to see the stupendous Marilyn Maye who was a mainstay of the Steve Allen and Johnny Carson tv shows and had enormous hits in the late 60s with her recordings of "Cabaret" and "Step to the Rear".

Now a glamorous 83, warm and wry, impish and sexy, her voice is unchanged, still with a jazz singer's phrasing, a music theatre belt and a cabaret artist's sense of intimacy in the Rosemary Clooney/Margaret Whiting vein. She must have been a marvellous Sally when she appeared in FOLLIES in Houston with Juliet Prowse, John Cullum and Harvey Evans (who was in tonight's audience). With musical direction by the expert Tedd Firth leading a three piece band, highlights were the ballads "It Might As Well Be Spring" and "When I Look into Your Eyes" (from DOCTOR DOLITTLE), a swinging "Butter Out of Cream" from CATCH ME IF YOU CAN and a series of medleys based on the music of Fats Waller (including the most incendiary version of "Honeysuckle Rose" I've ever heard), Richard Whiting and Johnny Mercer (with a showstopping "Blues in the Night"), selections from MY FAIR LADY and a grouping of "Look to the rainbow", "Over the rainbow" and "Rainbow Connection". The evening's climax was a heartfelt "I'm Still Here" which proved she's obviously going to be around a whole lot longer.