For most singers, an autumn engagement at 54 Below is a warm seasonal ritual. For Marilyn Maye, it’s something closer to a coronation. Returning to the intimate midtown supper club in October, the indomitable nearly 97-year-old chanteuse payed a loving tribute to the late-night host Johnny Carson who featured her 76 times on “The Tonight Show.”
From the first brassy notes of Kander and Ebb’s “Cabaret,” Maye set a tone of unapologetic showbiz sparkle. Dressed in black and gold and backed by her impeccable trio — Tedd Firth (musical director and pianist), Tom Hubbard (bass) and Mark McLean (drums) — she reminded the crowd why she remains the grande dame of the Great American Songbook.
Between numbers, Maye regaled her audience with warm, often hilarious stories of her television heyday. One anecdote recalled Carson popping into her dressing room to request “Here’s That Rainy Day” — a song she had already sung on the show several times. Her affection for Carson, and for the era he represented, lent the evening a sweet touch of nostalgia without ever lapsing into sentimentality.
The emotional heart of the night came midway through with a blistering mash-up of “Those Were the Days” and “I Will Survive,” addressed to what she called an “unfaithful ex-lover.” The audience roared at the mix of gallows humor and grit, Maye’s belt still gleaming with steel and swing. Later, she shifted to reflective tones in a seasonal medley of “Autumn in New York,” “Autumn Leaves” and “When October Goes,” each delivered with her signature blend of phrasing precision and conversational intimacy.
Firth’s arrangements, deftly supported by Hubbard’s supple bass lines and McLean’s sensitive brushwork, framed Maye’s voice like fine jewelry. The trio’s intuitive interplay mirrored Maye’s own rhythmic freedom — a singer who doesn’t just keep time, but bends it to her will.
There are few performers who can summon the glamour of the Carson era and make it feel utterly alive in 2025. Maye does it not through nostalgia, but through command — of voice, of timing, of truth. The Johnny Carson Show at 54 Below proved once again that Marilyn Maye isn’t just surviving—she’s thriving, swinging and still raising the bar for everyone else.
