By Andrew Poretz***Talented singer, impressionist and comedienne, Debbie Wileman, has been taking the cabaret world by storm in her homeland of England and now here across the pond. She made her reputation singing a “Song a Day” in online videos through the pandemic, performing as 
Judy Garland. She made her New York City nightclub debut with a big one: Birdland: upstairs, no less, with a sold-out crowd, for her new show, Debbie Does Divas.
Of course, Wileman incorporated Garland into a stable of diva tributes, some as dead-on impersonations, while others captured their essence. Pianist-musical director Jason Loffredo provided sole accompaniment. Costuming was no less a oart of the act: she arrived with pumps a la The Wizard of Oz, and a black boa around her neck, channeling Shirley Bassey belting “Big Spender” (Cy Coleman, Dorothy Fields). She immediately switched gears to a bigger-voiced version of Dinah Washington singing Noel Coward’s “Mad About the Boy”—a bluesy rendition actually more fulsome than Washington’s conversational recording.
With an appealing British accent and fabulous diva energy, this high-octane performer offered long, funny patter between songs to recover for the next one. Wileman’s specialty is blowsy, sloshed divas in their declining years, but her 
full complement of divas included Dusty Springfield, Karen Carpenter, Ethel Merman and Julie Andrews, plus a great choice in Cilla Black. Lesser known to American audiences, Black was a British star discovered while working in the coatroom of Liverpool’s Cavern Club when The Beatles were at the height of their residency there. Black introduced “Alfie” (Burt Bacharach, Hal David) in the film of the same name. Wileman used her softer voice here, displaying a command of dynamics and dramatic, emotional connection.
These were mere warmups to her most compelling character, Judy Garland. With the words, “I’ve become known…” spoken in the unmistakable cadence of later Judy, the audience was in on it immediately. Her Judy was, despite a 
nearly undetectable tinge of British accent, perfection, not only the voice and the mannerisms, but in her body, her eyes, her face—the “damaged, angst-ridden” 1960s Judy. Wileman performed a spectacular “By Myself” (Arthur Schwartz, Howard Dietz), with Loffredo’s piano adaptation of Nelson Riddle’s Judy at Carnegie Hall arrangement. It was breathtaking, and she received a well-deserved standing ovation. Continuing this segment with a slightly campy “Come Rain or Come Shine” (Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer) and “The Man That Got Away” (Harold Arlen, Ira Gershwin), she peppered these with funny demos of mondegreens (misheard lyrics) and a sweet story about Judy taking care of dogs for her son.
In a terrific audience participation number, Wileman had volunteers come up to the stage to choose wrapped mystery British chocolates, each leading to short numbers with impressions, including two of her best of the night, a brilliant Ed
ith Piaf, followed by a late-career Billie Holiday singing “My Man.” She declared, as Shirley Bassey, “I’d like to come back,” to much laughter. Her “Diamonds Are Forever” (John Barry, Don Black) sometimes drifted into Eartha Kitt, and was quite fun.
For a brilliant finale, Wileman chose a male diva: Anthony Newley. She had been obsessed for years with a VHS tape her father made many years ago of Newley performing a medley of his hits at a televised Miss World competition . She watched this countless times, and knew every word of dialogue and every note of the medley. Though the Newley impression was broad, the segment itself was wonderful. While singing “Candy Man” (Leslie Bricusse, Anthony Newley), she threw British candies to the audience. And since Newley co-wrote “Goldfinger” with John Barry, that tune appeared in this segment rather than as part of her Shirley Bassey numbers.
“Judy” returned for a lovely encore of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” (Hugh Martin, Ralph Blaine), which appears on Wileman’s new Christmas album, A Christmas Garland. Combining great humor and timing with a tremendous stage presence that lights up the stage, Wileman’s debut was a smashing success.
Photos by Kevin Alvey
