By Marilyn Lester***Singer-host-producer and otherwise multi-hyphenate, Jamie deRoy sure has a lot of great and talented friends, and her most recent award-winning Jamie deRoy & friends at Birdland showcased quite a few of them. As per usual, the evening benefited the Jamie deRoy & friends Cabaret Initiative of the Entertainment 
Community Fund, whose president & CEO, Joseph Benincasa, was in the audience along with many other luminaries.
deRoy has been hosting this show for about two and a half decades, and as ever, it makes for a master class in how to put together and present a solid, well-paced, exciting and entertaining evening. Her own singing forte has become comedy and her opener of “Too Old to Die Young” (Murray Grand) could have been written for her, not because of age (she’s been singing the song for quite a while) but because her timing and delivery is just so spot on.
A roster of powerhouse performers followed. On the dist
aff side was Tony winner (The Book of Mormon) Nikki M. James, who offered a very tender moment with “Sleepy Man” (Robert Waldman, Alfred Uhry) a lullaby written for The Robber Bridegroom. The inspiration for this selection was her new motherhood and a baby daughter. Daisy Jopling brought her violin. Of course she would; she’s a classical/rock violinist and vocalist who has toured the world with her own band, the “Daisy Jopling Band” and with the creative string trio “Triology.” Her rendition of “Can’t Help Falling in Love” (Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore, 
George David Weiss, based on “Plaisir d’amour”) absolutely made the violin sing.
Triple threat Tony Danza, who also is a seasoned cabaret performer, brought his New York charm (he does hail from Brooklyn, after all) to the stage, and in addition to singing, referenced his philanthropic work with the Police Athletic League, a significant force in his childhood. Vocally, he added swing and some special lyrics to “Everything Happens to Me” (Matt Dennis, Tom Adair ) first recorded by the 1940 Tommy Dorsey Orchestra featuring Frank Sinatra. Danza has a laid-back cool that brings to mind the famously relaxed demeanors of Parry Como and Dean Martin. He also voiced a solid “Angel Eyes” (Matt Dennis, Earl Brent), a gem from 1946, much recorded and a particular favorite of Ella Fitzgerald.
Once there were two fellas, each one with 
an established singing/cabaret career. Then a chance meeting about 18 months ago led to the two joining forces to create a duo act, The New Belters, which has become an audience favorite. Jazz-leaning Nicolas King and Broadway-leaning Seth Sikes, fit together like hand in glove. Both are dynamic performers and their combined, easy energy makes for great repartee as well as superb harmonies and arrangements. Their “There’s Gotta Be Something Better Than This” (Cy Coleman, Carolyn Leigh) from Sweet Charity was thrilling. Coleman was essentially a jazz writer (those rhythms!) and the duo delivered the tune with gusto and a superb arrangement.
Jamie deRoy & friends was not all singing. Comedian Steven Scott harkened back to the golden age of comedy when standup didn’t depend on blue la
nguage to be funny. His very smart routine, delivered with expert timing, was truly laugh-out-loud hilarious. If, as the Reader’s Digest promised in “Laughter, the Best Medicine,” we of the audience got a great, heaping dose of wonderful healing energy. Comedy closed the show, with a song many had been waiting for, deRoy’s signature tune, “Jews Don’t Camp” (David Buskin). Her rendition never ceases to please.
As always, the show was directed by Barry Kleinbort, The abundantly talented pianist and genius arranger Ron Abel music directed. Rhythm was the provenance of bassist Ritt Henn and drummer Ray Marchica, two excellent mainstays and go-to musicians.
Photos by Barry Gordin
