By Scott Barbarino***Marieann Meringolo: hers is a name I have known for decades and it’s always been synonymous with excellence in performance. And I mean excellence in every way—vocally, song choices, style. She’s truly the whole package and she’s totally organic. In a residency at Chelsea Table + Stage she’s really shining.
All of the life experiences she’s had, starting out at the Five Oaks in 1989 as a singing waiter and then getting her first booking by the legendary Jan Wallman at her Cornelia Street Club, started building her career. Her 1992 Johnny Mathis show I remember as one of the best shows I’ve ever seen. All of the shows and CDs that have since followed have now come together and culminated in one of the most genuine and polished performers of this age. It boggles the mind that Meringolo, simply put, isn’t a big star.
Fortunately, the management at Chelsea Table + Stage has figured this out and it’s a brilliant move on their part to give her a monthly residency there. I know together they will grow a larger audience to appreciate her artistry. Plus, each show in the residency has a special guest, and the night I attended she was joined on stage by Broadway and cabaret star Karen Mason.
The set I enjoyed started strong. Meringolo is a thoroughly commanding presence on a stage from the moment she hits one. Her opener Bye Bye Birdie‘s “A Lot Of Livin’ To Do” (Lee Adams,Charles Strouse) is exactly what she proves her mantra to be. A medley of “Nice n’ Easy” (Lew Spence, Alan and Marilyn Bergman) and “That Face” (Spence and the Bergmans) starts off the love affair 
she has with the music of the Bergmans. Six of the songs of the evening were Bergman gems (her CD Between Yesterday And Tomorrow: The Songs Of Alan And Marilyn Bergman is a must-listen-to). Their classic song from Ballroom “Fifty Percent” (with Billy Goldenberg) was sung with passion and a subtle twist. No spoilers here.
Meringolo aced fellow Long Islander Billy Joel’s frenetic “Summer Highland Falls” with aplomb. Of course we each have our own “madness or euphoria,” as the lyric suggests, to contend with, and her choice was to take the song at a deliberately slow pace, thereby giving it a unique and yet universal understanding of our crazy times— and leaving the question in the song unanswerable, as intended. One thing I can say for sure is that for this 75 minute show we all found our euphoria.
A real comedic turn came when Meringolo delivered “It Must Be Him” (Gilbert Becaud, Mack David,Maurice Vindalin) with impeccable timing. Her sense of humor is dry and slow-burn funny!
Her adoration for everything Johnny Mathis still rings true as she brought her medley of “Misty” (Johnny Burke,Erroll Garner), “Wonderful! Wonderful!” (Sherman Edwards, Ben Raleigh) and “Twelfth Of Never” ((Jerry Livingston, Paul Francis Webster) fully to life again. I would love to see the whole Johnny Mathis show again anytime she’d bring it back. They sure don’t write ’em like that anymore and her voice is exquisite, especially as you can fully see, she reveres this music.
Karen Mason’s first segment had her delivering the goods, as always, with “If I Close My Eyes” (Billy Goldenberg, Alan and Marilyn Bergman) and then killing it with the dizzying “The World Goes ‘Round” (John Kander and Fred Ebb). Mason returned to the stage in another segment to join Meringolo for the classic Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand medley of “Get Happy/Happy Days Are Here Again.” As many times as we’ve all seen this immortal performance over the years on video and performed by other duos of distinction, these two on this night was truly special and these ladies nailed it and made it their own. No small feat.
There’s no way over her career that Meringolo could escape comparisons with Barbra Streisand (and earlier on this may have been the one thing that stalled her greater success); and though it’s impossible for anyone to sing “Don’t Rain on My Parade” (Jule Styne, Bob Merrill) without that comparison, she was able to craft it and to make it undeniably Marieann.
Everyone in attendance was then fully blessed by her singing “I Am Blessed” (Marsha Malamet, Mark Mueller). Malamet, an incredibly talented songwriter ,whose start goes back to the legendary boite Reno Sweeney, is struggling with Parkinson’s disease. In spite of the many challenges this has brought her, she remains gracious and thankful, and still feels blessed, her lyrics speak it. I’m sure the late Ralph Lampkin, who was a staunch supporter of both of these artists, was smiling down.
Finally, Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now” brought it all together.
I can’t wait to attend the next show as the residency continues. So let’s go full circle: “Marieann Meringolo … don’t forget that name!”
Special kudos to the amazing trio who accompanied her. You truly do not get better than musical director Doyle Newmyer, whose original “Head Over Heels” was on equal par with the standards it accompanied. Her sidemen were Boots Maleson on bass and Brian Woodruff on drums. All of Meringolo’s shows are directed by the brilliant Will Nunziata
Let’s talk about Chelsea Table + Stage: enjoy dinner… the food was excellent at this newest hotspot for intimate dining and music. For most of us used to the cramped spaces that our business is known for, the 120-seat CTS is spacious, which really enhances the experience. I never had my elbow in my neighbor’s plate if ya know what I mean. CTS also has state-of-the-art sound and lighting, and the technician who set the sound the night of this show was spot on fantastic! I highly recommend CTS to anyone looking for a place to bring friends who might be cabaret shy. You will win them over big time and of course we always need audiences.
You can catch Marieann Meringolo on Thursday, August 17 as she continues her monthly gigs at Chelsea Table & Stage. Her guest for this show will be another friend of the family, the wonderful Karen Oberlin.
Photos by Maryann Lopinto
