Marilyn Maye Is Absolutely Marvelous at the Iridium

By Marilyn Lester**** Singer, actress and Eighth Wonder of the World, Marilyn Maye, can’t help but live up to her sobriquet—she is truly “Marvelous.” Her command of an audience is total, whether in a large concert hall or in the intimacy of a small cabaret room. In the cozy environs of the Iridium, where Maye knew many in the audience of devoted friends and fans, the atmosphere was informal and familial. A buoyant and relaxed Maye gifted all with a 90-minute set of unflagging entertainment. The love was flowing in both directions. She couldn’t have said it better than with songs such as, “I Love Being Here With You” and “Old Friends.”

Although she’s adept at singing in pop and Broadway styles, she shines best in jazz mode. Her opening of “Make Your Own Kind of Music” with “Without a Song,” not only blended the “old” and “new,” but showcased Maye’s prodigious abilities in jazz rhythms and phrasing. She scatted up a storm on “On the Street Where You Live” and sang a soft scat on a slow-tempo “On a Clear Day (You Can See Forever).” It was sheer pleasure to witness Maye’s longtime musical director and pianist, Tedd Firth, release his inner jazz man with grooving, swinging animation and the insertion of creative ideas that make jazz such a vibrant genre. Working the bandstand with Firth were top-flight musicians Tom Hubbard on bass, guitarist Jack Cavari and Daniel Glass on drums. As to the blues, Maye the storyteller, puts it across. “The Birth of the Blues,” “Lover Man (Oh Where Can You Be?)” and “When Your Lover Has Gone” formed a neat trio of angst.

Maye is fond of pairings (“In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning” with “I’ll Be Around,” for example) and medleys, all of which are carefully thought out. The lady is smart—intelligent, as well as witty, with a flair for capturing the comedic moment. One of the staples of her shows is the story of a certain lady, terribly unlucky in love, from the hopeful to the tragically sad. Her sojourn starts with “Makin Whoopee” to the “The One I Love (Belongs to Somebody Else)” to “Blues in the Night” to the final, emotive “Something Cool.” When she ends the evening with “The Secret of Life” and “The Best of Times” it’s the conclusion of a journey, not only through song, but with a certain something extra of a more mystical nature—perhaps as if a blessing had been bestowed.

A little way into the evening, Maye yielded the stage to Ellen Hart Sturm, owner of The Iridium (and Ellen’s Stardust Diner), who sang “If I Loved You,” inspired by her recent attendance at Broadway’s current Carousel. Maye, seated to listen, beamed approvingly. This was the only time the Marvelous one rested during 90 minutes. At age 90, in sensible heels (but heels none the less), in constant motion, and putting many half her age to shame, Marilyn Maye continues to show why she’s a marvel

All photos by Maryann Lopinto.