By Marilyn Lester***Another neatly-paced 90 minutes of exquisite song, hosted by KT Sullivan, Artistic Director of the Mabel Mercer Foundation, presented world-domination by cabaret. Themed, “A World of Cabaret,” performances on night three of the Convention came from across the United States to the shores of the Cayman Islands, to the grand old cities of Amsterdam and London to the Land Down Under. 
The opening segment was a winner, setting a marvelous tone for what was to come. Australian star Tim Draxl, from the bare interior of the Sidney Opera House, spoke eloquently of pandemic life and its effect on the cultural and arts communities. Thereafter followed a video of Draxl, with rhythm musicians, filmed in May as part of the SOH virtual cabaret season. His “Wilkommmen/Mack the Knife” was thrilling––his resonant voice alive with energy and verve.
Now let’s head East and take a world tour!
There was significant cabaret action in the state of Florida, with two for the money in Palm Beach. Avery Sommers, with Phil Hinton on piano, offered “Maybe This Time,” while Legends Radio founder, Dick Robinson, and program co-hosts DJs Isanne and Sandy Fisher, introduced the energetic and up-beat Deborah Silver. With a Grammy-winning band, Asleep at the Wheel, and two backup singers, Silver offered a wondrous country-jazz take on the classic “I Got Rhythm;” it was full of that and a whole bunch more. Silver’s toe-tapping rendition was loaded with smile-making joy. What a darn good time it was! Then, down in Miami, with pianist Eric Stern, Joie Bianco offered a masked “We’ll Be Together Again.”
Heading South to the Cayman Islands, another locational double-header was delivered by two young singers, Jaedyn Hanna with “100 Easy Ways to Lose a Man,” and Colindra-Rodericka McGarvey-Sterling on piano, singing “Shadowland.” Bouncing up to the Midwest, Maureen McGovern, in Columbus, OH began with piano accompaniment to “Optimistic Voices” and then presented one of the best a cappella renditions of a song these ears have ever heard. McGovern sang “Over the Rainbow” with clarity and a magnificent musicality that qualified the presentation as a true showstopper. Chicagoland is next with Tammy McCann 
and a cool blues take on “Send in the Clowns,” sung to guitar accompaniment. Over at Chicago’s Davenport’s the long-time performing team of pianist-singer Beckie Menzie and singer Tom Michael—in front of a live audience!—performed a harmonious and heartfelt duet of “You Have to Be Carefully Taught/You’ll Never Walk Alone.” On the way West, Jeniffer Sheehan in St. Louis (home of the Blue Strawberry club) offered “Time Flies,” while in Tulsa, OK, Josie Foster, with Brad Henderson on piano, sang “The More I See You.”
In the West, that is to say California, Welsh-born Iris Williams spoke from Rancho Mirage, showing clips of her activities when Michael Holmes turned The Purple Room into a temporary “factory” to make pandemic masks and gowns. Williams also offered a few bars of an a cappella “Accentuate the Positive.” In Ojai, singer-songwriter Amanda McBroom, who said that “the Cabaret Convention has given me so many gifts in my life,” sang her own “Just in Case.” Heading north to San Francisco and the F ‘Inn room, Leanne Borghesi, with 
Russell Deason on piano, offered “Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries, invoking a perfectly balanced nostalgic, yet contemporary-flavored, Music Hall-style rendition. Making a big jump over a continent to Amsterdam, Dutch baritone Hans Pieter Herman, as comfortable on the opera stage as he is on legit theater stages, offered tons of fun as well as tremendous talent. With wonderful enthusiasm, and with pianist Brian Holman a continent away, Herman sang the South American-themed novelty song “Nina,” with delightful abandon. At the Pizza Express in London, there was double poignancy; not only was Christian Holder supposed to be making his in-person Convention debut this year, but his chosen song is one of great personal meaning. Its author, Noël Coward, was 
a patron of Holder’s parent’s music club back in the day. With David Clement-Smith at the piano, Holder sang an affecting “If Love Were All.”
Touching back down on US shores, literally, from the beach community of Westerly, RI, the naturally ebullient Nicolas King sang of his home state, “Rhode Island Is Famous for You,” with long-time accompanist, Mike Renzi at the piano. Over in Shelburne, VT there was a bit of novelty: Carole J. Bufford, sporting 
long hair, sang outdoors among the beautiful woodlands of the state. Waxing nostalgic and with great care and thought about the future, she said, “During this time, let’s cherish and support the arts. Let’s cherish and support each other.” With guitarist Peter Calo playing remotely, Bufford offered an equally impassioned “Bridge Over Troubled Water.”
Although she was physically located in Minneapolis, MN when her video was shot at Crooner’s, Marilyn Maye is transcendent of any constraints, be they locational or “other.” Dubbed, and rightly so, “The Marvelous…” Maye closed night three of the Convention with her enduring professionalism, enthusiasm and sheer talent. 
Her ability to be awe-inspiring is off the scale. Remarkable is too weak a word for this rightly-called force of nature. Maye, with Billy Stritch at the piano, and also backed by bass and drums, offered three of her signature songs. The first, “It’s Today,” complete with the famous Maye high-kick, she cited as her mantra. “This is what I believe in,” she said. The second and third, “Secret O’ Life/Here’s to Life,” but a cap on another night of convening with a ton of positivity. True to the show biz adage, leave ’em wanting more, the combined force of the Mabel Mercer Foundation Cabaret Convention and The Marvelous Marilyn Maye sure did.
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