The Cabaret Chronicles: Nikki MacCallum, Marilyn Maye, and More!

Happy November!  Wow, this year is just flying by, isn't it?  I could have sworn it was just August!  It's been about 3 weeks since my last article, and in that time I've managed to catch some terrific shows.  On Sunday, October 3^rd, I headed to The Duplex to see one of the best debut cabaret shows I've ever seen!  More like a one-woman musical comedy piece than a typical cabaret show, Nikki MacCallum's Matchmaker Matchmaker I'm Willing To Settle was hilarious, well-sung, and truly entertaining from start to finish.  Aided by a multimedia presentation, Ms. MacCallum took the audience on a journey through her disastrous experiences with internet dating services.  Some stories were just too horrible to be believed; others involved more minor gaffes; all of them, though, elicited guffaws, groans, and gasps from the packed house!  Through it all, though, Ms. MacCallum's perfect timing and sparkling wit infused the show with originality and an infectious joie de vivre.  Accompanied by musical director Michael Forman on the piano, Ms. Macallum interspersed her stories with terrific song selections, some of which seemed like they could have been written specifically for this show, so well did they fit!  From "Joey is a Punk Rocker" by Joe Iconis to Kurt Weill's "Mr. Right" to Stephen Sondheim's "Not Getting Married Today," the songs blended seamlessly into the show, and were delivered with absolute conviction by Ms. MacCallum.  There is one more performance of this show TONIGHT (Monday, November 1^st at 7 p.m.) - if you're in town and able to catch it, I'd highly encourage you to do so! 

The following week found me at The Metropolitan Room for the marvelous Marilyn Maye in her newest show, "Her Own Kind of Broadway." I've been fortunate enough to see Ms. Maye perform on many occasions over the past few years, and my jaw never fails to drop.  Well known for being Johnny Carson's favorite singer (she racked up a whopping 76 appearances on his "Tonight Show"), Ms. Maye is a living lesson on how to be the consummate entertainer.   From top to bottom, her shows are interesting, engaging, polished, charming, and EXTREMELY well-performed!  Quite simply, she sparkles, both literally and figuratively!  Her shows are well-rehearsed and thoughtfully put-together, and although her performing career spans well over half a century, each performance feels remarkably fresh.  In this particular show, she opened with a fantastic, high-energy "Golden Rainbow," which she followed up with a fantastic My Fair Lady medley of "Wouldn't It Be Loverly" and "On the Street Where You Live."  After that, it was a Hello Dolly section, followed by a terrific performance of Kander and Ebb's "Cabaret," a song which Ms. Maye was the first singer ever to record!  One of the highlights of the evening was a Frank Loesser section, in honor or Loesser's centennial.  Songs in this portion of the show included "Joey, Joey, Joey," "Standing on the Corner,' "Guys and Dolls," "Fugue for Tinhorns," "The Oldest Established," "Luck Be a Lady," and "If I Were a Bell" - all of which she delivered beautifully!  Although  it was an evening full of outstanding work, my favorite song in the show was Sondheim's "Losing My Mind."  As fantastic as she was on ALL of the material in the show, Ms. Maye absolutely knocked it out of the park with this one.  The passion and emotional commitment with which she performed this song would have, alone, been worth the price of admission!  Currently, Ms. Maye does not have any more New York-area performances of this show scheduled, but let's hope she brings it back very soon!! 

One of the highlights of the following week was another fabulous Jim Caruso's Cast Party at Birdland.  Backed by Billy Stritch on piano and Tom Hubbard on bass, and hosted by the ever-charming Jim Caruso, this was an open mic night for the books, with all kinds of talented performers taking the mic.  Performers included Vanessa Trouble, Mark Aaron James, Danielle Grabianowski, Ray Jessel, Jeremy Bass, Charles West, Avenue Q alum Carmen Ruby Floyd, and Italian crooner Andrea Balducci...and that's just the tip of the iceberg!  It was a thoroughly enjoyable night!  Cast Party takes place every Monday night from 10 p.m. - 1 a.m.  If you haven't checked it out yet (or even if you have!), it's definitely worth making the trip to West 44^th Street! 

That's about all for this edition of The Cabaret Chronicles, but check back for a new article soon!

Pictured: Nikki MacCallum