Review: Elizabeth Gillies Brings Nostalgia & Powerhouse Vocals to Café Carlyle

The room was electric with anticipation on Tuesday, May 6, as fans packed into Café Carlyle for the opening night of Elizabeth Gillies’s residency. Star of TV shows like Victorious and Dynasty, Gillies is a true vocal knockout—she made her Broadway debut at just 15 in Jason Robert Brown’s 13 and is currently starring as Audrey in a limited off-Broadway run of Little Shop of Horrors. This marks her second appearance at the Carlyle, following a warmly received debut last November. This run goes nightly through Saturday, May 10. (Friday and Saturday are already sold out, but there are a handful of tickets left for the Wednesday and Thursday performances tonight and tomorrow – you can snag yours here if you haven’t yet.)

From the first song, a stellar cover of Frank Sinatra’s “Oh! Look At Me Now,” it was clear the evening would be steeped in nostalgia and heart. Gillies voice is both velvety and commanding. Her stated obsession with Peggy Lee came through not just in vocal styling, but in her entire presence: sultry, sincere, and timeless.

Gillies curated a set of mostly American Songbook standards and pop gems from the '60s and '70s, channeling the elegance of a bygone era while injecting each number with fresh energy. She embraced the intimacy of the Carlyle, connecting with the audience. Her rapport with the audience was charmingly candid. With a wry sense of humor and impeccable timing, Gillies made the night feel like an informal gathering among friends that just happened to feature superb musical talent. She was backed by a phenomenal quartet led by Tom Kitt, the Tony-winning composer of Next to Normal, on piano. (The two met when Kitt served as Music Director on 13.)

Between songs, she vamped and connected with the audience, joking that she needed to give the band enough time to change instruments. She spotted a pair of new friends bonding at the bar over espresso martinis, and recognized one fan from the stage door at Little Shop of Horrors. The crowd clearly loved her. After a spirited rendition of Eric Clapton’s acoustic arrangement of the 1920s blues standard, “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out,” someone called out “That was great.” She smiled and said, “Thank you – I just see darkness, but I feel loved.”

There were a few last-minute set list order changes, but the band gamley rolled with the punches. One of those changes came because her guests were running a little late. As if the evening needed more star power, two of her Little Shop co-stars—Jeremy Kushnier and Milo Manheim— stopped by to join her onstage. Welcoming Kushner to sing a lovely duet of “Falling Slowly” from Once, she quipped that he’s usually hitting her and screaming at her but now they were about to sing a love song. She stopped, and explained that she meant his character did: “not like, backstage.” She and Manheim then did a breezy cover of Frank Sinatra’s “Somethin’ Stupid,” embodying the essence of old-school lounge singers.

Toward the end of the set, Gillies ad-libbed another last-minute change, asking Kitt to play “If I Were a Bell” and end on “the campy song.” “These are things I should have discussed before,” she told the crowd with a sheepish smile, “but you guys are my friends; I’m just being myself.” That authenticity defined the night. Even when she stumbled during “If I Were a Bell”—a rare moment—she owned it with grace and humor, explaining that she had “fucked up” a level too far to catch the lyrics again, and wanted to do it right and start over. She executed the re-do flawlessly, delivering a smoldering rendition of the song inspired by Dinah Washington’s jazzy arrangements.

There were highlights and surprises throughout the night: a lightning-fast take on The Nanny theme song that brought the house down, and a hilarious number by Tom Kitt called “Why Do I Gotta Be Bugs Bunny,” from a musical he wrote with Ariel Dumas titled Bye Bye Bunny. Gillies also performed a rare Kitt “trunk song” cut from Flying Over Sunset, which she delivered with emotional intensity before gliding into a stunning “Moon River.” One of her strongest and most memorable performances of the night was “The Man That Got Away,” channeling Judy Garland and showing off her incredible breath control. Her expressive face and voice brought additional layers to each performance, another testament to her acting chops.

With this Carlyle residency, Elizabeth Gillies proves herself not only a gifted vocalist but a performer with charm, charisma, and deep reverence for the music she sings. She shared that it had been a dream of hers to play at the Carlyle as a little girl growing up in New Jersey, and even though this was her second time there, the evening still felt like getting to watch her dream come true.

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Follow Elizabeth Gillies on Instagram here.

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