Review: Marilyn Maye, the Miracle on 54th Street, Continues at 54 Below

In 2006 I received an email from Billy Stritch encouraging me to attend a performance at the much-missed cabaret venue on 22nd street, the Metropolitan Room, by his long time friend and musical soulmate Marilyn Maye, a singer I was not familiar with.  Knowing my musical inclinations Billy also added that he was sure she would be “my thing”. I quickly researched and was surprised to see her date of birth… 1928, which meant that Ms. Maye was 78. Reading on, I was astounded at the length and breath of her career and dumbfounded how I had missed the Marilyn Maye experience during my musical adventures.  I assumed that this Metropolitan gig was some sort of farewell tour that Billy had orchestrated for a retiring friend, a performer who had probably lost a bit of vocal proficiency and agility in her senior years. What a mistake…!

Well, you New Yorkers know “the rest of the story”, and word count limitations prohibit listing the details of her complete dominance and breathtaking performances on the Cabaret and Concert stages of NYC and the rest of the country since that night in 2006 and for the ensuing 19 years.

Billy was so right, and she has been “my thing” as well as a cherished “thing” for thousands of others who have filled the seats and have been thrilled by arguably one of the greatest pop vocalists of our generation. We were there last night for Marilyn and her continuing musical miracle on the stage of 54 Below. I was wrong in 2006 when Marilyn was 78, but I’m not making the same mistake in 2025 when she’s 97 and continuing to amaze.

Marilyn throughout her career has been surrounded by some of the finest musicians in the country and last night was no exception.  Tom Hubbard on bass and Daniel Glass on drums delivered the swing that underpinned Ms. Maye’s extraordinary sense of time and phrasing. Ted Rosenthal, not her usual pianist, supplied the voluminous amount of notes that Marilyn requests from her music directors, but did so with an understated elegance that enhanced her Johnny Carson Tonight Show arrangements culled from her record breaking 76 performances on the legendary late night time slot. 

Tickets to the final night of Marilyn Maye's 97th birthday celebration show are available here on 54 Below's website.

Below, see photos from the April 18 show.

Marilyn Maye

Marilyn Maye

Marilyn Maye

Marilyn Maye

Marilyn Maye

Ted Rosenthal, Marilyn Maye, Tom Hubbard

Tom Hubbard, Marilyn Maye, Daniel Glass

54 Below

Ted Rosenthal

54 Below

Eda Sorokoff & Marilyn Maye