Melba Moore: Annual Birthday Celebration

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Melba Moore

Annual Birthday Celebration

Metropolitan Room, NYC, October 27, 2014

Reviewed by Joel Benjamin for Cabaret Scenes

Melba-Moore-Annual-Birthday-Celebration-Cabaret-Scenes-Magazine_212Melba Moore, the Tony Award-winning singer, threw herself a much-deserved birthday celebration at the Metropolitan Room and provided her own entertainment. This amazing survivor proved that her vocal talents are not only undimmed, but richer than ever.
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 She made her intentions clear with her first song, “Don’t Rain on My Parade” (Styne/Merrill).
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Her jazz bona fides were proven in an eloquent “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” (Ellington/Mills) and a passionate, languorous “Stormy Weather” (Arlen/Koehler).

As she spoke of her Broadway career she sang songs from Hair—“Aquarius,” “Easy to Be Hard,” “Let the Sunshine In” (MacDermot/Rado/Ragni)—in fresh arrangements, leading directly to her second show, Purlie, from which she sang a staggeringly exciting “I Got Love” (Gary Geld/Peter Udell), soaring into the high notes with a glee that belied her age. A “Motown Medley” also brought out the youthful qualities in her voice.

Her 98-year-old step-father, pianist Clem Moorman, got up to play “Happy Birthday,” but also managed a swinging “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore” (Ellington/Bob Russell), without the benefit of sheet music.

She ended with “Lean on Me,” a plea for belonging, which she gave a particularly passionate reading.

Her band, all of whom had long, virtuoso solos, included Musical Director Levi Barcourt, Rodney Harrison (bass), and Leon Dorsey (drums).

Joel Benjamin

A native New Yorker, Joel was always fascinated by musical theater. Luckily, he was able to be a part of seven Broadway musicals before the age of 14, quitting to pursue a pre-med degree, which led no where except back to performing in the guise of directing a touring ballet troupe. Always interested in writing, he wrote a short play in high school that was actually performed, leading to a hiatus of nearly 40 years before he returned to writing as a reviewer. Writing for Cabaret Scenes has kept him in touch with world filled with brilliance.