"Saturday Night Is the Loneliest Night of the Week"? Not at The Carnegie Club with Steven Maglio. Maglio is a vocalist polished enough to sing any pop song he chooses with class and taste, but these days, he is getting a lot of mileage out of the Great American Frank Sinatra Songbook. He emphasizes that he is not a Sinatra impersonator, yet he morphs into the interpretation, the snap, the swing, the wrist-slasher soul and the Las Vegas' Sands joie de vivre. He reflects Sinatra's taste for good songs. On stage, he echoes "Ol' Blue Eyes'" audacious cool.

The Carnegie Club is a perfect spot for Maglio's Sinatra salute. It is not cabaret, and it is not theatre. Then again, maybe it is a bit of both. Pillars prevent great sightlines but Maglio manages to reach into the audience and establish an engaging connection. Theatrically, The Carnegie Club reflects a sophisticated nightclub scene. It doesn't take much effort to get into the '50's mood. High ceilings, a buzzing bar, booths and sofas, cute waitresses and decidedly smoky air. A sign informs, "…smoking of cigars and cigarettes is legally permitted." The space invites cocktails, chatter, as Maglio says, "recapturing a feeling," even if you only experienced it in old films.

Backed by the 11-piece big band rhythm sound of The Stan Rubin Orchestra, Maglio presents two different Sinatra shows. He obviously studied his subject well. He has his own gift of a full, secure tone and natural charm, plus he learned the technique of Sinatra's phrasing, connecting with the lyrics and subtext, poignant with "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning." He knows what to stress in breezy tunes like "Witchcraft" and "South of the Border." He understands how to punctuate a lyric, and he applies this know-how to his patter that smoothly links Sinatra anecdotes and info about the songs. He keeps the melodies true and rhythmic.

With Steven Maglio, the energy is palpable, shifting from show to show, inviting return visits. It will be interesting to see future songbooks. Chances are, you won't have to hit the casinos to bet that he will interpret those songs compellingly, using the lessons he learned from studying the Chairman of the Board.

The Carnegie Club features Sounds of Sinatra with Steven Maglio and The Stan Rubin Orchestra every Saturday evening with an 8:30pm show of Sinatra: Remembering The Sands and a 10:30pm show called Sinatra Songs.

Elizabeth Ahlfors
Cabaret Scenes
February 10, 2007
www.cabaretscenes.org