Marilyn Maye

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Marilyn Maye

54 Below, NYC, November 3, 2025

Reviewed by Jacqueline Parker

Marilyn Maye
Photo by Maryann Lopinto

54 Below was ablaze, with music, with love, and with appreciation for Marilyn Maye. Looking every inch the great high priestess of cabaret, she ascended the stage to rapturous applause before singing a note. She was dressed in black—sequined slacks with a jacket bedecked in gold with stylish gold jewelry. Her perfectly coiffed champagne-colored hair shimmered as well.

And so this party began. Via video, Maye was introduced by Johnny Carson in a clip from one of her many (76—more than any other singer) appearances on his popular television show. Seeing him again added that certain spice to the proceedings; his wit and style have never been duplicated. Seeing her sing on his show in those years, looking as glamorous as she does now, made one appreciate even more her still strong, powerful voice.

Her opening was a natural, Kander and Ebb’s “Cabaret,” which she delivered as an imperative rather than as a mere invitation. Nostalgia ruled next with “The Way We Were” (Marvin Hamlisch/Alan and Marilyn Bergman), which with slightly altered lyrics became a love song to Johnny. This was followed by Carson’s favorite tune, “Here’s That Rainy Day” (Jimmy Van Heusen/Johnny Burke), which she had sung six times on his show.

She did a mini-tribute to Steve Allen by singing two the many songs he wrote (he wrote over 8,000 songs), the familiar “This Could Be the Start of Something Big” and the charming “I Love You Today.”  These was followed by “Those Were the Days” (Boris Fomin/Gene Raskin), which she performed while pictures of Johnny, Steve Allen, and others were shown on screen, making it all the more personally poignant.

Throughout the show she shared tidbits about her life in a girlish, almost confidential way. One of the best was about a former lover who had done her wrong. She told him sweetly to watch The Tonight Show that night because she was singing something just for him. That “something” was “I Will Survive” (Freddie Perren/Dino Fekaris), which she delivered with passion and verve to the delight of most of the women in the audience. After we heard about her memories, “As Time Goes By” (Herman Hupfeld) was a comforting ballad.

The entire evening was empowering, a notion highlighted by “The Need to Be” (Jim Weatherly). She encouraged us to be part of the act by clapping along with “Let Me Be There” (John Rostill). Mark McLean on drums seemingly did a duet with her on this, which the audience acknowledged enthusiastically.

She calmed the proceedings down with three musical tributes to the season: “Autumn in New York”/“Autumn Leaves”/“When October Goes” (Vernon Duke; Joseph Kosma/Johnny Mercer; Barry Manilow/Mercer). She shared the stage with her music director Tedd Firth on piano, Tom Hubbard on bass, and McLean on drums.

This was one of those unforgettable cabaret performances where it is impossible to gauge whether the frisson in the room was coming from the performer’s love of the audience and her material or the audience’s love for the performer and her material. Who cares? It was a unique occasion, punctuated by three standing ovations during the performance—a rarity for sure. Marilyn Maye was beautiful and funny; her smokey, smooth, velvety voice was like an embrace. Johnny could not get enough of her—neither could we! Brava, Marilyn!

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Jacqueline Parker

Like Ethel Merman, lifelong New Yorker Jacqueline Parker began her career as a stenographer. She spent more than two decades at the city's premier public agency, progressing through positions of increased responsibility after earning her BA in English from New York University (3.5 GPA/Dean’s List). She won national awards for her work in public relations and communication and had the privilege of working in the House of Commons for Stephen Ross, later Lord Ross of Newport. In the second half of her career, Jacqueline brought her innate organizational skills and creative talents to a variety of positions. While distinguishing herself in executive search, she also gave her talents to publishing, politics, writing, radio broadcasting and Delmonico's Restaurant. Most recently, she hosted Anything Goes! a radio show that paid homage to Cole Porter and by extension the world of Broadway musicals and the Great American Songbook. Other features of the show were New York living, classical music, books, restaurants, architecture and politics. This show highlighted the current Broadway scene, both in New York and around the country through performances and interviews with luminaries including Len Cariou, Charles Strouse, Laura Osnes, Steve Ross and Joan Copeland. Her pandemic project was immersion into the life, times and work of Alfred Hitchcock, about whom she has written a soon-to-be-published article. Jacqueline has been involved in a myriad of charitable causes, most notably the Walt Frazier Youth Foundation, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Sisters of Life, York Theatre, and the New Jersey Shakespeare Festival. She is a proud Founder of Hidden Water. Her greatest accomplishment is the parenting of her son, a lawyer specializing in mediation. She has many pretend grandchildren, nieces and nephews, on whom she dotes shamelessly, as well as a large circle of friends to whom she is devoted. Her interests in addition to theater and cabaret are cooking, entertaining, reading, and spending time on Queen Mary 2.