Maureen Kelley Stewart:My Standards – Not in a Standard Way

Post author:Bart Greenberg
Post published: November 5, 2026
Reading time:2 mins read

Maureen Kelley Stewart

My Standards – Not in a Standard Way

Chelsea Table & Stage, NYC, November 1, 2026

Reviewed by Bart Greenberg

“A standard is a song that even your soundman knows. Or at least his grandmother does.” So said Maureen Kelley Stewart at the beginning of her charming show My Standards – Not in a Standard Way. Actually, there wasn’t much surprising in her renditions of her 14 selections in either choices or interpretations, but she certainly delivered them with taste, intelligence, and clarity. She used her fine, sweet soprano and her excellent acting skills to convey the songwriters’ intent, whether romantic or mischievous. From Jerome Kern, whose lush romantic work opened and closed the show with “I’m Old Fashioned” (lyrics by Johnny Mercer) and “Long Ago and Far Away (Ira Gershwin) to Cole Porter’s erotic “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” to the political timeliness of “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?” (Jay Gorney/E.Y. Harburg), each gem was offered with the same sincerity and wit.

The show was enriched by the talent and humor of music director/arranger/pianist Alex Rybeck. His arrangements featured the best in Stewart’s voice, and they were decorated with sly jokes such as including a bit of “Singin’ in the Rain” (Arthur Freed/Nacio Herb Brown) into the end of a compassionate version of “Pennies from Heaven” (Arthur Johnston/Johnny Burke). Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “If I Loved You” formed a cute running joke throughout the show, and the melody also merged with “Long Ago and Far Away,” creating a shimmering ending to the performance.

Stewart did vary her selections a few times. She gave a highly romantic interpretation of “La Vie en rose” (Loiguy/Édith Piaf) and some tongue-twisting comedy in probably the least known song of the afternoon, but a very appropriate one: “Wanna Sing a Show Tune” (Ray Jessel). Her very best was a medley of songs from the lovely score of Finian’s Rainbow by Burton Lane and E.Y. Harburg including “How Are Things in Glocca Morra?,” “Look to the Rainbow” and “Ol’ Devil Moon.” This was golden indeed.

Tags: Singin’ in the Rain, Reviews, Cabaret Reviews, Arthur Johnston, Pennies from Heaven, Clubs, I’m Old Fashioned, E.Y. Harburg, Look to the Rainbow, Brother Can You Spare a Dime?, If I Loved You, composer, Long Ago and Far Away, Arthur Freed, CD, Bart Greenberg, Maureen Kelley Stewart, American Songbook Association, ASA, I’ve Got You Under My Skin, Chelsea Table & Stage, My Standards – Not in a Standard Way, Nacio Herb Brow, Loiguy, Wanna Sing a Show Tune, Ol’ Devil Moon, Edith Piaf, Cabaret Scenes, Cole Porter, Broadway, Cabaret, Broadway Musicals, Johnny Mercer, Burton Lane, Alex Rybeck, Jay Gorney, Ira Gershwin, American Songbook, Ray Jessel, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Lyricist, Jerome Kern, Johnny Burke, La Vie en Rose, Finian’s Rainbow, How Are Things in Glocca Morra, NYC

Bart Greenberg

Bart Greenberg first discovered cabaret a few weeks after arriving in New York City by seeing Julie Wilson and William Roy performing Stephen Sondheim and Cole Porter outdoors at Rockefeller Center. It was instant love for both Ms. Wilson and the art form. Some years later, he was given the opportunity to create his own series of cabaret shows while working at Tower Records. "Any Wednesday" was born, a weekly half-hour performance by a singer promoting a new CD release. Ann Hampton Callaway launched the series. When Tower shut down, Bart was lucky to move the program across the street to Barnes & Noble, where it thrived under the generous support of the company. The series received both The MAC Board of Directors Award and The Bistro Award. Some of the performers who took part in "Any Wednesday" include Barbara Fasano and Eric Comstock, Tony Desare, Andrea Marcovicci, Carole Bufford, the Karens, Akers, Mason and Oberlin, and Julie Wilson. Privately, Greenberg is happily married to writer/photographer Mark Wallis, who as a performance artist in his native England gathered a major following as "I Am Cereal Killer."