Megan Hilty at Cafe Carlyle
May 27, 2014 to Jun 07, 2014
$125 to $205
Official Site
When Megan Hilty first belted “Let Me Be Your Star” on NBC’s musical drama “Smash,” TV viewers first got a taste of what Broadway fans who saw the blonde bombshell in “Wicked” or “9 to 5” already knew: Megan Hilty is a star! But if any further proof of that star quality and sheer brilliance is needed, just check out her stunningly conceived and executed cabaret act at the Café Carlyle (through June 7).
Hilty may be sporting a baby bump, but she still manages to combine a raw sexuality with a girl-next-door vibe that is only one part of her total package. There’s her strong, perfectly-pitched voice that can raise the roof the one moment or envelop a room in intimacy. She knows how to interpret a lyric for maximum effect, as well as be smart enough to let the music do the talking (here provided by a kick-ass four-piece band that includes the superb singer-pianist Matt Cuson and Hilty’s husband, the excellent guitarist Brian Gallagher). She can handle jazz, rock n’ roll, and Broadway with equal, disarming dexterity. And, most of all, she knows how to give the customers exactly what they want!
In this case, that means “Smash” and her extraordinary opening number, Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman’s stunning “They Just Keep Moving the Line” sets the tone for the evening. Later on, she delivers an equally fine take on the pair’s gorgeous ballad “Second Hand White Baby Grand,” and joins Cuson for a bouncy rendition of the standard “That’s Life” as it was featured on the show.
Having played Marilyn Monroe on “Smash,” as well as one of Monroe’s most famous characters, Lorelei, Lee, in the Encores! production of “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,” Hilty wisely includes two of that musical’s trademark numbers: the delightful “Bye Bye Baby” and, of course, “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friends,” which she handles with peerless sass and style. She also takes on two of Judy Garland’s most famous songs, “The Man That Got Away” and “Get Happy,” and makes them her own, which is no mean feat.
But I have to admit some of my favorite moments in this show are Hilty’s quieter ones: a shattering rendition of “Heart of the Matter” (recorded and co-written by the great Don Henley), which anyone who has ever had to move on from a relationship can understand; a gorgeously crafted pairing of two melancholy Johnny Mercer lyrics, “Autumn Leaves” and “When October Goes” (beautifully arranged by New York Pops conductor Steven Reineke), and her final song, Paul Williams and Kenneth Ascher’s Oscar-nominated “The Rainbow Connection,” sung as a lullaby-of-sorts to her yet-to-be-born daughter.
Indeed, throughout this practically perfect act, Hilty proves just how a star can connect to her audience!
Author: Brian Scott Lipton
Cafe Carlyle
Cabaret
East 70s
35 E 76th St (Carlyle Hotel)
New York, NY 10021
(212) 744-1600
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