During her Frank Sinatra tribute at 54 Below, Marilyn Maye explained that she was not there to give us a biographical account of Ol’ Blue Eyes, “I’m here to sing the songs” she continued, “that’s where I live!”, and indeed, it’s the songs where the legendary performer has spent most of her life. A professional singer since age 15, Maye went from being a beloved radio personality to becoming one of the world’s greatest nightclub entertainers, and she hasn’t lost her magic touch, that element that allows her to deliver the emotional punch of songs like “My Way” only to then have us roaring with laughter at her unique anecdotes.
Her tribute to Sinatra, appropriately titled “Her Way”, is a celebration of Frank’s catalogue that also showcases Maye’s extraordinary gift. Her voice remains absolutely enthralling, when she sings “Come Fly With Me”, we’re unable to resist her invitation. Throughout her performance on April 25, Maye proved to be a true delight as she danced, joked around and even invited the audience to sing along with her in one number. But we must’ve been a disappointment when she gleefully informed us “that’s the end of the community singing”, and indeed we were all there to listen to her.
One of the most moving moments of the night arrived when she expressed how as a young woman, she used to sing lyrics she didn’t know the meaning of, but then life made sure to inform her. She followed this with a tender rendition of "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning" that made everyone sigh in unison. She also performed the touching “The Second Time Around”, and she broke our melancholy spell by confessing that she was “waiting [for love] for the fifth time around”. The show was marked by an exhilarating combination of emotions that went from bliss to heartbreak, all through which we were guided by Ms. Maye looking radiant in a black jacket embellished with gold embroidery.
Near the end of her performance she expressed that it had been her lifelong dream to have a concert with The New York Pops and shared jokes about Marlon Brando’s singing in the film version of Guys and Dolls, before doing “Luck Be a Lady”. She also sang a rousing version of “That’s Life” but changed the lyrics from “I'm gonna roll myself up in a big ball and die” to “I'm gonna roll myself up in a big ball and fly”, and just as she had promised with her opening number, she really seemed to soar.
