Marilyn Maye, Week Forty-One in the No Longer New Abnormal

Marilyn Maye is a legend. Perhaps you haven’t heard of her? She is a 92-year-old cabaret singer who gives her audiences stylized singing and beautiful arrangements of standards. I had been meaning to see her for years and it finally happened this past week. A dear friend and I came to see her at 54 Below, the storied cabaret underneath the Studio 54 Theater. Marilyn’s first album came out in 1965. She appeared on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson more than any other singer, 76 times. I could go on, but you can easily look her up.

She is a pro. Her warmth and generosity are palpable. She loves her audiences, and we love her back. It was inspiring to see her perform. Not only is she a consummate pro, but she makes it seem easy to share her love of the music while standing for her entire set. The couple with whom we were sharing our table have seen her show over thirty times. This is not unusual with her audiences. Prior to the show we watched a community of fans greet each other as if they were reunited for another family event.