By Ron Fassler . . .
Now you’ve listened to my story
Here’s the point that I have made
Chicks were born to give you fever
Be it Fahrenheit or Centigrade
They give you fever.
The song “Fever” is forever associated with Peggy Lee, the singer-songwriter who rewrote a good deal of Eddie Cooley and Otis Blackwell’s original version and transformed it into a standard of sly and sultry seductiveness. Recorded over the years by everyone from Elvis Presley to Madonna to Beyoncé, it’s the song that Patina Miller opened her cabaret act with at Café Carlyle on Monday, the first performance of her three-night engagement, which she’s calling “An Evening With Patina.” The sold-out crowd had the fever from the moment she began singing.
A 2013 Tony Award winner for her mesmerizing Leading Player in Pippin, the same role that also brought Ben Vereen a Tony, she seduced and tantalized Broadway audiences with her extensive gifts as a vocalist and dancer. She had broken through earlier as a star to watch in London and New York, taking on the Whoopi Goldberg role in the stage musical adaptation of Sister Act, and most recently portrayed the Witch in the hit revival of Into the Woods. To top all that off, she was a series regular on the CBS drama “Madame Secretary” for six seasons and is currently starring in “Power Book III: Raising Kanan” on STARZ.
Entering the jammed club in a sleek white gown that accentuated her bare shoulders, her long braids tossed to one side, she cut quite the figure. Her choice of material throughout was impeccable, raiding from artists associated with the Great American Songbook like the aforementioned Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra. Her stunning performance of “I’m a Fool to Want You”—for which Sinatra holds a credit for contributing to its lyrics—is one of the saddest torch songs of all time. James Sampliner, musical arranger and pianist for the show, provided exceptional accompaniment with some brilliant jazz riffs.
Mostly concentrating on jazz renditions, Miller’s effortlessness with a lyric and the clarity of her diction make for some sweet listening. In particular, her take on Cole Porter’s “Let’s Fall in Love” was a rouser, as was Wardell Gray and Annie Ross’s “Twisted,” famous for its opening line, “My analyst told me that I was right out of my head.” Her scatting on the Gershwins’ “I Got Rhythm” was a delight, and it’s hard to go wrong with choices like Walter Donaldson and Gus Kahn’s “Love Me or Leave Me,” or Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler’s “Stormy Weather;” all three were written in 1927, 1928 and 1933, respectively. Nothing wrong with a young talent extolling the virtues of golden oldies.
As always, Café Carlyle remains the go-to spot for top cabaret performers. Drinks, food and service are singularly top-notch. with a staff that seems never to get older, only better. The ambiance of the exquisite space, with its famed Marcel Vertès murals on the walls, is as seductive as the songs Miller chose to sing. This was her debut there and judging from the run being sold out for all three shows, she’s going to be back. Catch her if you can.
An Evening with Patina continues at the Café Carlyle in the Carlyle Hotel (35 East 76th Street at Madison Avenue) on October 11, 12, and 14. For further information, please visit: https://www.rosewoodhotels.com/en/the-carlyle-new-york/dining/cafe-carlyle
Photos: David Andrako
