Megan Hilty at Café Carlyle

Cabaret Scenes Magazine | July 28, 2014

Megan Hilty

Café Carlyle, NYC, May 27, 2014

Reviewed by Joel Benjamin for Cabaret Scenes

Megan Hilty, the kittenishly sexy star of the TV series Smash, made her Café Carlyle debut backed by a topnotch ensemble which featured her husband, guitarist Brian Gallagher. She sported a baby bump and seemed glowingly happy. Of course, she did numbers by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman from Smash: the tough, but hopeful, “They Just Keep Moving the Line,” and the wistfully sad “Second Hand White Baby Grand.” In the same mood was a lusciously nuanced “Someone to Watch Over Me” (Gershwins) plus “Autumn Leaves” (Kosma/Mercer) paired with “When October Goes” (Manilow/Mercer).

She carefully balanced bittersweet with upbeat. She harmonized with her hubby on “Almost Like Being In Love” (Loewe/Lerner) and “This Can’t Be Love” (Rodgers/Hart), exchanging sweet smiles. Her take on “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” (Styne/Robin) combined Channing’s dumb-as-a-fox interpretation with Monroe’s seductiveness.

Two songs in particular displayed her ever-maturing singing chops. “The Man That Got Away” (Arlen/Gershwin) was sung with a rubato that caught the tension in the song, while “Rainbow Connection” (Williams/Ascher), sung to her unborn child, was wistful and sweet.

Completing her excellent band were Musical Director Matt Cusson on piano, Ryan Hoagland on percussion and Dennis Keefe on bass.