Reviews

Miller Makes

Broadway Sing

By CAROL RITTER

THEATER

R E V I E W

The lights go out, and as the audience at the Downstairs Cabaret Theatre sits in the dark, Julie Andrews begins to sing. But it’s not Julie Andrews.

It’s Cindy Miller, and the show is her one-woman tribute to the women of Broadway, Here’s To The Ladies.

For about 65 minutes Miller captivated Thursday's audience with an array of tunes and impressions from a deep, rich pool of resources, portraying those who have graced the Broadway stage.

She seemed perfectly at home in the intimate setting, playing off members of the audience as she segued nicely from the haunting a cappella opening number, Whistling Away the Dark, to Ethel Merman’s trademark I’ve Got Rhythm and on through an assortment of works by Rodgers and Hammerstein, Lerner and Loewe, and Andrew Lloyd Webber, among others.

With minimal costume props, Miller did characterizations of singer/actresses, including Julie Andrews — whom she uncannily resembles in face and voice — and Barbra Streisand.

She was never off stage and almost never silent, so her voice received a real workout in more than 20 songs and accompanying narrations. And what a voice! Does the term high E-flat mean anything to you?

It will if you realize most female shower singers are likely to squawk a bit reaching the same note an octave lower at the top of the treble scale.

With no visible effort, Miller plucked that high E-flat right out of the air during a marvelous scat segment of I Got the Sun in the Morning. This lady can scat like nobody’s business, as she proved later in a reprise of Duke Ellington's classic It Don't Mean a Thing.

With a minimum of deft footwork, she gave the impression of being an accomplished dancer as she strutted, vamped, and flirted her way through Chicago Illinois and Le Jazz Hot.

Miller’s acting is first-rate and her singing an amazing display of virtuosity. She has a buttery-rich lower register and a light, clean top range.

Her backup combo of Larry Neeck on piano, Gary Terwilliger on bass, and Chuck Morey on drums is just right for this charming show. Catch it if you can.

Democrat and Chronicle, Rochester, N.Y.

Cabaret theater gets rave review

Downstairs Cabaret Theatre performances have been outstanding this year.

I saw the production You Ain’t Heard Nothin’ yet, a celebration of great entertainers: Fred Astaire, George M. Cohan, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Julie Andrews, Barbra Streisand, and more. I closed my eyes during some of the performance to listen to Cindy Miller, and I was convinced I was hearing the real voice of whomever she was paying tribute to. I encourage...

LAURA MICHATEK

Times-Union

Remember this name: Cindy Miller. If you’ve never seen her on stage, you’re in for a treat. Her current show at the Downstairs Cabaret Theatre, You Ain’t Heard Nothin’ Yet, is well worth your time. I saw it with a friend last weekend and enjoyed every minute of it.

Cindy is a dynamic performer who packs an incredible amount of energy into her one-woman show, which runs an hour and 20 minutes without intermission. The show is her own original compilation of tunes made famous by great entertainers, including Al Jolson, Fred Astaire, George M. Cohan, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand.

Dancing across the stage and flirting with her audience, Cindy sings in a rich voice that’s alternately lush, plaintive, sultry, strong, and wistful, but always absolutely on pitch. She can belt, scat and croon with the best of them.

Democrat and Chronicle, Rochester, N.Y.

Calumet Arts Cafe:

Gap Mangione

In the last year or so, Buffalo has been lucky enough to see both Mangione brothers — trumpet -flugelhorn ace Chuck and pianist Gap — a number of times.

...When petite singer Cindy Miller took the stage, the band threatened several times to engulf her, rushing at her like a great sparkling tidal wave. Miller, though, packs power on her own. With flair, she attacked The More I See You, The Nearness of You, and a funky, precarious You Are My Sunshine.

Buffalo Evening News

An evening of

familiar jazz

marks RPO linkup

with 2 guest stars.

BY STAFF WRITER

JACK GARNER

John Pizzarelli

Jazz has had a longtime love affair with the great Tin Pan Alley pop songs. That’s what the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra celebrated with two highly musical guest stars last night.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame, a playful rendition that leads off Mangione’s current album, Planet Gap. This also is a fixture at Baltimore Orioles baseball games.

John Pizzarelli, meanwhile, kicked of his set later with an uptempo romp through Three Little Words, and then went into a shuffle-rhythm version of L-O-V-E.

Surprisingly, it was the second time for the song on the program — and wasn’t quite as invigorating as the version played a half-hour earlier by Mangione feature capable band vocalist, Cindy Miller....