Judy Butterfield’s Under the Manhattan Moon depicted the same moon as seen in the same city in two different eras—her grandmother’s and her own. Judy set the stage with a clever Manhattan medley that jumped from Irving Berlin’s “Manhattan Madness” to Stephen Sondheim’s “Another Hundred People.” Her grandmother found love in New York and Judy, a three-year resident as a Barnard College student, sang about her search for love in a beautifully arranged medley of “What Is This Thing Called Love?” and “Love,” which was based on the Lena Horne version of the Hugh Martin & Ralph Blane song. Musical Director Eli Brueggemann confirmed how delicious the arrangement was because he had big smile on his face as he was playing it.

The well-chosen mix of songs selected for the show combined with Judy’s descriptive patter told the parallel stories very effectively. Her medley of “I Walk a Little Faster” and “On the Street Where You Live” conveyed the joyous feeling she has now when walking down Lexington Avenue, the street where her grandmother resided. Her set-up for the songs worked perfectly. Judy’s sensitive reading of lyrics was especially evident on a sensual “Do It Again” and a light-hearted “Good Thing He Can’t Read My Mind.” On board as guest stars were Brad Ellis, dueting with Judy on a terrific arrangement of “I Got Rhythm” he did for her a few years ago, and Andrea Marcovicci, who sang a touching “The Sweetest of Nights and the Finest of Days” to her protégée.

Les Traub
Cabaret Scenes
August 28, 2011
www.cabaretscenes.org