If likability were quantifiable, say on a scale of one to 10, singer Maureen Kelley Stewart would probably rate a 12. Her new show, and return to cabaret, This Is Always, was filled with beguiling charm and her ingratiating joy in singing. From her debut in 1991 she has always partnered with some of New York’s finest pianists, like the legendary Dick Gallagher. She continues this in 2025 with one of the current icons of cabaret accompaniment, Tedd Firth, who supplied faultless musical support throughout. She called upon another icon when she asked her old friend Lina Koutrakos to direct.
Maureen Kelley Stewart(Photo: Katarina Kojic)
Stewart has a straightforward direct attack on a song which, when it was used on the right number, recalled the golden age of cabaret performing, as she dusted off some classic Great American Songbook choices like “Where or When” (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart), “Taking a Chance on Love” (Vernon Duke, John La Touche, Ted Fetter), the title song, “This Is Always” (Harry Warren, Mack Gordon), and a lovely pairing of “The Nearness of You” (Hoagy Carmichael, Ned Washington) with “More Than You Know” (Vincent Youmans, William Rose, Edward Eliscu) and imbued each with classic style and simple elegance.
As years pass, and time takes its toll, especially if there is a long break from performing, the voice can, and most likely will, change. How a singer adapts to these inevitable changes can be a lengthy process as various responses are tried to achieve the most controlled and relaxed vocals. Stewart had a bit of a problem on some of the material, often forcing the end notes of lines, masking insecurities with loudness. The unevenness of the volume returned sporadically throughout the evening. Her charm often proved an antidote; the more she gets back to performing, the smoother her sound should become.
On the more contemporary material, her open declarative style (which was so right for the standards) diminished the storytelling through lack of a conversational sound; many lines, especially comedic ones, were delivered flatly. Susan Werner’s wonderful “I Can’t Be New” affords a full palette of color and wit and barely masked pain, but the subtleties and specificity of her lyrics were lost. Leonard Cohen’s “Song of Bernadette” failed to achieve the majesty, power, and mystery of Cohen’s poetry. But Stewart showed that she could deliver this kind of song successfully with her terrific reading of “Amazing Things That Float” (Peter Mills).
There were some problems with the patter as well. First, it was as if Stewart had two stacks of cards, one marked “patter,” and one marked “songs,” and she just shuffled them together with no regard for logic or coherence. “Song of Bernadette” quite literally came out of nowhere after a story about what she experienced at a cabaret symposium. Not only did it not relate in any way to the Cohen song, but it embodied the other patter problem in the show—there was too much reliance on the process of cabaret performing; there was much“inside” talk (what Gen Z’ers might call “meta”) which might be of interest to other performers in the audience, but leaves the rest of the audience “out in the cold.” The great cabaret and concert performers never talked about what high school teacher inspired them, or what shows they did or didn’t get to do when they were coming up in their careers, or how they put the show together. Those great singers lived in their songs, and through their artistry the audience did as well, and discovered all they needed to know about them.
If Maureen Kelley Stewart had not won me over already, her inclusion of “Lovers After All” (Johnny Mandell, Richard Rodney Bennett) near the end would have sealed the deal. It was recorded when it was new by the lovely singer, Joyce Breach, whom we recently lost. It’s an emotional song at any time, but Stewart’s measured, thoughtful performance was especially moving, and truly “for always!”
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Presented at Chelsea Table & Stage, 152 W. 26th St., NYC, October 16, 2025, and will be presented again Feb. 13, 2026.
Gerry Geddes, critic for BistroAwards.com, is an award-winning director, writer, teacher, performer, lyricist, and a contributor to the podcast Troubadours and Raconteurs. He conceived and directed the acclaimed musical revues Monday in the Dark with George (Bistro and MAC Award winner), Put on Your Saturday Suit—Words & Music by Jimmy Webb, and Gerry Geddes & Company (in its five-year residency at Pangea). He has directed singers André De Shields, Darius de Haas, Helen Baldassare, and Lisa Viggiano. He has been active in the cabaret world for over five decades and has produced numerous CDs; his lyrics have been performed and recorded here and in Europe. Gerry’s workshop, The Art of Vocal Performance, is regularly offered to singers of all levels. His memoir of life in NYC, Didn’t I Ever Tell You This?, was recently published and is available at barnesandnoble.com. He is currently at work on his first novel.
