Marcovicci Sings Mercer Beginning Nov. 17 at the Algonquin

By Andrew Gans
17 Nov 2009

Cabaret favorite Andrea Marcovicci celebrates the 2009 Johnny Mercer Centennial with the New York premiere of her new show, Skylark: Marcovicci Sings Mercer, which begins performances Nov. 17 in the Oak Room of the Algonquin Hotel.



Marcovicci will sing the lyrics of Johnny Mercer through Dec. 26. Cabaretgoers can expect to hear Marcovicci's renditions of "Skylark," "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive," "That Old Black Magic," "One for My Baby," "Goody, Goody" and "Moon River."

In a statement Marcovicci said, "Johnny Mercer’s optimism is his unique contribution to the popular songbook. He captures the unique American naturalness in several ways: sometimes cheeky, other times torchy, some songs have that heartbreaking 'cry-in-your-beer' quality. The great songwriter and author Alec Wilder called Mercer an 'outdoor writer,' not like a sophisticated 'indoor' writer like Larry Hart or Cole Porter. Indeed, his songs speak of bucolic things like trains and whistles and birds. He was capable of the intricate rhyme schemes of Porter, but also the simple truth of Sammy Cahn."

Andrea Marcovicci starred on Broadway in the short-lived musical Ambassador and in Frank D. Gilroy's Any Given Day. Her screen credits include roles in "The Front," "Someone to Love," "Jack the Bear," "Who Is Henry Jaglom?," "The Water Engine" and "Trapper John, M.D." It has been the cabaret stage, however, where she has received the most acclaim. The singer-actress has performed at Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall and in concert halls throughout the world. Her solo albums are numerous and include "Marcovicci Loves Movies," "What Is Love?," "Just Kern," "December Songs," "New Words," "Live from London" and "Some Other Time."

Among Johnny Mercer's most popular songs are "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby," "Goody, Goody," "Skylark," "I Had Myself a True Love," "Fools Rush In," "Come Rain or Come Shine," "Out of This World," "Blues in the Night," "One for My Baby," "Satin Doll," "I'm Old Fashioned," "I Thought About You," "Tangerine," "Jeepers Creepers," "That Old Back Magic," "Moon River," "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening," "Laura," "My Shining Hour," "Hooray for Hollywood" and "Accentuate the Positive."

The Algonquin Hotel is located in Manhattan at 59 W. 44th Street. Call (212) 419-9331 for reservations; visit www.algonquinhotel.com for more information.