‘A Lot of Livin’ to Do’ at Act2PV

Marieann Meringolo had her opening night at Act2PV‘s Casa Karma Red Room. She brought all of her music with her from New York, handed the charts to pianist Mark Hartman, took a rehearsal and launched into their first collaboration. Marieann doesn’t like to perform without her musical director of 25 years, however, Mark and Marieann could be a shoo-in anywhere in the world.

Mark is one of those gifted musicians that doesn’t have to “know” his vocalist. He creates concert-worthy piano playing every time he sits in front of a keyboard. His senses are innate, his fingers work with the voice, and his face shows when a particular passage goes flawlessly well. Hartman makes the piano disappear except for a couple of dazzling virtuoso passes that Marieann introduced with a soundless sweep of her arm, and audience attention falls on him for a few moments. It occured to me last night, listening to the two of them, that it must be difficult to be so good at what you do that nobody pays attention – it’s all about the voice unless it’s a piano recital. I will talk to Mark one day if he is willing.

And then there is the reason we gathered – to hear Marieann Meringolo sing.

She does not have an ounce of sibilance in her voice. She is as clear as a perfectly constructed bell. Her breath is never heard in the microphone, neither in nor out. She does not talk about herself: I learned she was born in 1964 and grew up in Long Island, and that’s about it. No huge Broadway shows to discuss, no great big breaks, but I felt that each song was balanced with her beliefs with a lovely leaning toward kindness, love and caring for herself and everyone in the world. Her life is told through song choices, nothing particularly happy or sad, a gentle mix. Her ballads tinged with heartbreak but never with anger. Hope seems to be at her core, and one song she did about plastic surgery was downright hilarious. Even Mark Hartman laughed out loud at the absurdity without missing a note.

When I first heard Marieann at Open Mic, she sang “Fifty Percent” from the musical Ballroom. I leaned over to David Sabella and told him her voice reminded me of Barbra Streisand. That thought popped back into my head during the show, when she reprised the song on her Opening Night with a caveat that this woman, Marieann, is not a movie star or a million-copies-sold recording artist, she is a quintessential cabaret singer sharing her heart with yours.