Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – Nightlife roundup: CYRILLE AIMÉE croons at Birdland, MEGHAN MURPHY delivers larger-than-life camp at 54 Below

• By drediman
• July 8, 2026
• No Comments

In the past weeks, I’ve been able to take my feet off the pedal a little bit, which has afforded me the opportunity to lean back and enjoy a number of New York’s storied nightlife offerings. Here are two such outings, wherein I encountered two distinctive divas in their element. Here are my thoughts on their performances.

CYRILLE AIMÉE
Birdland Jazz Club

First up was Cyrille Aimée, who recently completed a weeklong stint at Birdland Jazz Club (RECOMMENDED), the French singer’s longstanding home base when performing in New York. The last time I got to attend one of the free-spirited, multi-lingual chanteuse’s shows at the famed jazz venue was a little more than a year ago, when she was in the full bloom and glow of her pregnancy. She returned a more quietly assured presence, delivering a laidback late night performance that seemed more organic and intimate a show than I’ve seen from her in the past. Fear not, however, Aimée tapped into her sensual gypsy flair when her eclectic set, which was comprised of original songs from her albums (e.g., “Beautiful Way”) and established standards, called for it. Although her musical influences are far-ranging — she’s equally at home with jazz, pop, Caribbean music (her mother hails from the Dominican Republic), and French cabaret (she’s even a Stephen Sondheim interpreter) — the resulting musical aesthetic is instinctual and distinctly all her own. Throughout, Aimée was in fabulous voice and high spirits, crooning with both delicacy and stylish precision. Making matters even more delicious, she’s the kind of performer who exudes little other than authentically positive vibes. As accompanied by an expert band, Aimée’s seasoned musicality — accessible and sophisticated all at once — shined through brightly, drawing listeners in as she caressed the songs and got lost in the music.

MEGHAN MURPHY: GAYCON
54 Below

In the thick of Pride Month, cabaret artist and musical theater star Meghan Murphy (she made a memorable appearance in the recent stunning Encores! revival of LaChiusa’s The Wild Party) leaned in heavily on the gay festivities in her latest show at 54 Below, and she emphatically hit the proverbial ball out of the ballpark. Murphy, or “Big Red” as many in her growing fan base refer to her, is nothing if not a Gaycon (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED), and we all wouldn’t want it any other way. In possession of a big voice and an equally larger-than-life personality — as well as having the ability to effortlessly meld camp and glamor in her performances — she’s the kind of performer whom the gays, particularly gay men, gravitate towards and ultimately adore. And why shouldn’t we? Just bear witness to her amped up rendition of “For the Gaze” from the recently shuttered Broadway musical Death Becomes Her, and you’ll see why. Other highlights of the evening — fulsomely music directed by Yasuhiko Fukuoka on keys, and featuring guest performers Jack Bartholet, Michael Buchanan, and Norm Tears — included exuberantly inescapable performances of “You Don’t Own Me” and “The Man that Got Away”, as well as cleverly repurposed versions of “You’ve Got to be Carefully Taught” and “Pink Pony Club”. Over the course of her show, Murphy brilliantly and boldly held court, hosting the evening with a wonderfully well-formed sense of self and community, as well as natural gravitas. All things considered, I predict big things for Big Red.