In her act Taylor Made: Bob Merrill at the Metropolitan Room, classically-trained operatic soprano Maureen Taylor bears not only an uncanny facial and physical resemblance to cabaret legend Elly Stone, but an almost eerie vocal similarity as well, when employing her upper register. However, she also evinces a marvelous lower range which, when combined with the marvelous melodies and lyrics of Bob Merrill, equals a simply superb evening which is certain to delight on every level.

Taylor is clearly at home, even before she begins her coupling of "When You Meet A Man in Chicago" (from Broadway's Sugar, the musical version of Some Like It Hot which starred Tony Roberts, Robert Morse and Elaine Joyce in the early 1970s) with the Rosemary Clooney hit "Mambo Italiano," peppered (as is the entire show) with stupendous patter. Where she really hits the mark, however, is with the heartfelt ballad "My Place in the World" from The Prince Of Grand Street, and then proves herself equally adept at comedy with Doris Day's upbeat "Ooh, Bang, Jiggly Jang." And her delivery of the Eartha Kitt chestnut "I Wantcha Around," is never anything less than abject fun, both for herself and the audience. Peter Napolitano has done a wonderful job with his seamless direction, Jean-Pierre Perreaux is his usual divine self on lights and sound and Matt Castle provides simply brilliant musical direction and the occasional backing vocals. Rounding out Taylor's impeccable staff, is the irrepressible Joe Brent on guitar, besides mandolin and violin, who deserves a nod all his own for such prodigious work on a variety of strings.

If there is a caveat to be had in such a sumptuously rich dessert of an evening, it appears at the end of the eleven o'clock number; it's a five-song medley of "Here I Am" from Henry Sweet Henry, "I Met A Man" from Prettybelle, a reprise of "Holly Golightly" from Breakfast At Tiffany's, "Look At Him" from New Girl In Town, and "Kissed On The Eyes" from Hannah, 1939. This last one, penned as a tribute to Hannah Arendt, and which starred Julie Wilson in 1990, Off-Broadway at the Vineyard Theater, is a tad too tearful on Taylor's part to allow it to endure as a cabaret showstopper (proving why the late Sylvia Syms once said, "You can sing about crying, but don't actually do it on a cabaret stage"). This said, however, within moments she redeems herself with a coupling of the title song from Take Me Along with the Guy Mitchell hit "There's Always Room at Our House."

Regardless, Maureen Taylor and Taylor Made: Bob Merrill are, without question, the stuff that cabaret dreams are made of, and couldn't come more highly recommended by this writer. Go, savor, and enjoy!