Andrea Marcovicci: Sings Rodgers & Hart

She evokes a cultured elegance reminiscent of Ivor Novello or Noel Coward. Her disciplined professionalism, coupled with an innate theatricality, places her in the same supreme league as Barbara Cook. As a storyteller with a sparkling, winking way with a saucy lyric, she rivals the irrepressible Julie Wilson. So, it’s hard to imagine anyone better suited to an extended foray-part romp, part waltz, part shimmy-through the Rodgers and Hart songbook than Andrea Marcovicci. Thanks to several cleverly crafted medleys, Marcovicci manages to shoehorn 21 of the illustrious team’s best, ranging from platinum-edged classics to delightful rarities, into this 14-track mélange. Like every great cabaret performer, Marcovicci is a lyricist’s best friend. (Hart, of course, reciprocates by providing some of the finest wordplay in the history of popular song). Navigating any of Hart’s rich narrative veins-the coyly risqué (“Sing for Your Supper,” “A Little Bird Told Me So”), the archly witty (“To Keep My Love Alive,” “Everything I’ve Got”), the wistfully woeful (“He Was Too Good to Me,” “It Never Entered My Mind,” “Little Girl Blue”) or the stunningly romantic (“My Heart Stood Still,” “Where or When,” “My Funny Valentine,” “Bewitched”)-she handles each word, each phrase, like the gem it is, often increasing the overall value by unearthing seldom-heard intros and extras verses.

Originally Published April 1, 2008