Buckley was accompanied by acclaimed jazz pianist and musical director Christian Jacob on piano. She began her set with a classic cover of “The Way You Look Tonight,” which was met with a nice round of applause. “Is it still raining?” Buckley asked.
It was followed by “All Things in Time,” which she revealed was penned by Jason Robert Brown. “Thank you. Welcome to the Landmark. I’m delighted to be with you tonight,” she added.
She paid homage to Radiohead with a moving version of “High and Dry,” which was quite emotional for Buckley. An added treat was hearing her sing Stephen Schwartz’ “Chanson” in both French and English, where she sat on a stool.
A Texas native, Buckley took her audience on a trip down memory lane to the musical South Pacific with her distinct version of “You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught” and picked up the pace with “Cassandra,” yet another song by Jason Robert Brown.
She shared the story of how she corresponded with rising composer Joe Iconis on Facebook, where she told him that she was a fan of his work, and asked if he would write a story song for her shows. While they did not find a song in the beginning, they were able to find a song three days prior to her first show, with the witty “Old Flame,” which she described as a “wonderful story piece.” It was great to see her perform this tune in character, and she was able to convey a wide range of emotions during this performance.
It was followed by a haunting, melancholic cover of Emmylou Harris’ “Prayer in Open D,” where Buckley’s vocals were almost identical to Harris’.
She thanked the Landmark crowd for being a “great audience” for their last show on the East Coast, which for the esteemed thespian was also a “celebration.” Buckley gave the spotlight to Christian Jacob, and allowed him to perform the theme song of the movie Sully, which he wrote the score of the film.
Buckley performed a song from her Ghostlight album, produced by T Bone Burnett, entitled “Throw It Away,” which has a liberating vibe to it, and closed with a cover of Peter Gabriel’s optimistic “Don’t Give Up.”
The Verdict
Overall, Betty Buckley was enchanting at the Landmark on Main Street. Her vocals were nostalgic, haunting and crystalline. Christian Jacob was also brilliant on piano and on the arrangements. Her live show in Port Washington earned an A rating.
