"There are singers and singers, and there is Marlene VerPlanck, no stranger to Pizza on the Park, where she held the audience spellbound for two one-hour sets in a superbly crafted show. So what is it that separates VerPlanck from many of today's other excellent vocalists?

"First and foremost, her diction, combined with an intimacy with her audience which can only be described as mesmeric. Secondly the choice of material, which includes a collection of the less familiar works of Gershwin, Porter and Berlin, plus a sprinkling of relatively new songs, including those penned by her late husband, Billy VerPlanck, also responsible for all her arrangements. Theirs was a remarkable musical partnership, producing such delights as a voice and string bass duet on Jerome Kern's Dearly Beloved, best described as a 'tour de force' for two, and her vocal gymnastics, before coming down to earth on Kurt Weill's Speak Low.

"The accompanying trio for much of VerPlanck's tour, don't come any better than Paul Morgan on bass, Bobby Worth on drums and the inestimable John Pearce on piano. Sound-wise they strike the perfect balance in what has to be one of London's most superb cabaret venues." -- Shiela Tracy, booktheact.com

"As I sit down to write this review, I'm wondering - is anything new that can be said about Marlene VerPlanck? She has over 20 CDs under her belt, has been a studio singer doing backup vocals for the likes of Frank Sinatra, Mel Torme and Kiss, has sung in numerous radio and tv commercials, and has toured extensively as a solo artist. She's even known (by voice) to people who don't even know they know her! Enough said already?

"No! What a lovely trip back to a time when nightclub's reigned, yet it's not all nostalgia. Her voice is warm, with a lovely depth and beautifully clear upper register. It's velvet and silk with a touch of scotch thrown in - maybe even just a hint of smoke. Her demeanour sweet and warm, yet worldly. Her delivery, impeccable. Her enunciation, perfect. I'm smitten.

"Even after 29 songs, I wanted more, but her show was finished, and I had somewhere else to be. So be it.

"Her first set consisted of songs from her latest CD, "Once There Was a Moon"; her second set, ostensibly some of her favourite songs. There were so many songs I loved, but some of the highlights were Irving Berlin's "You're Laughing at Me" and "Better Luck Next Time", Jobim's "Two Kites", her late husband Billy VerPlanck's title track from her new CD, Ronny Whyte and Francesca Blumenthal's "The Party Upstairs", and "Save Your Love For Me".

"Her jazz trio was also stupendous - Bobby Worth on drums, Paul Morgan on bass and John Pearce on piano. They really set the tone for the night with their instrumental opening of "Just in Time".

"For VerPlanck fans, this is another wonderful night in her presence. For VerPlanck neophytes like me, it's an entry into a magical new world." -- Harold Sanditen