Jillian Rhys McCoy — center, between fellow vocal dynamos Layonne Holmes and Reagan Richards — brings her Diana Ross tribute show to the stage of Two River Theater, as part of the Count Basie’s Emerging Artist Series. Â
So who is Jillian Rhys McCoy? Depending on the venue and the night of the week, she could be Karen Carpenter, whose legacy she honored during a special Yesterday Once More program at Tim McLoone’s restaurant in Asbury Park. Or she could be Carole King, whose Tapestry-era classics she performed alongside Bobby Bandiera in a tribute at Red Bank’s Count Basie Theatre. Or, she could be any of a number of “Chicks Who Rocked the 80s” in another of her showcase presentations, entitled Shadows of the Night.
On Thursday, the versatile vocal dynamo — who’s also performed as Jillian Rhys, or even simply Rhys — will channel the diva-licious lightning of the superstar who’s been called the greatest female entertainer of the past 100 years, Diana Ross. Drawing from a trove of chart-toppers that span the Supremes to solo stardom, the program known as Reflections: The Music of Diana Ross takes the stage of Two River Theater, as a presentation of the Count Basie’s Emerging Artist Series.
Jillian Rhys McCoy.
The programmers of the Basie series are the first to admit that “in a career that spans more than two decades and features a résumé that includes performances with Jon Bon Jovi, Joan Jett, Darlene Love, Tommy James, Gary U.S. Bonds and more, maybe it’s illogical to call Jillian Rhys McCoy an emerging artist” — but there’s also the sense that the longtime backup singer, session specialist and multi-faceted pro is just now coming into her own as a headliner, having had no difficulty in selling out many of her recent themed performances.
For Thursday’s 8 pm show, the Oceanport-based singer is scheduled to be joined by a band that boasts fellow vocal powerhouse Layonne Holmes (Motor City Revue), Arne Wendt (Big Pink), John Merjave (the Weeklings), and longtime Joe Jackson bassist Grahm Maby, in addition to promised “special guests.” They’ll be dealing spot-on recreations of Ross signatures from the Supreme sixties (“Baby Love,” “Where Did Our Love Go,” Stop! In the Name of Love” and of course “Reflections”) to the monumental milestones of the 1970s and 80s (“Upside Down,” “I’m Coming Out,” “Do You Know Where You’re Going To”) and beyond.
Tickets ($38 – $58) are available here from the Basie’s online box office.
