CABARET LIFE NYC: Corinna Sowers-Adler 'Catapults' Herself Into Cabaret's Young Singer Elite

Cabaret Reviews and Commentary by Stephen Hanks

Like a cabaret Wizardess of Oz, Corinna Sowers-Adler takes joy in granting requests. Over the last few years, eight of her cabaret shows have been built around songs that she has solicited from potential audience members months in advance of the show. These have been perfectly charming affairs that have helped her create a nice fan base, and the sets filled with songs from different eras and in a variety of styles have allowed her to shine vocally. But as much as this reviewer has heaped praise on Corinna's By Request shows, it seemed about time this budding cabaret star presented something more original and thematic and built around her. So before her most recent show at Stage 72, "Let Me Sing and I'm Happy," she announced she was granting one more request.

"Here's the end of my last review from Stephen Hanks of BroadwayWorld.com," Corinna announced halfway through singing the show's title song (the Irving Berlin tune that was a hit for Al Jolson in the late 1920s). "'Frankly, nobody could begrudge her creating a new show of songs she is passionate about--for herself--and which could catapult her into the pantheon of cabaret's new generation of stars.'" She pauses, stares at the audience and shouts, "Let the catapulting begin!"

And did it ever. Proving that it is fine to both look good and feel good, she emerged from behind the Stage 72 curtain in a classy, floor-length black gown and offered a swinging, bluesy version of Anthony Newley/Leslie Bricusse's "Feeling Good." Corinna then combined the autobiographical with the comical, revealing that she grew up in Schuylkill County, PA, listening to Led Zepplin and Steppenwolf (her mom's influence), and that her name was inspired by the Steppenwolf song, "Corina, Corina." But as a teenager she also loved opera and musical theater and one of the first songs she ever sang in public was Victor Herbert's "Art Is Calling For Me" from his 1911 operetta, The Enchantress. The challenging song allowed Corinna to show off her operatic vocal range early in the show, while also revealing her natural sense of humor with the song's almost self-mocking line, "I want to be a Prima Donna." Possessing a confident, sweet, and down-to-earth persona on stage and off, Corinna is anything but the Prima Donna type.

The rest of her set list was compellingly varied, audience accessible, and clearly filled with songs she loves (although one minor quibble is that a few were recycled from previous By Request shows). Corinna channeled the female big band singers of the 1930s and '40s on a tender rendition of "I'll Be Seeing You," offered strength with sensitivity on the Lynn Ahrens/Stephen Flaherty song "Back to Before" from the musical Ragtime, and brought some power to her country pop delivery of the Martina McBride hit "Broken Wing" (although on songs like this one, she has a tendency to slightly overdo the operatic soprano flourishes).

But three of the show's highlights proved the best examples why Corinna should be in the cabaret "rising star" category with under-40 phenoms such as Jennifer Sheehan, Marissa Mulder, and Lauren Fox. She more than held her own on the Ahrens/Flaherty song, "Nothing To Lose But Your Heart" (which has become a Liz Callaway standard), offering a simply beautiful rendition with a great band arrangement and support from Musical Director Markus Hauck (who along with Christian Fabian on bass and Colleen B. Clark and drums was excellent throughout). Songwriter Gary Novikov, guitar at the ready, joined Corinna on stage for her hilarious take on his tango-esque "Instant Passion," written about a friend's romance with a woman who turned out to have extra equipment. And as she did on the final night of this year's Cabaret Convention at Lincoln Center's Rose Hall (her debut at the prestigious yearly event), Corinna again displayed her vocal versatility and wowed the audience on "Everybody Wants To Do A Musical" the Richard Maltby/Charles Strouse number from the musical Nick & Nora, bringing a comic sensibility to the song reminiscent of Carol Burnett in her prime.

When it comes to Corinna Sowers-Adler, I think I'm tapped out on requests--except perhaps for one: The New York cabaret community should realize that this talented singer has indeed "catapulted" herself into the elite group of young performers and landed very comfortably in the mix.