BWW Interviews: Nicori Studios and Productions's Corinna Sowers-Adler

The Tri-State area is full of such amazing talent and Nicori Studios and Productions based in Bloomfield, NJ brings that talent to their area. Married couple Nicholas Adler and Corinna Sowers-Adler runs the company and Broadway World talked to Corinna about the company a week before the New York City MAC Awards.

BWW: Corinna, thanks so much for joining me today to talk about your company. Can you tell us a little about Nicori Studios and Productions?

Corinna Sowers-Adler: NiCori Studios and Productions has been housed in the Oakeside Bloomfield Cultural Center in Bloomfield, NJ for the past 2.5 years. However, the company has been around since 2001. It started in PA. When Nick and I got married, we also became business partners! I am the Artistic Director and Nicholas is the Executive Director. We were working at the time for a theatre company also owned by a husband and wife who also used a combination of their names to create their company name. We thought they were a great example of what we were striving for in our own lives. NiCori is a Voice and Theatre studio as well as a Production Company. We have a thriving voice studio with over 30 students and have produced multiple Cabaret Acts and Off-Broadway Reviews. We also are commissioned to direct Musicals and Cabarets. Nicholas has recently begun to offer consulting services to Theater spaces to improve their Front-of-House Operations. One of the things we are most proud of is our "Music at the Mansion" series.

BWW: Wow! There is so much involved in this company. That is awesome. How did Music at the Mansion come about?

CSA: There is a beautiful solarium at Oakeside. I would go down and sing in it when my lessons were over and the house was empty. I was in the room one night and I just had the idea that we needed to fill the house with more music. It seemed like the perfect space to do so. I came home and said to Nick..."So...I have this idea"...and he, gratefully, went along with it! Originally it was going to showcase only local talent, but at the last minute I sent to my MAC contacts and was overjoyed at how many NYC Cabaret Professionals responded that they wanted to be part of it! It has been growing ever since.

BWW: You seem to have a varied background in both theater and cabaret. Do you have one love over the other?

CSA: This is a hard question.

BWW: I never said it would be easy (smiling of course).

CSA: There are so many things I love about both. I think I love to direct Theatre more and Perform Cabaret more. I love the process of directing a full musical, and while I will always love being in them as well, the intimacy of a Cabaret Performance is so exciting to me. I love the idea of having a conversation with my audience. I like to make them feel that either they are in my living room, or I'm in theirs and we are having a conversation.

BWW: I think that is a great answer. I see you travel a lot for work, but you seem to have your home base in Northern NJ and Manhattan. Has the proximity to Manhattan aided in what happens at Music at the Mansion?

CSA: We moved to Bloomfield, NJ five years ago from PA due to Nick's acceptance of the job of Performance Manager at Jazz at Lincoln Center. He has since been promoted to House Manager. The commute is easy, the community is great, and because we are so close to Manhattan, performers don't mind commuting to sing on our series.

BWW: You really have a wonderful mix of local talents as well as Broadway and NY Cabaret performers that present each month. How do you go about putting each event together?

CSA: There are 3 acts each performing 25 minutes and a 'Young Musician Moment" which features a young performer under the age of 18. I try to make one of the professional acts a local person or group and the "Young Musician Moment" performer is always someone local. I try to vary the performers based on musical style so that everyone in the audience feels as though they have enjoyed an eclectic and uplifting afternoon of music. We get emails daily from both NYC and NJ based performers who have heard how lovely the acoustics are in the room and how welcoming our audience is, asking to be part of the series. It's pretty great! I try to fit in as many as possible.

BWW: That's awesome that you feature a young local performer as I've personally seen many amazing ones in the shows you direct. But also I want to talk about the fact that your company is up for a MAC award (Manhattan Association of Cabaret and Clubs) for Special Production/Variety Production/Recurring Series. How does that feel after all the work that gone into your series at the Mansion?

CSA: It feels wonderful to be recognized by your peers! "Music at the Mansion" has been such a joy for us! People leave feeling so good and the fact that the Cabaret community is recognizing us is exiting and humbling. We are very grateful for the nomination.

BWW: Do you know if this is a first for an organization outside the city to be up for this honor?

SCA: I'm not sure if we are the only outside organization...but I do know most everyone else is located in Manhattan.

BWW: A great accomplishment for you and our New Jersey area. What's coming up for you and/or your company?

CSA: I have a show coming up on April 7th at Stage 72 @ the Triad called "By Request". It's the 7th installment of the show. It is an interactive Cabaret that asks the audience to email requests with the memory or reason why they want to hear the song. I then create a show out of their songs and stories. I am also directing "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs..the Musical" for the Wilson School in Mountain Lakes, NJ and "Little Women...the Musical" for the New Jersey School of Dramatic Arts. We have recently become Booking Associates for Stage 72 @ the Triad. We plan to continue our "Music at the Mansion" series and expand it in the future.

BWW: Simply amazing you can juggle so much! Anything else you want the BWW readers to know about Music at the Mansion?

CSA: I think I would like them to know that it is very affordable. We have purposely kept the ticket price at $10 so that it is affordable to everyone. We also serve light refreshments after each concert and the audience has the opportunity to chat with our artists. The series is completely acoustic so you are hearing the natural voice. The room is so acoustically sound that we do not need to use mics. It has the feel of the Salons and House Concerts of the old days. The Oakeside Mansion provides the perfect setting. It's a lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon! We meet every last Sunday of the month at 3pm (unless it's a holiday, then we meet the week before). The next installment of "Music at the Mansion" is March 24th at 3pm and will feature Brian Gari, Bill Zeffiro, Shana Farr, and our "Young Musician Moment" will feature a student from Jazz House Kids.

BWW: Thanks so much for taking the time to talk to us about your wonderful program. The Oakeside Bloomfield Cultural Center is located at 240 Belleville Avenue in Bloomfield, NJ. For more information, please contact info @ corrinasings.com or call Oakeside at 973-429-0960.

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