Maria Corsaro: Why Not?

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Maria Corsaro

Why Not?

Chelsea Table + Stage, NYC, March 14, 2023

Reviewed by Bart Greenberg

Maria Corsaro

Maria Corsaro celebrated her family and her music in her delightful new show at Chelsea Table + Stage. It was based on the philosophy that has guided her life: “why not?” Every challenge she faced in her life was met with the same response as she constantly moved forward ready for new challenges, all set to a jazz beat. She used her clever opening number, a witty version of Paul Desmond’s “Take Five” with special lyrics by artistic consultant Sue Matsuki, to introduce her band: music director/arranger/pianist Gregory Toroian, bassist Skip Ward, and drummer David Silliman. They all had moments to shine, and shine they did. In fact, the second number of the evening, “Day by Day” (the Sammy Cahn/Axel Stordahl, Paul Weston standard, not the one by Stephen Schwartz) gave each of the musicians a chance to swing through solos, as Corsaro bookended the arrangement with spirited vocal fun.

Actually, fun was a major component of the entire evening. Corsaro has a strong sense of rhythm that she expressed with her entire body, as in the gentle swing of Jobim’s “Desafinado” or the super-speedy delivery of the title song. Although some of the arrangements drifted into her upper (and less effective) register, most stayed in her middle, powerful voice where her enunciation was also stronger. Her patter throughout was specific and amusing, as she movingly talked about her sister, which led into a lovely “We Will Meet Again” or her blithely announced that “for a change of pace, let’s talk about Ponce De Leon.” That is certainly not a name that pops up in every cabaret show; it introduced Clifford Brown’s “Joy Spring,” whose lyric mentioned that explorer.

As directed by David Friedman, the show moved along quickly. Corsaro seemed totally in charge of her talent and her stage presence. With fine interpretations of such varied standards as “You Don’t Know Me,” “How Insensitive,” and Gerry Mulligan’s “Walkin’ Shoes,” there was a constant shifting of moods and styles that was most welcome. If you’re invited to spend another evening with this singer, the only appropriate response would be “why not?”

Bart Greenberg

Bart Greenberg first discovered cabaret a few weeks after arriving in New York City by seeing Julie Wilson and William Roy performing Stephen Sondheim and Cole Porter outdoors at Rockefeller Center. It was instant love for both Ms. Wilson and the art form. Some years later, he was given the opportunity to create his own series of cabaret shows while working at Tower Records. "Any Wednesday" was born, a weekly half-hour performance by a singer promoting a new CD release. Ann Hampton Callaway launched the series. When Tower shut down, Bart was lucky to move the program across the street to Barnes & Nobel, where it thrived under the generous support of the company. The series received both The MAC Board of Directors Award and The Bistro Award. Some of the performers who took part in "Any Wednesday" include Barbara Fasano and Eric Comstock, Tony Desare, Andrea Marcovicci, Carole Bufford, the Karens, Akers, Mason and Oberlin, and Julie Wilson. Privately, Greenberg is happily married to writer/photographer Mark Wallis, who as a performance artist in his native England gathered a major following as "I Am Cereal Killer."