Courtney Corso-Casiano
Livin’ La Vida Coco
The Green Room 42, NYC, October 6, 2023
Reviewed by Bart Greenberg
Courtney Corso-Casiano
Photo: Marisa Melito
When Courtney Corso-Casiano (known as “Coco” to her friends) took the stage at The Green Room 42, the uproar from the packed house seemed to surprise her a bit. But after a momentary pause to balance herself, the young performer proved that she had all the talent and the poise to take over the room with the confidence of a far more mature and experienced star. A star she is, and she will definitely be around for a good long time. Livin’ La Vida Coco was a typical first show in that it was her autobiographical introduction to the audience, but the varied score (mostly drawn from musical theater) and the delightful family stories made the program unique and very personal.
Tales about her Italian father (shades of Barbara Fasano) and her fiery Puerto Rican mother were an absolute delight, and they helped to clearly define who she is as a person and as an entertainer. Her background in stand-up was very evident in her timing and delivery, and her patter led easily into her songs. Her early influences included such singers as Liza Minnelli (“But the World Goes ’Round”).
Also reflected her earlier influence was a wonderful medley of songs she was told she should not be belting as a teen—signature songs of Celine Dion (“My Heart Goes On”), Whitney Houston (“I Have Nothing”), and Barbra Streisand (“My Man”). Still, she gave each number enough of a personal twist that it never seemed to be a pale copy of the original. She also showed an outstanding flexibility in style that exhibited her vocal perfect placement as she dove into the lyric of “My Funny Valentine,” and then took a totally different approach to the rocking “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.”
There are some things Corso-Casiano still needs to learn. The show’s strict pattern of story-song-story-song edged toward monotony toward the end; a few back-to-back songs or medleys would certainly help break up the rhythm. For someone so skilled at comedy, the evening surprisingly lacked a funny song or two. The closest was a fine version of “He Touched Me”/“She Touched Me” that was personalized to convey her open bi-sexuality.
But she did display her dramatic abilities with a brilliant “Me and the Sky” (after she had made it clear that she was too young to sing it) and a very different interpretation of “Being Alive.” Throughout the evening she received beautiful support from pianist Danielle Bees who matched her every shifting mood and style.
Corso-Casiano is an exciting new entry into the world of New York City cabaret. It will be a joy to see her spread her wings and soar following more experience and opportunities.
