Rachel Oliver-Cobbin, Christine Shebeck, Naomi Mauro
S.I.S: Sisters in Song
Myron’s at The Smith Center, Las Vegas, NV, June 18, 2025
Reviewed by Jeanie Carroll
Three glamorous ladies—Rachel Oliver-Cobbin, Christine Shebeck, and Naomi Mauro—arrived on stage dressed in red gowns, and the first impression they made was “sensational.” They were so at ease at Myron’s at The Smith Center, the foremost Las Vegas cabaret stage, that they owned it. Imagine the audacity of beginning a show with an opening medley that included “This Girl Is on Fire” (Jeff Bhasker/Salaam Remi/Billy Squier/Alicia Keys), “You Keep Me Hanging On” (Holland-Dozier-Holland), and “I’m Every Woman” (Nickolas Ashford/Valerie Simpson) à la Whitney Houston and Chaka Khan? That was a showstopper, but it was just the beginning. Where could they go from there? It turned out to be “up and up and up.” The audience was on its feet after this first number and for every number that followed.
Naomi Mauro invoked the legendary Barbra Streisand with her spectacular version of “The Way He Makes Me Feel” (Michel Legrand/Alan & Marilyn Bergman), the Oscar-nominated song from Yentl. She delivered the emotions and nuances of the lyrics with her shimmering vocals. Mauro began as a jazz vocalist, but Las Vegas steered her towards top-40 tunes for years. She took on the Christina Aguilera role at the American Superstars show at the Stratosphere for six years, and she has shared the stage with Celine Dion, The Manhattans, and Michael Bublé. She has also been a solo vocalist and has performed her own shows at all the premiere Las Vegas venues. She and Christine Shebeck recreated the iconic moment when Streisand and Judy Garland joined forces for “Happy Days Are Here Again” and “Get Happy,” and they nailed it.
Shebeck has had an illustrious career from working as a performer/session singer/voice-over talent at Disney Studios to performing in community theater to appearing in Las Vegas. She has worked with Debbie Gibson, Sheena Easton, the Righteous Brothers, and others. She was the lead vocalist for the cover bands Odyssey and A-List and has played in the Strip’s largest casinos and venues. In 2024, she received a well-deserved Broadway World Award for Best Performance in a Musical for her role as Phyllis in Follies. She has toured with Voices of Rock Radio and the Rock Symphonic Tour throughout the U.S.
Rachel Oliver-Cobbin exhibited her soul and gospel chops with “If I Were Your Woman” (Pam Sawyer/Clay McMurray/Gloria Jones). This Gladys Knight classic took us under her riveting and emotional spell. She was crowned Miss Black America in 1986, and she was “the girl” in the R&B group Atlantic Starr for 10 years. While touring with that group, she shared the stage with The Mighty O’Jays, Cameo, Stevie Wonder, and Luther Vandross. She also has appeared on television including on the shows Soul Train and Showtime at the Apollo. She works with the Pipco Music Family, a record label founded by Gerald “Bubba” Knight, Jr. and recently recorded and released a new tune “Thank You for the Love.”
Mauro and Oliver-Cobbin gave us a stellar performance of the Whitney Houston rendition of “I Know Him So Well” from Chess (Tim Rice/Benny Andersson/Björn Ulvaeus). Their vocal timbres fit well together. Oliver-Cobbins gave us the gospel/soul song “Praying” (Kesha/Andrew Joslyn/Ben Abraham/Ryan Lewis) and held us in the palm of her hand. She made us all feel what was in her heart, and we were moved to tears.
“Total Eclipse of the Heart” (Jim Steinman), the biggest career hit by Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler, was originally a duet with Rory Dodd and became a 1980’s favorite. Our trio wove themselves through the song as they interchanged the lead vocals and topped it off with harmonic magnificence that was so tight and spot-on. It was mind-blowing and the show was only half over.
“Chandelier” (Sia/Jesse Shatkin), originally by Rock Royalty, sailed into the rafters with Shebeck’s lyric soprano. Her range was smooth and crystal clear, and the wine glasses in the room were shaking. She joined Oliver-Cobbin for a phenomenal En Vogue medley of “Give Him Something He Can Feel” (Curtis Mayfield) and “Free Your Mind” (Denzil Foster/Thomas McElroy). There were delicious harmonies as well as sexy choreography. The raunchy belting of the “Free Your Mind” solos coupled with the trio’s exemplary vocalese were otherworldly. The entire show benefitted from the adept and precise background vocals of local pros Karaline Clark and Elisa Belk.
The fun continued with a sultry “Boogie Oogie, Oogie” (Janice-Marie Johnson/Perry Kibble). “A Taste of Honey” kicked into high gear with the chorus and its disco beat. It led us all the way to New Orleans with “Lady Marmalade” (Bob Crewe/Kenny Nolan/Missy Elliott/Lil’ Kim), and we heard Mauro’s “Christina” from Moulin Rouge in all her vocal glory. Shebeck outdid herself with “Barracuda” (Ann Wilson/Roger Fisher/Nancy Wilson/Michael DeRosier) as she fully embodied Heart’s Ann Wilson’s powerful soprano. Holy belting, Batman!
An example of the trio’s versatility and coolness was their performance of the number-one single of 2024 “Please, Please, Please” (Sabrina Carpenter/Amy Allen/JackAntonoff). The harmonies changed keys several times, and it was unreal. Imagine three Céline Dions on stage at once singing “Power of Love” (Jennifer Rush/Gunther Mende/Candy DeRouge/Mary Susan Applegate), and you might sense the perfect harmonies of these three soloists.
Then there was near silence. The secondary keyboards played by the incomparable Dave Richardson held one string note, and Oliver-Cobbins softly launched into “No Woman, No Cry” (Vincent Ford). It was a welcome surprise, and little by little it got bigger and bigger until the Sisters entered the room and had some talented audience members join in on the vamp. It was so joyful, and the audience ate it up.
One thing I loved about this show were the seamless transitions. The trio traded songs and verses as if they were in a ballet. It was a precise dance with costume changes taking place in what seemed like seconds. There were no breaks. The reason for this illusion was the musical mastery of the band. Top Vegas pianist Bill Zappia was the music director and arranger, and he led the band of Keith Nielson (bass) who has played with all the superstars during their Vegas residencies; Don Meoli, our Jersey- Boys drummer; and the legendary Jimmy Tripi (guitar) who is a proud member of the Jazz Outreach Initiative. They all wailed on solos that held our attention, and they knocked our socks off in those moments. We hardly knew the ladies had stepped away during these musical interludes.
The encore was “Sisters Are Doing It for Themselves” (Annie Lennox/David A. Stewart). It reinforced what we had seen throughout the show: these fabulous solo singers can blend their voices and sing in unison. This was an evening full of smiles and laughter, and we were gob-smacked by three uber-talented divas. Shebeck has been honing this show for more than eight years and I hope that this version goes on tour. It should be to be seen in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and elsewhere.
