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Every once in a season or two, a performer comes along who makes one glad beyond belief that they chose reviewing cabaret as a livelihood, not merely for the privilege of seeing their work and writing about same, but the chance to spread the news to those seeking the most bounteous entertainment possible within the genre.
So it went with chanteuse par excellence Corinna Sowers-Adler and her most recent outing at 
the Duplex, entitled The Goddess, The Diva...and Me. The simple truth is, this show electrified this humble writer for employing such a glorious mix of standards and lesser-known numbers by today's newer crop of songwriters, as well as her stupendously operatic timbre that remains true to its theatrical roots. Which is to say, that it can only be a matter of time before Sowers-Adler is reaping the rewards previously harvested by others before her, as they have so rightfully accomplished, such as Angelina Reaux, Annie Hughes and Raissa Katona Bennett.
After opening with glorious embodiments of Frank Wildhorn's "Baby, Dont Ask Me Why" and "The Prima Donna Song" by Victor Herbert, she grabs us solidly by the collective throat with "The Girl in 14G" by Tesori and Scanlan, and refuses to let go as she soars over the clouds on Craig Carnelia's "Flight," in a rendition that wholeheartedly stacks itself against the composer himself or Karen Akers, but in a higher register. "Instant Passion" by Garry Novikoff, is only trumped by a seamless communication of Ahlert and Turk's "Mean to Me," and just when it seems that Sowers-Adler couldn't possibly top herself further with "Oh, How I Loved You" by Zina Goldrich and Marcy Heisler, she's delivering "Last One Picked" by Mark Waldrop and the late Dick Gallagher, originally showcased in the Off-Broadway smash hit Howard Crabtree's Whoop-De-Doo, as created by the brilliant performer Alan Tulin and giving it a spin all her own, and blessedly so.
Stephen Schwartz's "Spark of Creation" is given an equally splendid treatment by Sowers-Adler, followed by an absolutely breathtaking coupling of "I'll Be Seeing You" with "Over the Rainbow," before what's labeled as the "Skinny Bitch Song Medley," marking her even further as one to watch in the cabaret sphere just for the sheer chutzpah. By the time she wound up the evening with "Back to Before" by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, and then vocally kickboxing the crowd into "Who I Am," there is little doubt that we've just come away from an evening we are sure to collectively remember for ages to come. There are no words left to describe the sheer brilliance of musical director Bruce Marianelli.
It can only be a matter of time before Corinna Sowers-Adler comes into her own as a legitimate and mega-worthy powerhouse of the cabaret genre; the lady is very simply living the dream in a way few others can boast. And in this case, it's a dream come true. This writer couldn't possibly more strongly urge those unfamiliar to visit her next engagement, in New York or elsewhere.
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