Unleashing His Inner Merman - talking to Hector Coris about Scottsdale Musical Theater Company's upcoming Ethel Merman Cabaret Concert

by Gil Benbrook

Ethel Merman had one of the biggest and most recognizable voices on Broadway. On Thursday, March 28th at the Tempe Center for the Arts, Hector Coris and a trio of singers who have been in past Scottsdale Musical Theater Company productions will present a cabaret concert entitled "Together (For No Good Reason) Except for a Tribute to Ethel Merman" that promises to highlight many hits from Merman's career as well as songs from other musicals.

This is the third cabaret that Coris and SMTC have presented. In 2011, Coris moved to Phoenix from New York City where he previously performed cabaret shows and he's actively trying to bring that style of entertainment to the Valley.

Coris just starred in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum at TheaterWorks and was also in Mary Poppins at Mesa Encore Theatre last Fall. He's been in many productions with SMTC, including appearing in A Christmas Carol the Musical, 42nd Street and Annie in 2018. He'll also be reprising his role as Mrs. Meers in their Thoroughly Modern Millie this April.

Even though Coris and his cabaret co-stars Melissa Kamel, Patrick Lose and Elizabeth Blair are in final rehearsals for the show, he took a few moments to answer some questions about the concert and the shows he's done with SMTC.

How did the idea for this cabaret come about?

"This is the 3rd edition of the Together (For No Good Reason) cabaret concerts that SMTC has produced. They are just evenings where I gather some of our Scottsdale Musical Theater alums, kick off our heels and have fun. It's a chance to showcase some wonderful performers, give them a chance to do stuff they may not normally get to do and for our audiences to see us in a different light. Liz, Melissa, Patrick and I just did A Christmas Carol together and as I listened  to them in rehearsal and off-stage, I marveled at how strong their voices were - good belting is always so nice to hear. So I got to thinking about the four of us doing an evening of powerhouse songs and you can't think of belting without conjuring up the mother of them all: Ethel Merman. Why not focus some of the evening on her? I wanted to pepper in history and stories about her life and career which is a fascinating as her voice."

Tell us a little about your costars for this concert?

"Performers cross my path all the time and sometimes I think: "I want to do something fun with them." Melissa Kamel has done a few of SMTC's shows. She was my Lily St. Regis in Annie and she's just adorable. And she sings and it's effortless and her sound is so unique and strong. Both Elizabeth Blair and Patrick Lose are recent additions to the SMTC family. When Liz left the room after auditioning for one of our shows, my mind started racing for shows we could do that she'd be perfect for. It's rare when someone hits me right between the eyes in the audition room. And Patrick is kind of a secret weapon. He's pretty quiet and mellow and then he sings and this rich baritone sails out of him. He played Jacob Marley in A Christmas Carol and I just loved listening to him sing his song every night."

Hector Coris
photo courtesy Scottsdale Musical Theater Company

What can Valley audiences expect to hear?

"You'll definitely get songs from Ethel Merman's career - from Gypsy, Hello, Dolly!, Girl Crazy, Annie Get Your Gun and others. Then, staying true to the theme of the concert series, we're all doing songs from other shows that we've always wanted to do. There's a little Pajama Game preview (which is our next full show at TCA), songs from Fun Home, Parade, Passion, Big Fish and more. Strangely, some of the non-Ethel songs match up thematically with her life and story so we have these unexpected connections."

I know you were actively involved in the cabaret world in New York City before moving to Phoenix several years ago. The cabaret scene is virtually non existent here in the Valley. In addition to presenting concerts such as this Merman show, what do you think needs to be done in order to make cabaret more viable here in Phoenix?

"I don't know if a NYC-cabaret culture is attainable here because it's not, well, New York City. Nightclubs are not a quick subway ride away. That type of performer is also hard to find right out-of-the-box. It's not just about a bunch of songs thrown together for an hour and showing off. I think the best we can achieve here is something like these one-night concerts or - as an extension - like the Phoenix Symphony Broadway concerts, on a grander scale. The intimacy of a great cabaret performance is lost here because there are no intimate venues - little nightclubs with candles on tables and a small stage where a performer can interpret and present songs in their own unique way. We come a little closer with jazz performers, but where jazz is about the interpretation of a song, (as I see it) cabaret is an expression of a thought, idea or theme supported by material that amplifies that idea. Sometimes, there's a vulnerability to it that many people are not quite comfortable to share. When it's done well, it can really knock your socks off as much as a powerful performance in a musical. You'll get glimpses of that in some of the songs on March 28. That's what I'm trying to introduce my singers to cabaret performance who may not have had to stand on a stage by themselves, as themselves, and share a moment with an audience."

Elizabeth Blair, Melissa Kamel, 
and Patrick Lose
photo courtesy Scottsdale Musical Theater Company

You’re also appearing in the upcoming production of Thoroughly Modern Millie. I believe you’re reprising a role you’ve played before. Tell us a little bit about that experience and how rehearsals are going. 

"As a sort-of joke, when we did Millie back in 2013 or 2014, I told (director) David Hock that I would play Mrs. Meers. Without batting an eye, he said "OK." And we did and it was a blast. It was definitely a tremendous challenge for me, but I make a point to only take roles that push me, challenge me, or scare me. Otherwise, why bother? I'd be bored as hell if I didn't. There is precedent, though, to a man playing the role. Edward Hibbert played Mrs. Meers in early readings for Millie in Los Angeles before Harriet Harris was cast. I'm just grateful for directors who think outside-the-box and trust what I can do enough to throw these delicious curveballs at me.

We just started rehearsals and right out of the gate, it's going pretty well. Our building blocks are really strong so the foundation for a wonderful show has already been laid. And wait til the Valley gets a load of our guest star Dawnn Lewis (playing Muzzy Van Hossmere). Look her up on YouTube for a sample. I will definitely be watching her from off-stage during her numbers."

Melissa Kamel

photo courtesy Scottsdale Musical Theater Company

You’ve worked at numerous theatres in town but have a strong connection to Scottsdale Musical Theater Company. What was the first show you did with them, and what has drawn you to appear in so many shows with SMTC?

"My first SMTC show was Guys & Dolls (the first time) back in 2011. I had just moved here and auditioned. All actors find their home base for whatever reason - location, personnel. The company that David has created just fed into my NY sensibility: work fast, smart and fun. Our rehearsal schedules are ridiculously (and thankfully) short. We don't rehearse every single day and run stuff every single time. We don't run ourselves into the ground two weeks before opening. This is definitely not the norm for most theaters in town, but we're incredibly organized, incredibly respectful of actors' time and we work with actors, musicians and crew who can keep up. Show after show, we collect these wonderful people who "get it". We love actors who can think for themselves, come up with stuff, try different things. A lot of actors wait for the director to tell them exactly what to do and when to come in and how. Not SMTC. You get to be part of the creative process. It's shocking for a lot of new people who think we're crazy. Then, they see the show and it all makes sense."

If you could go back in time and see Merman in one of her iconic performances which one would you want to see and why?

"Oh, man...the 'go-to would be seeing her as Mama Rose in Gypsy. To hear her attack that role and those songs - without a microphone! - and still hear every word in the last row of the balcony...that would be tremendous. Though I also would have loved to be there when she made her Broadway debut in Girl Crazy and got to do several encores of 'I Got Rhythm because the crowd was going bonkers over this 18-year-old phenomenon."

Any ideas or themes for future cabarets you’d like to present in town?

"Oh, I have a folder of cabaret show ideas. Everything from intimate solo shows based around a single idea to more historically-based shows featuring a legend from theater past, be it a performer or a composer or lyricist. These type of shows are near to my heart because I hate the idea of losing history. Everything you see on a stage today, on Broadway, or movies/TV, has a strong theatrical  precedent. Everyone's wrapped up in singing songs from Hamilton and Mean Girls, but no one is singing the songs of DeSylva/Brown/Henderson or Comden and Green. Its so rare when a young actors comes in to audition for us and whips out a classic theater song or standard. There wouldn't be the culture of Broadway "divas" without Ethel Merman. These sometimes hundred-year-old songs are still as great and fresh and surprising as they were when they debuted.

So I definitely have more of those types of shows to unleash at some point."

CLICK HERE for more information on this concert, which runs Thursday March 28th at 7:30PM