Scott Siegel - Barbara & Scott Siegel's Nightlife Notes Column/TheaterMania.com - 4/21/06
The distinguishing characteristic of the musical comedy revue What's Your Problem?, written by Paul L. Johnson (music) and Hector Coris (lyrics), is not that it's a gay-themed show (although this is indisputable) but, rather, that it's so consistently entertaining. That's no small accomplishment when you consider that it contains one solid hour's worth of original material. There are some clunkers mixed in with the winners, of course, but the general level of quality is very high.

Every number in the show is more or less comedic. Some are up-tempo, some are ballads, but all are intended to make the listener laugh or, at least, offer a wry smile in recognition of some sharp, satific observation. Because there are no(forgive the expression) "straight" numbers -- i.e., romantic or dramatic songs -- to be found here, one might expect the revue to become thematically redundant. Happily, it avoids that pitfall thanks to the widely varied subject matter covered by the material. For example, one song slyly suggests that "Every Single Girl (Should Have a Home-O)," while another is an exuberant celebration of "Fleet Week."

Johnson's music has charm and plenty of bounce; but given the style of these songs, it's fair to say that they live or die in their lyrics, so we're happy to report that Coris displays a sassy sense of humor. From the darkly funny "Find It In Your Heart," about a knife rather than love, to the rousing "In Heaven (They Sing Nothing But Showtunes)," the lyrics are playful and consistently amusing. BACK TO TOP

What's Your Problem? features a cast of three solid performers. Coris is one of them, and he's particularly adept at putting over his own material. Eric Martin brings an easy, unforced style to the comedy, while Suzanne Adams provides plenty of brass and belt; she does an especially terrific job of delivering one of the revue's best numbers, "Lowering My Standards." Collette Black's no-nonsense direction of all this delightful nonsense keeps the show moving at a quick and pleasing pace.

Michael Dale - BroadwayWorld - April 2006
Yes, dear readers, in case you were at last Wednesday’s performance of the smart and snappy cabaret revue, What’s Your Problem, playing Wednesday nights at Rose's Turn, and were wondering who was that one person who applauded when performer/lyricist Hector Coris asked, “Are there any straight men here tonight?”, that was, in fact, me. For although most of the show’s 18 songs dealt with aspects of gay life, he want to assure us (me?) that the evening would be straight-friendly. Indeed, several of lyrics were about popular straight male subjects like enjoying Broadway showtunes, weekending on Fire Island and the swell of pride one feels during Fleet Week.

The score by Coris and composer/arranger/accompanist Paul L. Johnson is a fast and funny grab bag of peppy tunes and joke-laden lyrics that are lighthearted and jovial, having silly fun with its topics without ever letting the quips get nasty. Character clown Coris is joined vocally by fresh-faced juvenile Eric Martin and sassy belter Suzanne Adams. The three of them sound great together and all shine individually in material that nicely plays their contrasting comic styles.

Coris is hammy, show-biz fun playing broad roles like a Brokeback Mountain cowpoke, singing the joys of reading Blueboy and listening to ABBA on the ranch, a 50’s pop idol warbling of his “Chelsea Boy” (“His contacts are the brightest blue.”) and a giddy gay man confessing, “Str8 Men Go Str8 to My Heart.” (“A runway, he knows, is for planes, not for clothes / But give him five shots and it’s anything goes!”)

He and Martin duet on the evening’s only song parody, borrowing one of Jule Styne’s Gypsy melodies for “If We Were Gay Married”. (Their wedding cake would be 8% carbs and Harold Prince would direct the ceremony.) Martin’s solos, performed with a pleasing tenor and flippant charm, include a sparkling Noel Coward parody, “Thanks For a Lovely First Time, Mr. Wilby” (Do I really need to explain that one?), a musically Kurt Weill-ish exploration of reality TV and a Latin number reminiscent of “Down Argentine Way” toasting “Flamin’ Fire Island.” (“The fun you’ll remember, but names and faces not so much.”) Adams is a gifted comic playing self-effacing humor in a style that may remind you of greats like Rose Marie and Kaye Ballard. Her dimly-masked romantic frustration, shining through a slightly too-sunny smile, perfectly serves funny songs like “Every Single Girl (Should Have a Homo)” and “Lowering My Standards”, but her showstopper, utilizing her knack for farce and a versatile range, is the wildly frenetic diva spoof “Crossover Queen.”

Director Colette Black nimbly steers the show from zanier bits to verbal wit with a fluid touch, providing fun staging for numbers like the Andrew Sisters style salute to Fleet Week. Heck, it’s an achievement just coordinating smooth entrances and exits for three performers on that tiny Rose’s Turn stage. The pacing is brisk and the comedy lightly zings.

The past couple of years have seen quite a few politically minded musical revues in New York, all of them critical of the current administration. And as fine a tradition as political satire may be, in a predominantly liberal city like New York these shows tend to separate the country into “us” and “them.” That’s why it’s always great to have a charming and funny show like What’s Your Problem? around. It’s the kind of entertainment that can be enjoyed by Democrats and openly gay Republicans alike. BACK TO TOP

Stu Hamstra (revisiting the show) , Cabaret Hotline Online - 4/13/06
Last night, Wednesday the 12th I returned to UPSTAIRS AT ROSE'S TURN for the latest version of the Hector Coris/Paul L. Johnson gay revue "What's Your Problem?" The very attractive and talented cast includes Suzanne Adams, Hector Coris and Eric Martin, and the show is directed by Collette Black. I have seen this award-winning show several times and am always amazed at the way they keep the show fresh and exciting. New songs are added just about each time I see it and patter is changed to reflect the latest news. It is amazing how this team of three singers can harmonize and vocalize so effortlessly. The fun they appear to have on stage soon infects the whole room - and my tears were flowing the whole hour. Once again, with the show packed with original music, this is a great show for performers looking for special material to spice up
their own shows to visit. Here is a must-see show!

Rob Lester, EDGE New York - 4/8/06
The musical revue What’s Your Problem? is only for a certain kind of audience ... the kind with a sense of humor. If you have one, you will find your funny bone well tickled. This revue is more than just cute and more than just clever contemporary jibes at modern life and gay stereotypes. It is all of that, but also presents really solidly constructed and admirable songs. They are the work of Paul L. Johnson (music) and Hector Coris (lyrics), and are full of memorable rhymes like "haiku/IQ," and hilarious lines as in the lament about a self-centered Chelsea Boy: "He spent more at the salon than the date we went on."

The show and the material have been well received, including awards from last year’s Fresh Fruit Festival of gay-themed entertainment (Best Musical and Best Score) and acknowledged with cheers and award consideration by the cabaret world. Not only do the songs have strong melodies, they’re damn funny as well.

Both collaborators participate in the revue: Johnson is at the piano for most performances as musical director (Andrew Long will fill in when Johnson is not available.) And the instantly likeable Coris as one of the performers and hosts to the proceedings. He not only bubbles over with energy and mischief, but, like his colleagues, knows how to sell a song, putting his musical theater background to good use.

I saw the show last year and have heard the songs on other occasions, but still found myself laughing heartily at both the words and the performances, which are full of life and spunk. It’s quite an achievement to present sharp sarcastic comedy without coming off as mean and nasty.

Some new numbers have been added and, additionally, there are new cast members, who are both delightful. Suzanne Adams cannot only do comedy but raises the roof with her vocal prowess, getting a great workout in a brilliant parody of divas called Crossover Queen. Eric Martin, whose work I thoroughly enjoyed in his solo cabaret act, sparkles here as well. His solos are less hyperkinetic than Hector’s, so the two men complement each other nicely. But, when the material requires it, Eric can rev things up and be wacky, too. Watching these talented individuals work together is especially entertaining, especially in the title song and a witty "commercial" for Rosie O’Donnell’s family cruise vacations.

Much of the material is gay-related. Although they go for some easy and familiar targets (Brokeback Mountain, trendy urban gay life, crummy TV shows), they find new ways to make us all laugh at the world and ourselves. The show has been directed once again by Collette Black, who adds a deft touch and never lets her cast push too hard in the small space. There are also some nice details in the reactions and facial expressions. Bravo!" BACK TO TOP

TOP CABARET PICK OF 2005 (Cabaret Revue/Variety Performance)
- Cabaret Hotline Online

Jaime Robert Carrillo, NY Theatre.com - 7/25/05
"What’s Your Problem?, playing at the 3rd Annual Fresh Fruit Festival, is a new musical revue cheerfully focusing on gay culture, while making light of life, love and relationships in general. It starts off with a successful tongue-in-cheek prologue about exposing the private problems each audience member hides by singing about the troubles onstage in front of all. The good-natured warning makes clear that no problem is safe from the inevitable ridicule and clever lyrics of the show. Lyricist Hector Coris and composer Paul L. Johnson, two long-time collaborators, have created a well-built musical revue. The lyrics truly impress: they’re intelligent, witty, and at the same time scan extraordinary well with the music. For example, “There’s a Pansy in the Garden” is a humorous ditty about a group of neighbors and their resentment towards a gay English man in their garden. The unassuming target of resentment incorrectly believes his neighbors are complaining about an actual pansy flower planted somewhere in the garden, which he tries to find to no avail. The evening continues with fun tunes of a gay man’s excitement of finding a date among the myriad of sailors during “Fleet Week,” a gay couple’s indecisive ballad of whether to marry or continue in gay bachelordom in “If We Were Gay-Married,” and a young woman’s self-help recognition that being single can only end by expanding her selection in “Lowering My Standards.” BACK TO TOP

Throughout the evening, Coris is a charming master of ceremonies, as he narrates an occasional anecdote about a song’s history or tells a joke as a segue. His cabaret experience is apparent, and he has enough charismatic stage quality to do a one-man show. The other featured actors are Travis Bloom, Matthew Myers, and Dawn Trautman. Myers is a spectacular singer, and the strongest performer of this ensemble. His stirring rendition of “Find It In Your Heart”, a comical and wishful song about an enemy finding sharp objects like a blade in his heart, is unforgettable. It’s a song of revenge which Myers performs with vocal mastery and deserves the biggest applause. Overall, this musical is fun-seeking, entertaining, and droll at times." BACK TO TOP

Rob Lester, Talkin' Broadway - 6/23/2005:
(THIS IS A REVIEW OF BOTH "WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM?" [THE SHOW] AND "NOT ME - THE CD)
"Once upon a time there were a lot of satirical revues in little clubs and pocket-size stages in New York City with clever songs and skits about modern life. The legacy of this once common cleverness? Some of the writers and performers went on to Broadway success and a handful were recorded for posterity, though most didn't make it to CD as their topical songs don't age well. Then along comes Hector Coris who's been writing (with collaborating composer Paul L. Johnson) and singing some laugh-out-loud funny songs for himself and others. Currently making the rounds is the uproarious new show What's Your Problem? which is being recorded now. Meanwhile, I can steer you towards the CD from an earlier well-received show called Not Me. It has Hector front and center on all of the songs, with strong vocal support from Tripp Pettigrew and Mickey Toogood, plus Paul who's on piano and provides musical treatments which show a fondness for and familiarity with the styles they salute and lovingly mock. Self-knowing, self-deprecating Hector willingly laughs at himself and also at his world. Highlights include his crazed confessional about being a failure as a trendy gay clone, admitting he's just a "Terrible Homosexual" with the wrong clothes and the wrong priorities. At the same time he's lamenting, he takes swipes at gay "types" while embracing them (or wishing he could - literally). Also, he sings of gay factions, attractions and distractions, cutting up in these cuts which feature lots of well-crafted turns of phrase. As a change of pace, there's even a serious song "straight" from the heart. Although he often has a twinkle (and a "twink") in his eye, this is not just a bunch of inside jokes for the New York gay crowd. Other songs harken back to the glory days of revues, such as an ode to the joys and frustrations of living in New York City and a parody of music styles: country, Gilbert and Sullivan, and a wild number Carmen Miranda would have loved. Hector is an eager-to-please entertainer with great comic timing and the ability to sell a song to a faretheewell. He can sing and he's clearly not shy! With Coris and the chorus, you'll be quite entertained as they really put the "gay" in "engaging" and help you laugh at life. The melodies are catchy, so put this on while going about your daily routine and you'll whistle while you smirk. Some of these numbers, and even better new ones, are in What's Your Problem?, which has performances June 23 and 25 and is part of July's Fresh Fruit Festival. I caught it at the cozy cabaret, the Encore, which serves up good music and food, and laughed myself silly. You'll hear polished renditions of tunes from this CD: nice work from Dawn Trautman, a game-but-not-too-tame Travis Bloom and the sparkling, versatile Matthew Myers, in addition to Hector and Paul. The romance reality-check "Lowering My Standards" and the musical comedy addict's dream "In Heaven (They Sing Nothing But Show Tunes)" are among the joys on CD and on stage. I think we can look forward to many more chuckles from Hector (who writes some songs on his own) and Paul, in a mood with both meanings of the the word "gay." Can't you use a good laugh?"
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Rob Lester, Talkin' Broadway, 7/18/2005:
"A side-splittingly funny night with songwriters Hector Coris and Paul L. Johnson with songs performed with punchy panache by Hector and three perky, smirky partners in gay life parody (Matthew Myers, Dawn Trautman and Travis Bloom). BACK TO TOP

Peter Leavy, Cabaret Scenes, 6/2/2005:
Hector Coris, the featured performer and lyricist of What's Your Problem, provides fair warning. He advises his audience, "this is a slightly gay show, but no one is in drag, and there will be no Judy Garland impersonations." The statement, while reasonably accurate (it's more than "slightly gay"), is delivered in the temper of the whole show, good-natured, jocular, and with more than half his tongue in his cheek. As he overly protests any lack of bitterness over his own song, "In Heaven (They Sing Nothing But Show Tunes)", losing last year's MAC Award for Special Material to Mary Liz McNamara's "Bacon", the other three members of the cast come on with "Do It Anyway". The lyric, delivered with mock resignation, deserves repeating: "Please - Leave your cell phones on. Light up a cigarette. Talk to your neighbor Ignore all etiquette. You know you're gonna do it anyway." There's also "Chelsea Boy", who is "shallow and vain, but his muscle-T fits like a glove…" and a musical tribute to Rosie O'Donnell's forthcoming "all-star, celebrity, lesbian, family cruise." Paul L. Johnson, the composer, music director and arranger, captures the spirit of Coris' lyrics beautifully, or perhaps the lyrics capture the spirit of Johnson's music; whichever way it's put together, the result is a joyous, if sardonic, peek into New York, and gay community, living. The other cast members play together well, as overtly cynical as their leader. Matthew G. Myers, a cherubic tenor, does a bang-up job with "Thanks for a Lovely First Time, Mr. Wilby." Plus a duo with Coris on "If We Were Gay-Married". Travis Bloom, not unreasonably cast as "a hunk," gets to describe why, with "I'm on Everybody's Christmas List." The sole female player, Dawn Trautman, regrettably deals with her man-hunting reality by "Lowering My Standards." What's Your Problem? succeeds at what it sets out to do: express a skeptical look at almost everything, and do it with panache. The revue is highly amusing, the songs cleverly conceived and executed, and the staging effective. It's worth a trek to The Encore. BACK TO TOP

Stu Hamstra, Cabaret Hotline Online, 6/9/05:
"It isn't often that a full-fledged, all original revue as sparkling and exciting as this one comes along. Loads of fun and fantastic new songs. Cabaret performers looking for new material need only stop by here for some real finds. " BACK TO TOP

Paulanne Simmons, Go Brooklyn! - 10/27/03:
For the most part, Brooklyn Family Theatre makes due with very little to great effect. A few sheets of billowing fabric are the backdrop, the Wiz's den, the storm and magical happenings. But this season BFT has added additional sound equipment to their already incredible audio system - with the result that music and voice are so well calibrated the audience doesn't miss a word of the lyrics - something that's rare even on Broadway! Brooklyn Family Theatre has also added to its staff the talented Park Slope resident, choreographer Jamie Chandler, who has turned BFT's minimally staged dance routines into full-blown numbers. Deidre Dill, Leslie August and Lynda Senisi dance up a storm as the tornado that sets Dorothy on her adventure. The Wiz is, of course, a costume designer's dream. And Brooklyn Family Theatre has an entire crew to create the fanciful costumes of not only the principal characters, but also the "Poppies," the "Mousifers" and the ever-adorable "Munchkins." Greenland and Valuckas, who have now co-directed three BFT productions, seem to be in the process of assembling a stable of reliable actors for their shows. (Taylor played several roles in last year's production of "Annie." Coris was Rooster in "Annie." Patterson took the role of Daddy Warbucks in "Annie." ) Hopefully, many of the performers in the 17-member "Wiz" cast will find a home at Brooklyn Family Theatre in the future, especially Del Buono, Brown, the great comic Palumbo and Ain Rashida Sykes, who appears briefly but formidably as the very funny Messenger and is also Taylor's alternate. (She'll be playing Dorothy Oct. 31 - Nov. 2.) Brooklyn Family Theatre's production of "The Wiz" is as powerful as a speeding locomotive and as buoyant as the floating balloon that doesn't take Dorothy back to Kansas. From Aunt Em's opening ballad, "The Feeling We Once Had," to Dorothy's lyrical closing, "Home," the show advances from scene to scene so swiftly and smoothly you'll barely have time to say, "Wow!" BACK TO TOP

Judith Jarosz, NYTheatre.com, 7/05
"Inside Cherry Pitz is a fun, frothy, one-person show that keeps a smile on your face...Hector Coris does an excellent job as musical director and accompanist."

Dawn Zahra, OOBR - 10/04:
"Music also added to the charged atmosphere, with musical director Hector Coris deftly plinking out sound cues and songs in well-timed and perky rhythm." BACK TO TOP