Arts Alive San Antonio

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor

When young Corina Davis saw the touring production of “Cats” at the Majestic Theater years ago, she immediately knew what her career should be.

“The minute they started, I knew that I wanted to be one of those people on stage,” said the now very grown-up Davis. “It was immediate: that’s what I need to be doing. I need to be up there.”

And she has definitely turned that fervent wish into reality. Over the years, she has performed in countless musicals, including leading roles on San Antonio stages, sang in bands, and even won an Alamo Theater Arts Council (ATAC) GLOBE AWARD in the acting category, for her role of Zelda Fitzgerald in “Road to Madness.” Though she took a hiatus from stage work for 20 years to care for her family, she still sang with music bands here and there during that period, returning to the theater stage in 2012. Altogether, she estimates that she has appeared in 30+ productions, often in leading roles. Among her favorites, she lists the part of Lucy in “Jekyll & Hyde, Sandy in “Grease” and Miss Mona in “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.”

Today, Davis is producing her own shows under the auspices of her own company: Corina Davis Productions. The one coming up is “Les Grandes Dames” which will premiere at the Josephine Theater this Saturday. It will feature ten talented women whose names theatergoers will immediately recognize:
Anna Gangai, Nicole Erwin, Sherry Houston, Cassandra Small, Melissa Gonzalez, Kim Bianco, Paige Berry, Beth Irwin, Michelle Burnett and the producer herself.

This high-caliber ensemble will entertain its audience with favorite show tunes from Broadway musicals, classical jazz hits, pop songs and arias from operettas, including “show-stopping numbers” from Chicago, Funny Girl, Jekyll & Hyde, and Wicked, and jazz classics such as Misty, The Best is Yet to Come and Feeling Good.

Well-known music maestro, Tom Masinter is the music director for the show, Tim Hedgepeth is the emcee, and Davis will direct.  Masinter knows Davis well and admires her talents.

“She’s put together a terrific show. All the performers are very professional and wonderful; there’s no weak-link in this show,” he said.

So, what does she like about producing, we asked the budding entrepreneur.

“I like the ability to put my vision on stage. I am a very creative person, always creating things,” she said. “And I really like to involve my friends, introduce new talent to audiences, and I love to give performers more opportunities to do what they do. I like to get to know the performers and stage the show around the performers, rather than have fixed roles. This particular show is showcasing ladies who have been doing this for a long time. What’s unique about what I do is to create shows based on the talents of the performers.”

Completing the line-up on Saturday, is the Nick Zars’ Jazz Ensemble that was also praised by Masinter.

She came up with the idea about a show like “Les Grandes Dames” a couple of years ago, she told us.

“I am in a group of ladies for whom roles are few and far between, so we end up competing for the same roles. And I just wanted to create an opportunity for all those ladies to showcase their talent, and show the diversity of what they do. I reached out and asked them to send me a couple of different songs in completely different genres, something that they don’t do normally. I wanted go give them another opportunity to be on stage. So, the ladies chose their own numbers. Everybody will get to sing two of her favorite songs.”

Davis arranged the program for maximum impact by mixing up the genres throughout the evening.

 In Addition to Corina Davis Productions, she also owns and leads the Bubble Sisters Productions, a company that creates and produces original theatrical productions. She recently co-produced and directed a fundraising event for the Bexar County Family Justice Center Foundation, honoring San Antonio attorney and philanthropist, Lee Cusenbary, at the Tobin Center. She has also produced several musical theater productions as well as a number of cabaret-style events.

Her brief bio in the program quotes her as saying “If you see someone without a smile, give them yours!”
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Les Grandes Dames, Sept. 16, at 7:30 p.m.; Josephine Theater, 339 W. Josephine St., 78212; tickets $45 general admission; via Eventbrite; https://www.eventbrite.com/e/grandes-dames-tickets; free parking adjacent to the theater)