Joy seemed to obliterate any nervousness debut performer Maxene Kupperman-Guiñals might have had.  Perhaps thirty-five years as a teacher, facing a room full of eyes focused on her, was a solid foundation for dealing with a cabaret audience.  She was confident, humorous and waggish, with an attractive voice that delivered an unexpected belt.

One tries to be generous when a first-time cabaret performer such as she singles out a baker’s dozen of family and friends to thank, then another collection of musical coaches and mentors, all who helped her reach that climactic moment, the culmination of her desire, the debut. Maxene Kupperman-Guiñals’ gratitude to a long list of folk, however, was far easier to countenance.  Seven years earlier, she’d been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, unable to walk properly or hold a pen.  With the support and encouragement of those she named, however, here she was, seemingly perfectly well on her sixty-fifth birthday, on stage at the Metropolitan Room facing a nearly-sold out crowd.

Maxene’s patter, while never straying far from her history, worked well with her well-executed song selections, “Come Rain or Come Shine,” “Once in a Lifetime,” “Just in Time,” “Embraceable You.”  There was, understandably, poignancy to the performance.  However, the next time around she can put that all aside and bank on her engaging personality.  Maxene’s tale of her venture into “senior dating” that accompanied “I Cain’t Say No,” with but half-joking, seductive carryings-on, was one of the evening’s highlights.

A pleasing intro for Kupperman-Guiñals to New York cabaret that never turned maudlin, When the Universe Brings It was both autobiographical and universal at the same time – a reflective backward glance, beholden to those who support others in need with specific thanks to many in the room.  It seemed an expression of admirable humanity.

Peter Leavy
Cabaret Scenes
October 11, 2009
www.cabaretscenes.org