New York- and Arizona-based singer, Wendy Scherl, started her performing career in regional theater, touring the country in featured roles such as Grace in Annie, Babe in the Pajama Game and many others. She made her cabaret debut in 1988 at Danny’s Skylight Room (NYC) with her show The Lights and The Smiles. Then, after a hiatus to raise two sons, Scherl returned to the cabaret scene in 2015 at Don’t Tell Mama, with What Do You Do All Day. Scherl also began a collaboration with multiple award-winning director Barry Kleinbort and Musical Director Christopher Denny, the latest of which is The Sweetness and the Sorrow: Songs of Marvin Hamlisch. The program includes classics like “The Way we Were” and “What I Did for Love” as well as little known gems like “Sweet Alibis” and “Two Boys” (which Hamlisch wrote with the late Peter Allen.)
The Sweetness and the Sorrow comes to the Green Room 42 on Thursday, May 12 and Friday, May 13, playing at 7 PM both nights. Denny will be at the piano, as Sherl offers new takes on standards and rarities culled from Hemlisch’s numerous Broadway shows, film scores and early pop songs.
NiteLife Exchange (NLE) asks Wendy Scherl (WS) Six Questions
NLE: When did you realize you have the gift of singing? Who were some of your early musical influences?
WS: Although I cannot give an exact age, I had a love for singing from a very early age. I cannot really remember a time in my childhood when I didn’t sing. My strongest musical influence growing up was my father. He introduced me at very early in life to both the Great American Songbook and Broadway musicals. We spent many a weekend afternoon around the piano singing. He had a great love of many different styles of music including Broadway, the Great American Songbook, opera and country music, among other genres. I believe it is why I have such a varied musical repertoire. I grew up listening to Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Barbara Streisand, Judy Garland, Patsy Cline and so many other wonderful artists. Having grown up in New York, I was exposed to the theater at a very young age. I saw my first Broadway musical when I was six and my first opera when I was seven. I saw the original cast of A Chorus Line when I was nine years old and although I didn’t know it at the time, my lifelong love of Marvin Hamlisch’s music began.
NLE: You graduated with honors from Northwestern University (BA/Theatre) and toured the country in featured roles such as Grace in Annie, Babe in the Pajama Game, various roles in Grease and as Jeanie in the official 20th Anniversary production of Hair in Chicago—how did you eventually get involved in cabaret?
WS: I saw an ad in Backstage for a class called “The Singing Experience” and I figured that it was worth exploring. I simply fell in love with the cabaret experience. I loved the intimacy of cabaret and the direct connection with an audience. I decided to do my own show, which was directed by Linda Amiel Burns. Back then, you had to audition for the cabaret rooms and auditions weren’t that easy to get. I was auditioning at Don’t Tell Mama and after my audition, I starting to speaking to a man at the bar. He had overheard my audition and was very curious about my background and training. It was John Britton ( a fellow Northwestern Graduate) who happened to book Danny’s Skylight Room and he offered me a spot at Danny’s for my debut! I did two sold out shows that night. It was a wonderful room that I truly miss. Over the next few years, cabaret became a wonderful outlet to continue to grow as a performer and to challenge myself when I wasn’t actively involved in another production. As time went on, I discovered that cabaret was truly my personal passion.
NLE: How long were you on the scene before leaving to raise a family? Was it difficult to essentially leave so soon after the start of your cabaret career?
WS: Honestly, I never intended to stop performing, especially for 18 years, but being home raising my two sons, Robert and Andrew, was truly where my heart was. My first eight years in cabaret were very special to me and I had always planned on cabaret being a part of my life, but my commitment to my boys took priority and there was only so many hours in the day! My oldest son was diagnosed at age four with a rare pediatric hip condition called Legg Perthes disease. He had multiple surgeries throughout his childhood. I was lucky enough that I could stay home throughout all of this. It was where I needed to be but I am so grateful to have been given this opportunity to return to cabaret, something that I love to my core. My husband and sons have been incredibly supportive of my journey.
NLE: After that hiatus to raise your sons, you returned to cabaret in 2015 with your show, What Do You Do All Day at Don’t Tell Mama; what was that experience like, having returned after so long?
WS: In many ways, it felt like returning home; the show was about my life as a stay-at-home mom and my transition back to performing. I had a wonderful team—Helen Baldassare as my director and Matthew Martin Ward as my musical director. I had complete faith in them; they are both consummate professionals. At the same time, I was definitely filled with a tremendous amount of doubt. I knew I had a story to tell, but I wasn’t sure if I still had the ability to connect to the audience and communicate that story. I questioned whether or not I could really sing anymore, or at least at the level that I wanted if I was going to be performing again. So, I trained a lot in order to make sure that I could accomplish what I set out to do. It was incredibly rewarding to overcome the fear and doubt, and to create a show that I thought accomplished what I had set out to do: tell a story and do so in a voice that I thought the audience would enjoy and that I was proud of. When I was younger, it all came much easier to me (or at least I thought it did). I had to be very dedicated to the work and the process in order to attain my goals. With each project, I set challenging goals so that I can continue to grow and improve as a performer.
NLE: What are the ways you go about sourcing material for your projects/shows?
WS: Normally, I don’t really have a specific method. I keep lists of songs that I want to sing. I compile my lists based on life experiences and how I believe another artists speak to that experience when I hear their voice or read their words. They are quite extensive and cover a lot of different genres. The lists are a mix of songs that I have known for a long time, as well as songs that I might hear on the radio once. When rehearsals begin, we begin to sing through the list and we begin to create the show. The intent is to create a coherent storyline that will capture the audience and keep their attention throughout the show (as well as entertain them!). This current show was a very different process for me. I have never tackled a composer show. This show not only required music research but I did a lot of reading. I read Marvin’s autobiography and the books of some of his collaborators as well. It was very interesting to see two different perspectives on the same project. I discovered many, many songs of Marvin Hamlisch that I did not know. The catalogue was much more vast than I expected. Because of the pandemic, we spent a great deal of time working on the music. I am very grateful for all the time we had because it truly allowed me time to grow and understand the music in a way that was, often, quite surprising.
NLE: You’ve been a great supporter of other cabaret performers have been a featured performer in Richard Skipper Celebrates at The Triad and The Laurie Beechman Theatre, as well as Gone Too Soon and the Gala Benefit for Cabaret Cares at The Metropolitan Room, and Bobbie Horowitz’s MAC Award-winning series, It’s Just a Number, what have these experiences been like for you?
WS: I am always honored to be asked to be a part of another artist’s show. There are so many talented cabaret performers, so when I am asked to join them, it is always very flattering and I am very appreciative. It is also always fun to have the opportunity to work with different musical directors; I am able to learn from each of them. In each of these shows, I have been asked to sing a song that I have never done before. It is always a challenge to work on a new song (often out of my comfort zone) in a short period of time. It is a great chance for additional growth and maturation.
NLE: What do you do in your spare time?
WS: One of my greatest passions is cooking. The kitchen is a very peaceful place for me. It was truly my savior during the pandemic. I love having friends and family over and cooking for them. My newest obsession is pickleball, but I also love to play golf, especially with my husband. My golf game could use some improving, but the time with my best friend in life is always special!
