by Ron Fassler . . . .
On Monday evening at the Peter Norton Symphony Space, the 38th Annual MAC Awards were handed out in a ceremony that honored the best in New York cabaret. MAC stands for the Manhattan Association of Cabarets and as an outsider looking in, being a part the audience was a chance to feed off the energy and comradery of men and women devoted to entertaining live in venues small and large all over the city, keeping the Great American Songbook alive and well. Other music too, of course, but last night seemed to be most appreciative of artists who would have been wildly successful back in the days of radio when people regularly bought 45’s of the latest hit recordings.
Nostalgia aside, all the presenters (there was no general host) had in common their status as permanent fixtures on the cabaret scene, many of whom have been at it for some time. And yet, everyone’s overall enthusiasm at just being there is what made the biggest impression on me. It wasn’t the sort of self-congratulatory banter that gets boring very quickly. It was more about how getting to throw a party like this and be together made them feel. More than once the word “community” was tossed around and it was genuine. When a Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to the jazz artist and two-time Tony Award nominee Vivian Reed, she didn’t make it about herself in her acceptance speech. She pointed to her students in the audience, even allowing for one of them, Christian Mark Gibbs, to sing. Sadly, that was mainly due to Ms. Reed getting out of the singing game (“I can still sing!,” she cried demonstrating with a wail). But because she was diagnosed in 2022 as having limited lung capacity to some scarring, she can no longer sustain notes. It was moving to hear her talk about how she’s gone through such a significant personal loss and come out the other side. She said she has always felt that as a singer, “Our job is to reach out and bring them in.” And that remains her credo, only now she does it in private, teaching young singers how to master their craft.
Another Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Jean-Pierre Perreaux, a sound and lighting designer who seemingly has worked with everyone in the theatre. It spoke volumes about the MAC Awards that they would honor someone behind the scenes and Perreaux seemed genuinely touched by the recognition. The third of the Life Achievement designees was Lee Roy Reams, who got the 11:00 o’clock spot, displaying his usual relaxed, charming and screamingly funny self. Long may he reign.
Credit to producer Julie Miller, Amy Wolk who directed and Dan Pardo, music director who, with Matt Scharflglass on bass and Hiroyuki Matsurra on drums, made for a tight-knit trio. The show ran three hours, but it moved swiftly. It was most certainly not presented at a leisurely pace, sensitive to keeping the show from bogging down (greatly appreciated). Although Susie Mosher (hilarious and a two-time winner for “The Line Up with Susie Mosher”) mentioned early on that by the end of the night we would all be in a coma. And the speeches were all short with sixty seconds the time allotted. “Fifteen seconds more than the Oscars give you,” as Mosher reminded us. No one abused the privilege and all the speeches spoke to the overall congeniality of these wonderful entertainers all evening long.
Photos: Conor Weiss (featured image Vivian Reed/Norm Lewis)
Here are the 2024 MAC Award winners:
FEMALE VOCALIST
Mardie Millit
MALE VOCALIST
Justin Dylan Nastro
MAJOR ARTIST – FEMALE
Meg Flather
MAJOR ARTIST – MALE
Eric Comstock
NEW YORK DEBUT – FEMALE
Camille Diamond
NEW YORK DEBUT – MALE
Woody Regan
CELEBRITY ARTIST
Gabrielle Stravelli
IMPERSONATION / CHARACTERIZATION / DRAG ARTIST
Amanda Reckonwith (David Sabella)
MUSICAL COMEDY PERFORMER
Lynda Rodolitz
MAJOR DUO/GROUP
Ann Hampton Callaway and Liz Callaway
REVUE
Forbidden Sondheim: Merrily We Stole A Song
Parody lyrics and direction by Gerard Alessandrini, musical direction by Fred Barton, produced by Playkill 11 Productions, John Freedson, Harriet Yellin, Gerard Alessandrini, Christine Pedi
RECURRING SERIES
The Lineup with Susie Mosher
EMCEE
Susie Mosher
The Lineup with Susie Mosher
SPECIAL PRODUCTION
Mama’s Next Big Act
Produced by Don’t Tell Mama and Lennie Watts
PIANO BAR/RESTAURANT SINGING ENTERTAINER – UPTOWN
Alison Nusbaum
PIANO BAR/RESTAURANT SINGING ENTERTAINER – DOWNTOWN
Maria Gentile
PIANO BAR INSTRUMENTALIST – UPTOWN
Bill Zeffiro
PIANO BAR INSTRUMENTALIST – DOWNTOWN
Gerry Dieffenbach
ENSEMBLE INSTRUMENTALIST
Steve Doyle, bass
DIRECTOR
Jeff Harnar
MUSICAL DIRECTOR
Tracy Stark
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
Alison Nusbaum
SONG
“Annie”
Music by Michele Brourman; Lyrics by Hillary Rollins
COMEDY/NOVELTY SONG
“What Are You Doing Rosh Hashanah Eve?”
Music by Eden Casteel; Lyrics by Dan Chaika and Eden Casteel
RECORDING (LAMOTT FRIEDMAN RECORDING AWARD)
Bob Levy featuring Dane Vannatter
Ever Since We Met: The Dane Vannatter Recordings
MAJOR RECORDING
Jeff Harnar
A Collective Cy: Jeff Harnar Sings Cy Coleman
