And the Winners Are . . . MAC Awards (Video-Photos)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

by: Sandi Durell

 

The 29th Annual MAC Awards took place at B.B. King on March 26th hosted by Karen Mason, with musical direction by Barry Levitt, directed by Lennie Watts and produced by Julie Miller. It’s always easier when you know, in advance, that you’ve already won something. And the people in that category included Lifetime Achievement Awards to Baby Jane Dexter and Steve Ross; Board of Directors Award to David Kenney; Ruth Kurtzman Benefit Award to Winter Rhythms at Urban Stages; Hanson Award to Meg Flather.

After a rousing opening number, the evening was full steam ahead with presenters including Julie Budd, Richard Skipper, Ruby Rims, Rick Jensen, Karen Mack, Sidney Myer, John McDaniel, Barb Jungr, Eric Comstock, Barbara Fasano, Randy Jones, Raissa Katona-Bennett, Jamie deRoy, David Friedman, Billy Stritch, KT Sullivan and so many more. Winners sang and so did others including Natalie Douglas who sang the memorial tribute to those we lost in 2014. MAC also presented its financial grant to Wingspan Arts.

Enjoy the video interviews by TheaterPizzazz with filmmaker-cameraman Michael Stever, along with backstage photos by Maryann Lopinto.

Below Is the List of Nominees in All Categories, the winners in BOLD

FEMALE VOCALIST

 

PEGGY EASON, As I See It; I’ll Show Them All
Stage 72, Don’t Tell Mama
SHANA FARR, In the Still of the Night
Laurie Beechman
KIM GROGG, Go Where the Love Is
Don’t Tell Mama
MAXINE LINEHAN, Beautiful Songs
Metropolitan Room
GABRIELLE STRAVELLI
Metropolitan Room
SUSAN WINTER, A Woman For All Seasons
The Metropolitan Room

 
MALE VOCALIST

RICHARD HOLBROOK, The Untapped Fred Astaire Revisited, Christmas in New York
Don’t Tell Mama
STEARNS MATTHEWS, Sneak Peek; Spark
The Duplex
ADAM B. SHAPIRO, Nothing Normal; My Favorite Things
54 Below, Metropolitan Room, Urban Stages; Hooverwood Fireplace Lounge (Indianapolis)
JIM SPEAKE, I’m a Brass Band – Jim Speake Sings Cy Coleman
The Duplex

 
MAJOR ARTIST

ERIC MICHAEL GILLETT, Man About Town
Laurie Beechman
MARISSA MULDER, Living Standards
Metropolitan Room, Urban Stages
STACY SULLIVAN, On the Air: Songs for Marian McPartland
The Greene Space, York Theatre Company, Don’t Tell Mama

 
CELEBRITY ARTIST

 

CHARLES BUSCH, Untitled show; Charles Busch on NYE
54 Below
BARB JUNGR, Hard Rain
59E59 Theaters
SHARON MCNIGHT, Red Hot Mama – The Sophie Tucker Farewell Tour
Metropolitan Room, Rrazz Room
MARK NADLER, Runnin’ Wild: Songs and Scandals of the Roaring 20’s
54 Below

 
NEW YORK DEBUT – FEMALE

CELIA BERK, You Can’t Rush Spring
Metropolitan Room
RAIN COLLAZO, The Artist Formerly Known As
Don’t Tell Mama
JAMIE HARTMANN, Dreams and Schemes
Metropolitan Room, Don’t Tell Mama
LAUREN STANFORD, I’m a Stranger Here Myself
Metropolitan Room

 
NEW YORK DEBUT – MALE

JOSHUA DIXON, Fly Up!
The Duplex
BERNARD DOTSON, Live at the Metropolitan Room
Metropolitan Room
KRISTOFFER LOWE, Waiting For The Light To Shine
Don’t Tell Mama

 
MUSICAL COMEDY PERFORMER

IVAN FARKAS, Prisoner of Love
Don’t Tell Mama
NIKKI MACCALLUM, Familiar Things
The Duplex, 54 Below
RICHARD PRYOR, JR, Life, Love and a Little Laughter
Metropolitan Room

 
IMPERSONATION/CHARACTERIZATION/DRAG ARTIST

DOROTHY BISHOP, Dozen Divas
Metropolitan Room
HEDDA LETTUCE, Christmas Special
Metropolitan Room
REV ROGER ANTHONY YOLANDA MAPES, Be The Love
The Duplex, Fresh Fruit Festival
JINKX MONSOON, The Inevitable Concert
Laurie Beechman

 
DUO/GROUP

ERIC COMSTOCK AND BARBARA FASANO
Birdland, Metropolitan Room, Jazz at Kitano, Café Sabarsky
TED STAFFORD AND LORINDA LISITZA, The Ted and Lo Show: This May Hurt a Bit
Don’t Tell Mama
KT SULLIVAN AND JEFF HARNAR, Our Time: Sullivan and Harnar Sing Sondheim
Laurie Beechman

 
REVUE

DIRTY LITTLE SONGS, Produced by Carolyn Montgomery-Forant and Eric Michael Gillett
54 Below, Laurie Beechman
REVOLUTION, Produced by and starring Dawn Derow and Kathleen France, musical direction and arrangements by Andrew David Sotomayor, Directed by Lennie Watts
The Duplex
SHOWS TO GO YA AND OTHER SONGS BY BOBBIE HOROWITZ, Produced by Nicori Studios, directed by Corinna Sowers Adler, songs written or co-written by Bobbie Horowitz
Stage 72, Metropolitan Room

 
RECURRING SERIES

THE DANA LORGE VARIETY SHOW, Produced by Dana Lorge
Metropolitan Room
NY SHEET MUSIC SOCIETY PROGRAMS, Produced by Linda Amiel Burns
Local 802 Musicians Hall
SALON, Tanya Moberly, executive producer, Mark Janas, founder, artistic director, host
Etcetera, Etcetera

 
SPECIAL PRODUCTION

DANCING WITH DEATH, Produced by Thomas Honeck and Lisa Moss, directed by Lisa Moss, starring Thomas Honeck
The Duplex
METROSTAR TALENT CHALLENGE, Produced by Bernie Furshpan, Joseph Macchia, Tom Gamblin, Beck Lee
Metropolitan Room
THIS IS YOUR NIGHT, Produced by Bernie Furshpan
Metropolitan Room

 
EMCEE – RECURRING SERIES/SPECIAL PRODUCTION

BERNIE FURSHPAN, This is Your Night; Bernie’s Sing Your Heart Out
Metropolitan Room
TOM GAMBLIN, MetroStar Talent Challenge
Metropolitan Room
DANA LORGE, The Dana Lorge Variety Show
Metropolitan Room

 
ENSEMBLE INSTRUMENTALIST

PETER CALO, Guitar
TOM HUBBARD, Bass
DONNA KELLY, Drums and percussion
RAY MARCHICA, Drums
MATT SCHARFGLASS, Bass
WARREN VACHÉ, Cornet

 
PIANO BAR INSTRUMENTALIST

NATE BUCCIERI
Don’t Tell Mama, The Duplex
GERRY DIEFFENBACH
Don’t Tell Mama, The Duplex
WILLIAM TN HALL
Don’t Tell Mama, The Duplex
BRIAN NASH
The Duplex
JOE REGAN
Don’t Tell Mama

 
RESTAURANT/HOTEL LOUNGE INSTRUMENTALIST

MATT BAKER
Le Cirque Café
CHRIS BARRETT
La Rivista
CLAIRE COOPER
Don’t Tell Mama Happy Hour
STEVEN LOWENTHAL
La Rivista, Town House, Room 53
BILL ZEFFIRO
La Mediterranée

 

 

PIANO BAR/RESTAURANT SINGING ENTERTAINER – FEMALE

ELAINE BRIER
Don’t Tell Mama
MARIA GENTILE
The Duplex
LAUREN MUFSON
Brandy’s
LAURA PAVLES
Don’t Tell Mama
HEIDI WEYHMUELLER
Don’t Tell Mama, Brandy’s

 

 

PIANO BAR/RESTAURANT SINGING ENTERTAINER – MALE

JOE ARDIZZONE
Brandy’s
BOBBY BELFRY
Brandy’s
ADAM CHANDLER
The Duplex
TOMMY J. DOSE
Don’t Tell Mama
JON SATROM
Don’t Tell Mama

MUSICAL DIRECTOR

 

RICK JENSEN
Man About Town/Eric Michael Gillett (Laurie Beechman), Doris Dean’s Gurl Talk/Raymond DeForest (Stage 72), Sarah Kimball (The Duplex), Dorian Woodruff (Metropolitan Room), Kai Williams (Don’t Tell Mama)
BARRY LEVITT
Dana Lorge Variety Show (Metropolitan Room), Susan Jeffries (Metropolitan Room), Sunny Leigh (Metropolitan Room), Joey Infante (Metropolitan Room), Winter Rhythms: “Barry’s Girls” (Urban Stages)
TRACY STARK
Barb Jungr (59E59 Theaters), Marcus Simeone (Don’t Tell Mama), MetroStar Talent Challenge (Metropolitan Room), The Meeting* (Joe’s Pub), Bret Shuford (Don’t Tell Mama)
STEVEN RAY WATKINS
Joshua Dixon (The Duplex), Rain Collazo (Don’t Tell Mama), Kim Grogg (Don’t Tell Mama), Carly Ozard (The Duplex, Stage 72, Feinstein’s at the Nikko), Jim Speake (The Duplex)

 
DIRECTOR

ERIC MICHAEL GILLETT
A Tribute to Adolph Green (54 Below), Mandy Gonzalez (54 Below), Marieann Meringolo (Metropolitan Room), Lauren Stanford (Metropolitan Room), The Amanda McBroom Project (Laurie Beechman)
LISA MOSS
Dancing With Death/Thomas Honeck (The Duplex), 2014 Duplex Gala (The Duplex), From Book to Broadway (The Duplex), Joe Baccan (The Duplex), Mark Steven Wellen (The Duplex)
PETER NAPOLITANO
Adam B. Shapiro (54 Below, Metropolitan Room), Minda Larsen (Metropolitan Room), Remembering Elaine Stritch (Metropolitan Room), Winter Rhythms Holiday/Disney Closing Concert (Urban Stages)

 
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR

ADAM DeCARLO
Bret Shuford/Charming: A Tale of an American Prince, Angela Shultz/Reality Check, Richard Holbrook/Untapped Fred Astaire (Don’t Tell Mama)
JASON ELLIS
Amy Beth Williams/Crazy to Love You, Marnie Klar,/Home, Kim Sutton/Anchors Away (Don’t Tell Mama)
JEAN-PIERRE PERREAUX
Sharon McNight/Sophie Tucker’s Farewell Tour, Stacy Sullivan/Peggy’s Back, Marilyn Maye/Marilyn by Request (Metropolitan Room))
TED STAFFORD
Chrysten Peddie/Too Darn Tall (Metropolitan Room), Marieann Meringolo/Crazy Love (Metropolitan Room), Joyce Breach/Moments Like This (Don’t Tell Mama)
J. HARDY (lights), AMANDA RAYMOND (sound)
Mark Nadler/Runnin’ Wild: Songs of the Roaring Twenties, Marilyn Maye/Marilyn Salutes Johnny Carson, Paulo Szot (54 Below)

 

 

RECORDING (LaMott Friedman Award)

CELIA BERK
You Can’t Rush Spring
MAXINE LINEHAN
An American Journey
KAREN OBERLIN AND SEAN HARKNESS
A Wish
STEARNS MATTHEWS
Spark
BOB MUNDY
Something Beautiful

 

SONG

ADVICE TO A YOUNG FIREFLY Music by Derek Gregor, lyrics by Sam Carner

CENTRAL PARK IN SPRING  Music by William TN Hall, lyrics by Patrick Gallagher

SAVE ME THE ROSE Music and lyrics by Scott Evan Davis

SIMPLY Music and lyrics by Bruce Kimmel

A SONG TO COME HOME TO Music and lyrics by Major Scales (Richard Andriessen)

 

COMEDY/NOVELTY SONG

THE BRIT SONG Music and lyrics by Amy Wolk and William TN Hall

DON’T TURN 13 Music and lyrics by Drew Fornarola

JUST A WORD Music and lyrics by Scott Evan Davis

SAVIN’ IT Music by Derek Gregor, lyrics by Sam Carner

SHE TELLS ME Music by Doug Katsaros, lyrics by Amanda Yesnowitz

 

SHOW OF THE YEAR

The 54 SINGS Series, Created by Phil Geoffrey Bond, produced by 54 Below
54 Below
RED HOT MAMA – THE SOPHIE TUCKER FAREWELL TOUR, Conceived by and starring Sharon McNight, musical direction by Ian Herman
Metropolitan Room, Rrazz Room
RUNNIN’ WILD: SONGS AND SCANDALS OF THE ROARING 20’S, Created by and starring Mark Nadler
54 Below
SHADES OF BLUE, Created by Carole J. Bufford and Scott Siegel, starring Carole J. Bufford, musical direction by Ian Herman
54 Below, Metropolitan Room
THE SKIVVIES, Created by and starring Nick Cearley and Lauren Molina
54 Below