The Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs has announced the presenters that are scheduled to appear at the 29th Annual MAC Awards on Thursday, March 26th at B.B King Blues Club & Grill in New York City.
Scheduled to appear are: Kenny Bell, Raissa Katona Bennett, Julie Budd, Peter Calo, Eric Comstock, Frank Dain, Jamie deRoy, Natalie Douglas, Barbara Fasano, John Daniel Forslund, David Friedman, Bernie Furshpan, Kim Grogg, Rick Jensen, Randy Jones, Barb Jungr, Lina Koutrakos, Brett Kristofferson, Lorinda Lisitza, Karen Mack, John McDaniel, Tanya Moberly, Marissa Mulder, Sidney Myer, Marissa Porto, Julie Reyburn, Ruby Rims, Ricky Ritzel, Billie Roe, Julie Salaman, Adam B. Shapiro, Richard Skipper, Ted Stafford, Billy Stritch, KT Sullivan, Bruce Villanch, and Lennie Watts.
MAC is also pleased to announce that it will present its Hanson Award to performer MEG FLATHER. This is in addition to the previously announced special honorees of the evening, including BABY JANE DEXTER and STEVE ROSS, who will both receive Lifetime Achievement Awards and perform live at the show, and DAVID KENNEY of WBAI FM Radio, who will receive MAC’s Board of Directors Award. MAC will present the Ruth Kurtzman Benefit Series Award to the WINTER RHYTHMS series at Urban Stages.
Also newly announced are the names of the songwriters of the nominated songs in two award categories: SONG and also COMEDY/NOVELTY SONG. The names of the songwriters appear in the list of nominees below.
The show will be hosted by KAREN MASON. The Musical Director is BARRY LEVITT, who will lead the MAC Awards Band. LENNIE WATTS is the Director, and JULIE MILLER is the Producer. The Stage Manager is AMY WOLK. The MAC Awards show is open to the public. For tickets, visit www.MACnyc.com
THE NOMINEES FOR THE 29TH ANNUAL MAC AWARDS ARE:
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