Big Night at 30th Annual MAC Awards!

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Visit The Three Tomatoes’s profile on Pinterest.

The 30th annual MAC Awards celebrating outstanding achievements in cabaret, comedy, and jazz took place on Tuesday, March 29th at the historic B.B. King’s Blues Club in Times Square. The best of New York’s nightlife entertainers filled the Music Room for a long but entertaining evening. Theater Pizzazz was onsite to cover the event and also take part in the ceremony.

Big Night at 30th Annual MAC Awards!

Eric Michael Gillett, Karen Mason, Maryann Lopinto, David Friedman, Anita Gillette

Theater Pizzazz’s editor and founder, Sandi Durell, co-presented with WBAI’s David Kenney, the first two awards of the evening for outstanding Revue and Special Production. A major highlight of the show was the presentation of the Board of Directors Award to photographer and frequent Theater Pizzazz contributor Maryann Lopinto. Maryann’s touching and funny speech hit upon the major theme of many of the acceptance speeches: a deep appreciation for the tight-knit cabaret community. Congratulations Maryann! (and even though dressed to the nines, Maryann was still photographing all evening long, backstage and front).

Big Night at 30th Annual MAC Awards!

Amanda McBroom, Karen Mason

The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Amanda McBroom; the Ruth Kurtzman Benefit Award to The Actors Fund: Jamie deRoy & Friends Cabaret Initiative; the Hanson Award to Sally Darling.  The evening was directed by Lennie Watts, produced by Julie Miller with Matt Baker as musical director.

Below find the list of Winners in All Categories:

Female Vocalist

Tanya Moberly, Songs I Feel Like Singing, Don’t Tell Mama

Male Vocalist

Kristoffer Lowe, You’re Getting to Be a Habit with Me, Metropolitan Room

Major Artist

Stacy Sullivan.  Since You’ve Asked, Metropolitan Room

Celebrity Artist

Karen Mason,   Mason at Mama’s in March; Love Secrets of the Ancient Divas; Next to Norma; Christmas! Christmas! Christmas!, Don’t Tell Mama, Rrazz Room (New Hope), Rrazz Room at the Prince (Philadelphia), Kennedy Center, Bethel Woods Center for the Arts

New York Debut – Female

Natalie Arneson,  Mama Drama, The Duplex

New York Debut – Male

Charles Baran,  Recipes for Disaster!, Metropolitan Room

Musical Comedy Performer

TIE

Barbara Malley,  Eat! Drink! Be Merry!, Don’t Tell Mama

and

Molly Pope,  Molly Pope Likes Your Status, The Duplex

Impersonation/Characterization/Drag Artist

Doris Dear,  Doris Dear’s Gurl Talk: Unplugged; Doris Dear’s Gurl Talk: The Rumpus Room Edition,  Don’t Tell Mama

 Duo/Group

Kim Grogg and Kim Sutton, Whenever I Call You Friend, Don’t Tell Mama

Major Duo/Group

Eric Comstock & Barbara Fasano,  Shoulder Season; Something to Live For: The Strayhorn Centennial; others
Metropolitan Room, National Jazz Museum in Harlem, Birdland, Jazz at Kitano, others

Revue

Big Night at 30th Annual MAC Awards!

Jeff Harnar, Sondra Lee, KT Sullivan

Another Hundred People,  Performed by KT Sullivan and Jeff Harnar, directed by Sondra Lee, musical direction by Jon Weber
Laurie Beechman

Recurring Series

Ricky Ritzel’s Broadway,  Created and produced by Ricky Ritzel, staged by Jay Rogers and Aaron Morishita, Don’t Tell Mama, Urban Stages

Special Production

Mama’s Next Big Act,   Created and hosted by Lennie Watts, produced by Limor Shekhter and Lennie Watt, Don’t Tell Mama

Emcee

Bobbie Horowitz,   It’s Just a Number, Metropolitan Room

Ensemble Instrumentalist

Sean Harkness, Guitar

Piano Bar Instrumentalist

Nate Buccieri, Brandy’s, Don’t Tell Mama

 Restaurant/Hotel Lounge Instrumentalist

Sheree Sano,   Don’t Tell Mama Happy Hour

Piano Bar Singing Entertainer – Female

Jennifer Pace,   Brandy’s

Piano Bar Singing Entertainer – Male

Tommy J. Dose,  Don’t Tell Mama

 Musical Director

Steven Ray Watkins, Lennie Watts (Don’t Tell Mama), Tanya Moberly (Don’t Tell Mama), Eve Eaton (Don’t Tell Mama), Heather Villaescusa (Don’t Tell Mama), Wendy Russell (Don’t Tell Mama)

Director

Lennie Watts,  Kristoffer Lowe (Metropolitan Room), Eve Eaton (Don’t Tell Mama), Kim Grogg & Kim Sutton (Don’t Tell Mama), Raissa Katona Bennett & Kenneth Gartman (Laurie Beechman)

Technical Director

Collette Black, Karen Kohler, William Ludwig, and Sebastian Stert: In This Town: The Songs of Marlene Dietrich & Hildegard Knef; Wendy A. Russell: Where Have I Been All My Life?; Helen Glassman: Confessions of a Native New Yorker: Jerry Phelps: Can’t Have It All, Don’t Tell Mama

 Recording (Lamott Friedman Award)

Jim Speake, Sweet Life

Major Recording

Barbara Fasano, Busy Being Free

Song

Hold On Tight,   Music by Meg Flather and John Mettam, Lyrics by Meg Flather

Comedy/Novelty Song

TIE

The Egg Nog Song, Music by Derek Gregor, Lyrics by Sam Carner

and

The Mermaid and The Whale, Music by Carolyn Montgomery-Forant and Jeff Cubeta, lyrics by Carolyn Montgomery-Forant

Show Of The Year

Mason at Mama’s In March, Performed by Karen Mason, musical direction by Christopher Denny, directed by Barry Kleinbort
Don’t Tell Mama

*All Photos: Maryann Lopinto

Sandi Durell is Publisher/Editor of www.theaterpizzazz.com/
and has been writing, reviewing, producing, having a voice in the theater, cabaret and entertainment communities for over 25+ years. She is a Voting Member of the Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards; member of the American Theatre Critics Association.

Sandi is a producer of Broadway & Hollywood Live! Revues (www.ShaRellProductions.com); has produced numerous Songwriter Events for the American Popular Song Society (APSS – formerly New York Sheet Music Society on which she is a Board member); the benefit CD “Our Heart Sings;” is a producer on the Award winning film “Broadway the Golden Age” (with Rick McKay) and has produced a variety of entertainment events for most of her career.
She is a member of the League of Professional Theatre Women, Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU – Advisory Board),100+ year old Dutch Treat Club, The Lambs; an occasional theater “angel” and has had a career as a vocalist-performer.
Her column can also be found at www.theaterlife.com

Sandi Durell

Sandi Durell is Publisher/Editor of www.theaterpizzazz.com/ and has been writing, reviewing, producing, having a voice in the theater, cabaret and entertainment communities for over 25+ years. She is a Voting Member of the Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards; member of the American Theatre Critics Association. Sandi is a producer of Broadway & Hollywood Live! Revues (www.ShaRellProductions.com); has produced numerous Songwriter Events for the American Popular Song Society (APSS – formerly New York Sheet Music Society on which she is a Board member); the benefit CD “Our Heart Sings;” is a producer on the Award winning film “Broadway the Golden Age” (with Rick McKay) and has produced a variety of entertainment events for most of her career. She is a member of the League of Professional Theatre Women, Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU – Advisory Board),100+ year old Dutch Treat Club, The Lambs; an occasional theater “angel” and has had a career as a vocalist-performer. Her column can also be found at www.theaterlife.com

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.