Halloween: Open Mic from MAC Makes for Merry Melodies

By ROB LESTER*** Trick or treat! It’s an easy trick to treat yourself to some cabaret singers (perhaps in costume!) on Halloween night at the monthly MAC Roving Open Mic. Don’t ask, don’t tell your mama that you’re going to Don’t Tell Mama to hear songs from musical members of MAC (the Manhattan Association of Cabaret) instead of going door to door asking neighbors for candy.    With the excellent pianist Yaz handling the keyboard and MAC Board (but never bored) Secretary Kim Sutton hosting, expect some of cabaret’s familiar faces, even if some may be masked.  The warbling and crooning and belting begin at 7 PM, with sign-up half an hour before.  And the singing is scheduled to go on until 9:30 PM, so if you are out Halloweening around in the early evening, come after your meeting with the Great Pumpkin or dinner with newly-haunted/temporarily renamed MAC VIPs — Jim Speake (for tonight known as Jim Spook) and Julie Miller (for tonight known as Ghoulie Miller).

Attention MAC members and/or audience members and members of the human race in general: A two-drink minimum applies, but admission is free for MAC members, and a ten-dollar bill will allow non-members to sit and enjoy, but only MAC members are permitted to sing, although sing-alongs from your seat do not count.  Talent does.  Among those confirmed as participants is Natasha Castillo, known for another monthly open mic at 53 Above, seven blocks north, also off Eighth Avenue: Spotlight on You. NOT happening, however, is the planned, lavishly costumed and choreographed opening number by current MAC President Lennie Watts, Board member Jennie Litt, veteran cabaret chanteuse Tennie Leonard, founding member Penny Landau and the Laurie Beechman Theatre’s Kenny Bell because the inimitable Miss Landau has moved to Florida, temporarily putting on hold the career of this trio recently seen breaking in their new act, Lennie, Jennie, Tennie, Penny and Kenny: The Many, Many, Many Faces of Cabaret in MAC member clubs Tim McLoone’s New Supper Club & Bingo Parlor in No Hope, Pennsylvania and the Tilles Center’s Club T. Oliver Reidallaboutit, angling to be eligible as a nominee for Best Duo or Group Offering a Special Duo or Group Rate.

Rumor has it that the optional theme is coming in costume as your namesake, but we do NOT have verification that any of the following MAC members who are also MAC Award winners will be in attendance dressed as those who share their first or last names:

Bob Diamond dressed as either SpongeBob or Diamond Lil

Molly Pope dressed as either The Unsinkable Molly Brown or Pope John XXIII

Tracy Stark dressed as either Dick Tracy or that legendary nudist camp director Stark Naked

Billie Roe dressed as either Billie Jean (Not My Lover) King or Roe of Roe v. Wade

Marilyn Maye dressed as either Marilyn Manson or Mae West

Betty Buckley dressed as either Betty Boop or William F. Buckley

Karen Mack (pictured below) dressed as  Karen Mason or Karen Oberlin or Karen Wyman or Karen or a Big Mac or a MAC Award or the legendary Swiss drag queen diva from Wisconsin Mack N. Cheeze or lyricist Mack Gordon (“At Last,” “You’ll Never Know,” “Chattanooga Choo Choo”).  Oh, wait a minute—is this Halloween or April Fool’s Day?

 

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