The Manhattan Association of Cabarets (MAC) having been deprived of its 34th annual fête at Sony Hall by the coronavirus pandemic, deftly switched gears and presented a successful awards presentation show via Facebook Live. (Visit www.macnyc.com/awards to watch the video.)
With MAC president Lennie Watts at the helm reading the nominees, and Amy Wolk and Lorinda Lisitza remotely announcing the winners, MAC members had a virtual gathering, with the Facebook feed alive with comments, congratulations and general good cheer—a continuation of the excitement and expectation that had been building on Facebook leading up to the broadcast.
Watts led the show with a profoundly deep shout out of gratitude to those in health care on the front lines of the pandemic battle, as well as those whose work is essential to keeping daily life moving in this period of isolation and quarantine. He also thanked the creative community who have “risen to the occasion” by keeping music and art alive on social media and other internet platforms.
Watts also announced that a large party was being planned for summer (hopefully) when MAC members could once again convene and celebrate the nominees and winners of this year’s awards. At that time the already named recipients—Anita Gillette, Lifetime Achievement Award and Steven Zumbo, The Hanson Award, as well as the Board of Directors Award to the Bistro Awards and Piano Bar Live! Show of the Year—will be formally honored. Winners will also have an opportunity to redeliver their thanks; each did so this time by calling into Watts’ cell phone when their names were announced.
To recap, the nominees were determined by votes cast by the active MAC membership, except for the four song and recording categories, which were determined by special committees. Here are the nominees, with winners in bold face:
FEMALE VOCALIST
CORINNA SOWERS ADLER
CYNTHIA CRANE
SALLY DARLING
DAWN DEROW
ANN KITTREDGE
WENDY SCHERL
MAUREEN TAYLOR
LISA VIGGIANO
MALE VOCALIST
ARI AXELROD
BOB DIAMOND
KIM DAVID SMITH
MAJOR ARTIST – FEMALE
SUE MATSUKI
GRETCHEN REINHAGEN
JULIE REYBURN
MAJOR ARTIST – MALE
ERIC COMSTOCK
JEFF HARNAR
NEW YORK DEBUT – FEMALE
ROBERTA FELDHUSEN
JOANNE HALEV
MARGE HELENCHILD
LIORA MICHELLE
GERRILYN SOHN
REGINA ZONA
NEW YORK DEBUT – MALE
SEAN PATRICK MURTAGH
SCOTT RANERI
MARK WILLIAM
CELEBRITY ARTIST
CHARLES BUSCH
NATALIE DOUGLAS
JOANNA GLEASON
ANDREA MCARDLE AND DONNA MCKECHNIE
MARK NADLER
IMPERSONATION/CHARACTERIZATION/DRAG ARTIST
DORIS DEAR
SUTTON LEE SEYMOUR
CISSY WALKEN
MAJOR IMPERSONATION/CHARACTERIZATION/DRAG ARTIST
JOEY ARIAS
BenDeLaCreme
JINKX MONSOON
MUSICAL COMEDY PERFORMER – FEMALE
ANDREA AXELROD
LENA MOY-BORGEN
LYNDA RODOLITZ
MUSICAL COMEDY PERFORMER – MALE
JOHN BURNS
MICHAEL KIRK LANE
DUO/GROUP
THE DRINKWATER BROTHERS (John Drinkwater, Matthew Drinkwater)
MAMA’S BOYS (Tommy J. Dose, Brian Kalinowski, Paul Pilcz, Jon Satrom)
LENA MOY-BORGEN AND CHEO BOURNE
THOSE GIRLS (Eve Eaton, Rachel Hanser, Karen Mack, Wendy A. Russell)
MAJOR DUO/GROUP
KIM GROGG AND LENNIE WATTS
SEAN HARKNESS, MARCUS SIMEONE, LINA KOUTRAKOS
KT SULLIVAN AND JEFF HARNAR
PIANO BAR INSTRUMENTALIST
NATE BUCCIERI
GERRY DIEFFENBACH
WILLIAM TN HALL
BRIAN J. NASH
JOE REGAN
PIANO BAR/RESTAURANT SINGING ENTERTAINER FEMALE
LIZ LARK BROWN
MICHELLE DOWDY
MARIA GENTILE
TARA MARTINEZ
ALISON NUSBAUM
JENNIFER PACE
PIANO BAR/RESTAURANT SINGING ENTERTAINER MALE
BOBBY BELFRY
TOMMY J. DOSE
BRIAN KALINOWSKI
PAUL PILCZ
JON SATROM
RESTAURANT/HOTEL LOUNGE/HAPPY HOUR ENTERTAINER
CLARE COOPER
RICKY RITZEL
SHEREE SANO
BILL ZEFFIRO
ENSEMBLE INSTRUMENTALIST
SEAN HARKNESS, guitar
TOM HUBBARD, bass
DON KELLY, drums
MATT SCHARFGLASS, bass
RECURRING SERIES
THE AMERICAN POPULAR SONGBOOK SERIES
PIANO BAR LIVE
RICKY RITZEL’S BROADWAY
SALON
SPOTLIGHT ON YOU OPEN MIC
SPECIAL PRODUCTION
MAMA’S NEXT BIG ACT
MEG FLATHER SONGS: A CABARET SISTERHOOD
SHERIE RENE SCOTT AND NORBERT LEO BUTZ: TWOHANDER
EMCEE
CORINNA SOWERS ADLER
NATASHA CASTILLO
AMY WOLK
DIRECTOR
JEFF HARNAR
LINA KOUTRAKOS
TANYA MOBERLY
GRETCHEN REINHAGEN
LENNIE WATTS
MUSICAL DIRECTOR
PAUL GREENWOOD
ALEX RYBECK
TRACY STARK
GREGORY TOROIAN
STEVEN RAY WATKINS
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
ARMANDO BRAVI – The Duplex
ADAM DeCARLO – Don’t Tell Mama
JASON ELLIS – 53 Above
JONNY MERCADO – Don’t Tell Mama
ALISON NUSBAUM – Don’t Tell Mama
JEAN-PIERRE PERREAUX – The Laurie Beechman Theatre
SONG
ASKING FOR IT
EVERYTHING MUST GO
LOOKS LIKE THEY’RE IN LOVE- Music and lyrics by Alex Rybeck and Bob Levy
THIS OLD YEAR
WHEN MICHAEL WAS THERE
COMEDY/NOVELTY SONG
I’D HAVE REHEARSED
KIND OF GAY
NOTHING VENTURED…
A PRIME LITTLE NUMBER
STRAIGHT GIRL IN THE GAY BAR – Music and lyrics by Billy Recce
RECORDING (LaMott Friedman Award)
JOHN DePALMA
KEVIN DOZIER
BOB LEVY
WENDY SCHERL
MAJOR RECORDING
GRETCHEN REINHAGEN
KT SULLIVAN AND MARK NADLER
STACY SULLIVAN
MAX von ESSEN
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