By Scott Barbarino***I’m going to be at the MAC Awards this coming Monday, April 15 at the Symphony Space– and here’s why I think it’s important that if you care about the future well-being of the cabaret genre you should be there as well.
MAC, the Manhattan Association of Cabarets, has been around for 38 years. If you were an active member and were nominated or possibly won awards in the past, but haven’t been to a MAC Awards show in a while, remember the excitement you felt at that moment. Now is the time to come back to help build a stronger organization. We owe it to the future of our craft and the cabaret performers to come to pass it on.
Cabaret makes this world feel better for sure; we need all we can get of that right now.
Have you ever read the MAC Mission Statement? You should, so here it is:
“MAC’s mission is to advance the art and business of live entertainment. A trade association, its activities are designed to heighten public awareness of the field’s contributions and vitality, to honor its creativity, to build its current and future audiences, and to speak out as an influential voice on behalf of MAC members and the industry at large.”
Who can argue that this isn’t a worthy declaration—and needed?
Of course we can discuss how the organization hasn’t lived up to the original goals, initial hopes and some of the pie in the sky dreams its founders had when they wrote that statement and started the organization and then added the Awards aspect. I’ve been a MAC member since the beginning and I’m not the only one who knows about the ups and downs, missteps and sometimes blatant slights. Like some of you reading these words, you understand what I’m saying, and you know too where many of the bodies have been buried.
It’s to be expected when you put this many creatives with strong opinions and passions into the mix that there will be some controversial moments, aka drama. But, I still join every year and have continued to support this less than perfect organization because I’ve always believed it was necessary to have an organization made up of membership from all the areas of the industry, including cabaret, comedy and jazz artists, directors, musical directors, technical directors, musicians, club owners, booking managers, composers, lyricists, journalists, publicists, artists’ managers, agents, and friends and supporters of live entertainment.
With all the foibles and personality issues over the years I can honestly still say I love you all because we all love this crazy thing called cabaret, which as I’m sure we would agree is truly a labor of love.
I’m very hopeful this year for the future of MAC because it feels like a very different and promising time; I see a more positive direction under the new President Julie Miller. I’ve met with and spoken with her and have watched the new initiatives she’s leading the MAC Board to take. And in my opinion we have a fresh start at making this organization much closer to the promise it first had at its inception.
Attending the Awards is a first good way to start the healing of the years and for us to all gather to support the organization by infusing it with that spirit I know we’ve all felt at one time or another within MAC. This isn’t a small panel of experts picking the winners or an online popularity vote; the MAC Awards are a democratic process that can only be as good as the people who take part by seeing shows, giving input and voting as a membership.
As Sylvia Syms once said on the stage of a MAC Awards back in the day, “Cabaret is a lover who grabs you and kisses you right on the mouth!” She was spot on with that declaration and we all know how complicated relationships can be. Syms’ passion for this crazy thing we all love was rightly intense and we need to find that again.
So support MAC by purchasing a ticket and being at the Awards on Monday night. I and many old and new friends/compatriots look forward to seeing you there.
