“No one has quietly helped more people in cabaret and theater—year after year, decade after decade—than Maryann Lopinto,” said playwright/director/producer Chip Deffaa, in presenting the “Seth Sikes Award” to Lopinto in a ceremony at New York’s 13th Street Repertory Theater. The award recognizes exceptional service, behind the scenes, to both the cabaret and theater communities.
“Maryann has helped so many people in so many different ways, we felt her 50th anniversary in the business ought to be celebrated, said Defaa. Lopinto has helped to cover and promote cabaret and theater chiefly as a photographer, but also as a writer. Her photos have appeared on many web sites as well as in in books and articles. For countless productions she has worked as a stage manager, company manager, production assistant, house manager, props master, personal assistant and more. Her willingness to help at any task beyond her job description is widely known, as is her ability to work with great energy and buoyant attitude.
Lopinto’s devotion to her craft and to those who work in cabaret and theater is also legendary. She’s done everything from water plants for Barbara Cook to generate laughs for Joan Rivers (a young Joan Rivers took Lopinto with her to sit in the audience and laugh when Rivers made her debut on Ed Sullivan’s TV show). Cabaret star Mark Nadler wrote a song in her honor entitled “I Love a Lopinto.”
Sikes, for whom the award is named, isbest known for his work in cabaret, with apearances at clubs in New York, Provincetown, London and beyond. As a recording artist, he’s been heard on such albums as Irving Berlin Rediscovered and The Chip Deffaa Songbook. His theater credits include the Off-Broadway musical Fame. He was Assistant Director for the Broadway show The Nance, and is the Associate Director of the current Broadway hit, The Band’s Visit.
Lopinto noted it was especially meaningful to receive an award named after Seth Sikes, since she had also worked as stage-manager for the first show that Sikes ever starred in, in New York—Chip Deffaa’s musical play Yankee Doodle Boy. Deffaa’s musical comedy, The Seven Little Foys, included a pet goat named “Little Sethy” after Seth Sikes, for which Lopinto provided the puppet representing the “Little Sethy” character.
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