By Michael Barbieri***Say what you will about the MAC Awards—the show usually runs long; performers shouldn’t be made to compete with each other; people unintentionally might get left out… whatever. But I’ve always found the awards to be a fun, festive celebration. I know that the award recipients and the performers asked to sing or present at the ceremony would agree.
I’ve been a part of many past MAC Award ceremonies. I’ve been nominated in the Technical Director category some 14 times and I’ve won the award once—a fact of which I’m very proud. I’ve designed the lighting for 4 or 5 of the awards shows. I’ve won two MAC Awards as part of the vocal group Scott Barbarino and the Bev-Naps. And I’ve been a presenter in the Director, Technical Director, Musical Director and Piano Bar Performer categories over the last 5 years. This year, I was honored to be a part of the Nominating Committee for the Piano Bar Performer awards, which allowed me to reconnect with my roots in the bars.
The 2023 Mac Awards were held, once again, at Symphony Space. Producer/Directors Michael Kirk Lane and Amy Wolk graciously gave me a Press ticket and allowed me backstage access, where I was able to grab some fun photographs with many of the participants in this year’s show. It was a thrill to take pictures with so many of my cabaret and piano bar friends including Lifetime Achievement 
Award recipients Ken Page(who exclaimed, “Look at us! We’re a vision in red!”), as well as Ricky Ritzel and his long-time partner in music… and occasional silliness, Spider Saloff. You’ll also see shots of Lorinda Lisitza, Andre Jordan, Nate Buccieri, Ray DeForest, Danny Bolero, Eric Michael Gillett and Karen Mason, Frank Dain, Lennie Watts, Amanda Reckonwith (aka: David Sabella), Elena Bennett, Tech Director J.P. Perreaux, and the man who taught me much of what I know about lighting design, Matt Berman. I had a blast taking selfies with Michael McAssey, Ira Lee Collings, Peter Leavy, Sue Matsuki and so many others.
By the end of the evening, I was tired and my feet hurt from standing so long, but it was all worth it. The show ran a tidy two and a half hours and was exactly what the cabaret community has always come to expect—a grand celebration of the art we all hold so dear!
All photos by Michael Barbieri
