The MAC Award Nominees Have Been Announced

The Manhattan Association of Cabarets (MAC) is pleased to announce the 2024 MAC Award nominees. The nominees were determined by votes cast by the active MAC membership—except for the song, comedy/novelty song, recording and major recording categories, which were determined by special committees. The winners will be revealed as the envelopes are opened live at the 38th Annual MAC Awards on Monday, April 15 at 7:00 PM at Peter Norton Symphony Space.

As previously announced, VIVIAN REED, LEE ROY REAMS, and JEAN-PIERRE PERREAUX will each receive a Lifetime Achievement Award. In addition, MAC is delighted to announce that MARCIA RONEY has been selected to receive MAC’s Hanson Award, which is a Board of Directors Award that recognizes on-going excellence in performance of someone who has never been nominated for a MAC Award.

The 2024 MAC Award Nominees are:

FEMALE VOCALIST

LUCILLE CARR-KAFFASHAN
Three Seasons of Singer/Songwriters: Diamonds and Rust (female singer/songwriters of the ’70s); Unwritten (21st century female singer/songwriters); How the Light Gets In (male singer/songwriters)
Don’t Tell Mama

GOLDIE DVER
Bridges
Don’t Tell Mama

MARNIE KLAR
Marnie Klar Sings Carly Simon
Don’t Tell Mama

SUSAN MACK
Yesterdays; The Susan Mack Quintet
Chelsea Table + Stage, Birdland, Jazz on Main (Mount Kisco)

MARDIE MILLIT
Sorry-Grateful: One Sondheim Story in Letters and Song
Laurie Beechman, Don’t Tell Mama, Crown and Anchor

AMY BETH WILLIAMS
Amy Beth Williams Sings Leiber and Stoller
Don’t Tell Mama

MALE VOCALIST

JOHN BURNS
Sock It To Me!
Don’t Tell Mama

JASON HENDERSON
Getting to Noël You
Don’t Tell Mama

JUSTIN DYLAN NASTRO
The Magic of Me
Don’t Tell Mama

BOB O’HARE
Walk Through the World: The Songs of Leslie Bricusse
Don’t Tell Mama

MAJOR ARTIST – FEMALE

MARY FOSTER CONKLIN
These Precious Days
Soapbox Gallery, Mezzrow, North Square

MEG FLATHER
Hold On Tight…A Love Story; Carefully Taught; The Meg and John Reunion Show
Don’t Tell Mama, The Tank, Crown and Anchor

ROSEMARY LOAR
Close Enough for Love (Laurie Beechman, Don’t Tell Mama); Everything’s Coming Up Rosie (Theater at East Meadow Library)

MARIEANN MERINGOLO
A Lot of Livin’ To Do!; In the Spirit
Chelsea Table + Stage

MAJOR ARTIST – MALE

ERIC COMSTOCK
Birdland

KIM DAVID SMITH
Mostly Marlene, Halo-Wien (Halloween concert), Mostly Marlene & Friends
Neue Galerie, Club Cumming, Post Office Café and Cabaret (P’town)

NEW YORK DEBUT – FEMALE

EDEN CASTEEL
Kahn Artist: Madeline and Me
Don’t Tell Mama

CAMILLE DIAMOND
Over The Moon…on Pluto Transit
Don’t Tell Mama

NICOLE SPANO
Family Ties
Don’t Tell Mama

ELVIRA TORTORA
The Bookmaker’s Daughter
Don’t Tell Mama

NEW YORK DEBUT – MALE

RENE PFISTER
What I Learned from All My Ex-Boyfriends…If Anything
Don’t Tell Mama

JOHN PHILIP
Oceans of Love and Life
Don’t Tell Mama

WOODY REGAN
Those Wonderful Songs
Don’t Tell Mama

CELEBRITY ARTIST

ANN HAMPTON CALLAWAY
Ann Hampton Callaway Sings the 70’s
54 Below

LIZ CALLAWAY
Screen Gems
54 Below

GABRIELLE STRAVELLI
Birdland

BILLY STRITCH
Birdland

IMPERSONATION/CHARACTERIZATION/DRAG ARTIST

AMANDA RECKONWITH (David Sabella)
Residential Care
Pangea

DAME EDNA’S HONORARY UNDERSTUDY (Scott F. Mason)
The Dame’s Sassy Saturdays, One Dame Christmahanukwanzaka
Don’t Tell Mama, Pangea

LADY BUNNY
Don’t Bring the Kids
Green Room 42

SIMPLY BARBRA (Steven Brinberg)
Yentl, Simply Barbra 40th Anniversary
Chelsea Table + Stage, Eldred Preserve, Crazy Coqs, 54 Below

MUSICAL COMEDY PERFORMER

LENA MOY-BORGEN
A Man’s World: Gender Studies…But With Showtunes
Don’t Tell Mama

LYNDA RODOLITZ
Lynda Rodolitz Makes Art
Don’t Tell Mama

MAJOR DUO/GROUP

ANN HAMPTON CALLAWAY AND LIZ CALLAWAY
Yuletide Revelry
54 Below

JIM CARUSO AND BILLY STRITCH
Bemelmans Bar in the Carlyle Hotel

CLEARLY NOW (Sean Harkness, Lina Koutrakos, Marcus Simeone)
With a Little Help From My Friends
Laurie Beechman, St. George Theatre, Chelsea Table + Stage

ERIC COMSTOCK AND BARBARA FASANO
Birdland

TRACY STARK AND MARCUS SIMEONE
Twilight Canopy: (Some of) The Songs of Jimmy Webb
Urban Stages, St. George Theatre, Don’t Tell Mama

REVUE

FORBIDDEN SONDHEIM: MERRILY WE STOLE A SONG
Parody lyrics and direction by Gerard Alessandrini, musical direction by Fred Barton, produced by Playkill 11 Productions, John Freedson, Harriet Yellin, Gerard Alessandrini, Christine Pedi
Don’t Tell Mama, Green Room 42

GIT AHT: A LOVING TRIBUTE TO PITTSBURGH
Created and performed by Aaron Lee Battle, Ricky Ritzel, Mary Ellen Ryan; directed by Jim Luzar
Don’t Tell Mama

THE SOULFUL SOUNDS OF MOTOWN
Produced by Marcus Simeone, directed by Emilie Surtees, performed by the Stage Revolution Band Players featuring Marcus Simeone and Emilie Surtees
Cafe Wha?, Groove

A SWINGING BIRDLAND CHRISTMAS
Created and performed by Klea Blackhurst, Jim Caruso, and Billy Stritch
Birdland

RECURRING SERIES

JIM CARUSO’S CAST PARTY
Created, produced, and hosted by Jim Caruso
Birdland

THE LINEUP WITH SUSIE MOSHER
Produced by Susie Mosher and Hope Royalte
Birdland

SALON
Founder, Artistic Director, Host: Mark Janas; Executive Producer: Tanya Moberly
Don’t Tell Mama

EMCEE

JIM CARUSO
Jim Caruso’s Cast Party
Birdland

NATASHA CASTILLO
Spotlight on You Open Mic
53 Above

SUSIE MOSHER
The Lineup
Birdland

SPECIAL PRODUCTION

THE JOE ICONIS CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR
Written by Joe Iconis, directed by John Simpkins, produced by Jennifer Ashley Tepper
54 Below

RIAN KEATING: WOMAN SONGS
Don’t Tell Mama

MAMA’S NEXT BIG ACT
Produced by Don’t Tell Mama and Lennie Watts
Don’t Tell Mama

PIPPIN: THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY REUNION
Produced and directed by Walter Willison, musical directed by Michael Lavine
54 Below

DIRECTOR

JEFF HARNAR
Becca Kidwell/If You Hadn’t But You Did (Don’t Tell Mama), John Forster/Too Clever by 20% (Don’t Tell Mama), Richard Holbrook/20th Anniversary Show (54 Below). Judi Mark/Merely Marvelous–The Songs of Gwen Verdon (Don’t Tell Mama), Rene Pfister/What I Learned from All My Ex-Boyfriends…If Anything (Don’t Tell Mama)

LINA KOUTRAKOS
Sue Matsuki/But Beautiful: A Tribute to Julie Wilson (54 Below), Diane D’Angelo/Destination Moon (Laurie Beechman, Green Room 42), Patti Bottino-Bravo/Act 3 (Laurie Beechman, Urban Stages), Elvira Tortora/The Bookmaker’s Daughter (Don’t Tell Mama), Dorian Woodruff/The Lyrics of Alan and Marilyn Bergman (Pangea)

TANYA MOBERLY
Amy Beth Williams/Amy Beth Williams Sings Leiber and Stoller (Don’t Tell Mama), Woody Regan/Those Wonderful Songs (Don’t Tell Mama), Margo Brown/Forever Me With Love (Don’t Tell Mama), Rian Keating/Woman Songs (Don’t Tell Mama), Scott F. Mason/One Dame Christmahanukwanzaka—A Holiday Tribute to Dame Edna by Her Honorary Understudy (Pangea)

MUSICAL DIRECTOR

YASUHIKO (YAZ) FUKUOKA
Todd Murray and Stacy Sullivan/The Musical Romance of Frank Sinatra and Peggy Lee (Weill Recital Hall), Lisa Viggiano/Lisa Viggiano Sings the Jane Olivor Songbook (Laurie Beechman), Robert Bannon/Pride Playlist (54 Below), Christmas Playlist (Chelsea Table + Stage), Robbie Rozelle/Bring Me Giants (Birdland), Mama’s Next Big Act (Don’t Tell Mama)

TRACY STARK
Meg Flather/Carefully Taught (Don’t Tell Mama, Crown & Anchor in P’town, Eldred Preserve in Sullivan County, NY), Brenda Braxton/Stars Tonight! (54 Below, Green Room 42), Jeanne MacDonald/Heart and Soul (Chelsea Table + Stage), Sean Patrick Murtagh/Beautiful Girls: A Tribute to Sondheim Divas (Laurie Beechman, Crown & Anchor). Kim David Smith/various shows (Club Cumming, Neue Gallery, Post Office Café and Cabaret in P’town)

BILLY STRITCH
Jim Caruso’s Cast Party (Birdland), Linda Eder (54 Below) Ann Hampton Callaway (54 Below), Norm Lewis (92nd Street Y), Max von Essen (Paradise Club at the Times Square Edition Hotel)

GREGORY TOROIAN
Sue Matsuki/But Beautiful: A Tribute to Julie Wilson (54 Below), Diane D’Angelo/Destination Moon (Laurie Beechman, Green Room 42), Patti Bottino-Bravo/Act 3 (Laurie Beechman, Urban Stages), Elvira Tortora/The Bookmaker’s Daughter (Don’t Tell Mama), Maria Corsaro/I Could Get Used to This! (Chelsea Table + Stage)

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR

ADAM DECARLO
(All at Don’t Tell Mama)
Meg Flather/Carefully Taught; Justin Dylan Nastro/The Magic of Me; Nicole Spano/Family Ties; Bob O’Hare/Walk Through the World; Jason Henderson/Getting to Noël You.

ALISON NUSBAUM
(All at Don’t Tell Mama)
Ricky Ritzel, Aaron Lee Battle, Mary Ellen Ryan/Git Aht: A Loving Tribute to Pittsburgh; Mardie Millet/Sorry-Grateful: One Sondheim Story in Letters and Song; Rian Keating/Woman Songs; Woody Regan/Those Wonderful Songs; Debra Vogel/It’s a Jungle Out There

KELLY WOHLFORD
(All at Don’t Tell Mama)
Amy Beth Williams/Amy Beth Williams Sings Leiber and Stoller; Goldie Dver/Bridges; Tanya Moberly/Moberly at Mama’s, New York Songwriters Parts 1 and 2; Lucille Carr-Kaffashan/Three Seasons of Singer-Songwriters; American Popular Song Society Monthly Series

ENSEMBLE INSTRUMENTALIST

STEVE DOYLE, bass
Jim Caruso’s Cast Party (Birdland), A Swinging Birdland Christmas (Birdland)

DON KELLY, drums/percussion
Lynda Rodolitz/Lynda Rodolitz Makes Art (Don’t Tell Mama), Camille Diamond/Over the Moon,,,on Pluto Transit (Don’t Tell Mama), Ronni Faust/Ella, Minnie & Me (Don’t Tell Mama), Bruce Clough/From Out of the Blues (Don’t Tell Mama)

MATT SCHARFGLASS, bass
Tanya Moberly/I Love NY Songwriters—Parts I and II (Don’t Tell Mama), Camille Diamond/Over the Moon…on Pluto Transit (Don’t Tell Mama), Farah Alvin/On Vinyl (Green Room 42), James Beaman/Lived Experience (Triad Theater)

SKIP WARD, bass
Margaret Curry (Laurie Beechman), Sue Matsuki (54 Below), Brenda Braxton (54 Below), Elizabeth Passero (Urban Stages)

PIANO BAR SINGING ENTERTAINER–UPTOWN

ELAINE BRIER
Don’t Tell Mama

ANDRE JORDAN
Don’t Tell Mama

TARA MARTINEZ
Don’t Tell Mama

ALISON NUSBAUM
Brandy’s, Don’t Tell Mama

JENNIFER PACE
Brandy’s

JON SATROM
Don’t Tell Mama, Brandy’s

PIANO BAR SINGING ENTERTAINER–DOWNTOWN

SUSAN CAMPANERO
Stonewall

MARIA GENTILE
Stonewall, The Duplex, Brandy’s

MADDIE MCCLOUSKEY
Marie’s Crisis

T-REX
Stonewall, The Duplex

MILES WHITTAKER
Stonewall

PIANO BAR INSTRUMENTALIST–UPTOWN

JOHN BRONSTON
Brandy’s, Stonewall

NATE BUCCIERI
Don’t Tell Mama, Brandy’s

JOE REGAN
Don’t Tell Mama

STEVEN WENSLAWSKI
Don’t Tell Mama, The Townhouse

BILL ZEFFIRO
Le Rivage, Tudor City Steakhouse

PIANO BAR INSTRUMENTALIST–DOWNTOWN

GERRY DIEFFENBACH
The Duplex, Stonewall, Don’t Tell Mama

KENNEY GREEN-TILFORD
Marie’s Crisis

BRANDON JAMES GWINN
Marie’s Crisis, The Duplex, Don’t Tell Mama

MARK OLESZKO
Stonewall

DAN PARDO
Stonewall, Marie’s Crisis

FRANCA VERCELLONI
Marie’s Crisis

SONG

ANNIE
Music by Michelle Brourman, Lyrics by Hillary Rollins

IT’S ONLY A FIRST DATE
Music by Douglas J. Cohen, Lyrics by Douglas J. Cohen and Dan Elish

PASSING THROUGH A DREAM
Music and Lyrics by Steven Wenslawski

RAINING MEMORIES
Music by Kelly Park and Russ Lorenson, Lyrics by Russ Lorenson

YOU BRING OUT THE JAZZ IN ME
Music and Lyrics by Tom Toce

COMEDY/NOVELTY SONG

AT THE SAME TIME
Music by Mary Rodgers, Lyrics by John Forster

FRONT ROW
Music and Lyrics by Billy Recce

I’M READY
Music and Lyrics by Kevin Winebold

THERE’S A SONG IN THAT
Music and Lyrics by Daniel Cainer

WHAT ARE YOU DOING ROSH HASHANAH EVE?
Music by Eden Casteel, Lyrics by Dan Chaika and Eden Casteel

RECORDING (LaMott Friedman Recording Award)

BOB LEVY Featuring DANE VANNATTER
Ever Since We Met: The Dane Vannatter Recordings

RUSS LORENSON
Standard Time: Live in New York

MARGOT SERGENT
Douce France, Sweet France

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Chip Deffaa’s The George M. Cohan Revue: The Cast Album

KEVIN WINEBOLD
Return to the Heart

MAJOR RECORDING

FARAH ALVIN
On Vinyl

ANN HAMPTON CALLAWAY
Finding Beauty: Originals Volume 1

MARY FOSTER CONKLIN
These Precious Days

JEFF HARNAR
A Collective Cy: Jeff Harnar Sings Cy Coleman

ALYSHA UMPHRESS
Alysha Umphress and things…like this

MAC Award tickets are available at https://www.symphonyspace.org/events/vp-the-38th-annual-mac-awards. For additional information, visit www.MACnyc.com.