The Manhattan Association of Cabarets (MAC) is pleased to announce the upcoming 39th Annual MAC Awards. The awards presentation and show will take place on Thursday, April 10, 2025 at 7:00 PM, at Peter Norton Symphony Spac.
The MAC Awards will honor excellence in NYC nightlife during the 2024 calendar year. In addition to live musical performances at the show, competitive awards will be presented in multiple categories to performers, songwriters, directors, musical directors, piano bar performers, behind-the-scenes technical experts, and more, as well as the presentation of special honoree awards. The envelopes will be opened and the winners will be announced live at the MAC Awards show. The MAC Awards show is produced by JULIE MILLER and directed by AMY WOLK. The musical director and leader of the MAC Awards Band will be JOHN BRONSTON.
At the event, MAC will present a Lifetime Achievement Award to theater and cabaret legend CHARLES BUSCH, author and star of such plays as Psycho Beach Party, Die Mommie Die, The Divine Sister and Vampire Lesbians of Sodom, one of the longest-running plays in Off-Broadway history. His comedy The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife ran nearly two years on Broadway and received a Tony nomination for Best Play.
THE 2025 MAC AWARD NOMINEES ARE:
FEMALE VOCALIST: AMY BETH WILLIAMS, JOSEPHINE SANGES, MARGARET CURRY, NATASHA CASTILLO, SARAH CARSON and SUSAN MACK
MALE VOCALIST: CHRISTOPHER CASWELLRIAN KEATING, TIM CONNELL and WOODY
MAJOR ARTIST – FEMALE: CAROLE J. BUFFORDMARIEANN MERINGOLO, NICOLE ZURAITIS and TANYA MOBERLY
MAJOR ARTIST – MALE: ARI AXELROD, CRAIG POMRANZ, CRAIG RUBANO, KIM DAVID SMITH and NICOLAS KING
NEW YORK DEBUT – FEMALE: AVERY NUSBAUM, JENN BORNSTEIN, LaRAISHA DiEVELYN DIONNE and SHEREE SANO
NEW YORK DEBUT – MALE: M. CAN YASAR, MATTHEW MARTIN WARD and MICHAEL RIDER
CELEBRITY ARTIST: ANN HAMPTON CALLAWAYANN HAMPTON CALLAWAY AND LIZ CALLAWAY, BETH LEAVEL, BILLY STRITCH, GABRIELLE STRAVELLI, NORM LEWIS and SALLY MAYES
ICON: ADAM PASCAL AND ANTHONY RAPP, ANDRE DESHIELDS, JENNIFER HOLLIDAY and TONY DANZA
IMPERSONATION/CHARACTERIZATION/DRAG ARTIST: CHEO BOURNE, KIKI BALL-CHANGE, SHANNON DALEY and VARLA JEAN MERMAN
MUSICAL COMEDY PERFORMER: AMY WOLKBECCA KIDWELL, LENA MOY-BORGEN and LILA DAY
DUO/GROUP: ERIC COMSTOCK AND BARBARA FASANO, KAREN MACK AND ELLIOT ROTH and SETH SIKES AND NICOLAS KING
REVUE: FIND THE ROAD – A JOHN M. COOK ANTHOLOGYHOLIDAY REGARDS and JOE ICONIS AND FAMILY
RECURRING SERIES: THE AMERICAN POPULAR SONG SOCIETY SERIES, JIM CARUSO’S CAST PARTY, THE LINEUP, SONDHEIM UNPLUGGED and SPOTLIGHT ON YOU OPEN MIC
EMCEE: GOLDIE DVER, JIM CARUSO and SUSIE MOSHER
TRIBUTE SHOW: CAROLYN MONTGOMERY, DEBORAH ZECHER AND JOSHUA ZECHER-ROSS, GOLDIE DVER, KATI NEIHEISEL and RENEE KATZ
SPECIAL PRODUCTION: DON’T CRY FOR ME – MY YESHIVAGRAND HOTEL: THE 35TH ANNIVERSARY REUNION, JOE ICONIS CHRISTMAS EXTRAVAGANZA and MAMA’S NEXT BIG ACT
DIRECTOR: BARRY KLEINBORT, JEFF HARNAR, LENNIE WATTS, LINA KOUTRAKOS and TANYA MOBERLY
MUSICAL DIRECTOR: BILLY STRITCH, DARNELL WHITE, GREGORY TOROIAN, TEDD FIRTH and TRACY STARK
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR: ADAM DeCARLO, AMANDA RAYMOND/ BECKY MORRIS, GIAN DiCOSTANZO, KELLY WOHLFORD and SHERIDAN GLOVER
ENSEMBLE INSTRUMENTALIST: DON KELLY, MATT SCHARFGLASS, RITT HENN and SKIP WARD
PIANO BAR SINGING ENTERTAINER – UPTOWN: ANDRE JORDAN,ANNA ANDERSON,
ELAINE BRIER, JENNIFER PACE, JON SATROM and TARA MARTINEZ
PIANO BAR SINGING ENTERTAINER – DOWNTOWN: ALANA DIAZMARIA GENTILE,
MILES WHITTAKER and SUSAN CAMPANARO
PIANO BAR INSTRUMENTALIST – UPTOWN: ALEXANDRA FREDERICK, BILL ZEFFIRO, GERRY DEIFFENBACH, JOE REGAN, NATE BUCCIERI and WILL TN HALL
PIANO BAR INSTRUMENTALIST – DOWNTOWN: BRANDON JAMES GWINN,DAN PARDO,
DARNELL WHITE and KENNEY GREEN-TILFORD
SONG: ABOUT LOVE Music and Lyrics by Bob Levy, BETTER PLACE Music and Lyrics by Tracy Stark, BIG DREAMS Music by Teresa Eggertsen Cooke, Lyrics by Andy Jackson, LITTLE DID I KNOW Music and Lyrics by Ava Nicole Frances, LOOKING BACK Music by Michael Leonard, Lyrics by Jane Scheckter and Roger Schore, THE MOON IS A KITE Music and Lyrics by Ann Hampton Callaway, and WAIT Music and Lyrics by Drew Fornarola
COMEDY/NOVELTY SONG: THE BAGEL’S IN MY SOUL Music and Lyrics by Daniel Cainer, LUV SCHMUV Music by David Alpher, Lyrics by Jennie Litt, OL’ SANTA FELL IN LOVE WITH A HOT KNISH Music and Lyrics by John A. Todras, SHE LIKES ME Music by Tom Toce, Lyrics by Bob Levy and Tom Toce, SOMEONE WHO CAN STAND YOU Music and Lyrics by John Forster and THE TEACHERS I REMEMBER Music by Matthew Martin Ward, Lyrics by Peter Napolitano
RECORDING (LaMott Friedman Recording Award): BOB LEVY All About Love: The Dane Vannatter Recordings Volume II, D.C. ANDERSON Believe, Breathe and Sing, KAREN MACK Catch & Keep, RICK BOGART Rick Bogart Sings Mr. Paganini and SHEREE SANO Tension and Release – The Cole Porter I Know and Love
MAJOR RECORDING: JANE SCHECKTER I’ll Take Romance, NATALIE DOUGLAS Back to the Garden, ROSEMARY LOAR Curaçāo Vagabundo – Vagabond Heart and TANYA MOBERLY I Love New York Songwriters
VARIOUS ARTISTS:Chip Deffaa’s Rare and Unrecorded Irving Berlin Songs
Tickets for the 39th MQAC Awards are available here.
For more information, visit www.macnyc.com
