KT Sullivan, Sharon McNight, T. Oliver Reid, Marilyn Maye, Ben Rimalower Among 2013 MAC Awards Nominees

By Michael Gioia
February 22, 2013

The Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs announced the nominees for the 2013 MAC Awards Feb. 22. The 27th Annual MAC Awards will be presented March 21 at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill.

Directed by Lennie Watts, the 7:30 PM evening will be hosted by KT Sullivan. Julie Miller produces. The musical director is Tracy Stark, who will lead the MAC Awards band, and Amy Wolk is the stage manager.

The 2013 ceremony, entitled Where Broadway Meets Cabaret, will celebrate the strong ties between the cabaret and theatre communities in New York.

Special honorees of the evening will include Penny Fuller and Tom Wopat, who will each receive Lifetime Achievement Awards from MAC and perform live at the show; and 54 Below, New York's newest nightclub, which will receive MAC's Board of Directors Award. In addition, a special Board of Directors Award will be presented in loving memory of long-time MAC Board member Ruth Kurtzman.

The nominees were selected by ballot of the entire MAC membership. Winners in certain categories will perform live, immediately after accepting their award.

The 2013 MAC Award nominees follow:

FEMALE VOCALIST

Marieann Meringolo, You Must Believe in Spring! – The Music of Michel Legrand
Feinstein's

Tanya Moberly, Tanya Lorraine Moberly Sings Barbra Joan Streisand with Steven Ray Watkins
Don't Tell Mama

Marissa Mulder, Illusions
Metropolitan Room, Triad

Stacy Sullivan, It's a Good Day – A Tribute to Miss Peggy Lee
Iridium, Don't Tell Mama, Metropolitan Room

MALE VOCALIST

Frank Dain, The Magic of Mathis
Metropolitan Room, Don't Tell Mama

Bob Diamond, This Funny World
Don't Tell Mama

Richard Holbrook, Richard Holbrook Sings Burton Lane; Christmas in New York
Metropolitan Room; Don't Tell Mama

T. Oliver Reid, Drop Me Off in Harlem
Feinstein's

MAJOR ARTIST

Raissa Katona Bennett, Another Kind of Light
Feinstein's

Baby Jane Dexter, Rules of the Road
Metropolitan Room

Terese Genecco, Terese Genecco & Her Little Big Band
Iridium

Eric Michael Gillett, I Won't Sing a Sondheim Song…or Will I?
Laurie Beechman

Lennie Watts, Bloody Bloody Lennie Watts
Metropolitan Room, Duplex

NEW YORK DEBUT – FEMALE

Fran Leonardis, It Will Never Be That Way Again
Metropolitan Room

Alison Nusbaum, Ladies! A Raucous Homage to Mel Brooks' Broads
Don't Tell Mama

Stacie Perlman, The Story Underneath
Metropolitan Room

NEW YORK DEBUT – MALE

Harry Althaus, The Strip Show
Don't Tell Mama, Duplex

Tom DiMenna, Who Loves You, Baby?
The Huron Club

Tym Moss, Girl, A Lopsided Tree Won't Ruin Christmas
Players' Theatre

Ben Rimalower, Patti Issues
Duplex

CELEBRITY ARTIST

Ann Hampton Callaway, The Streisand Songbook
54 Below, Boston Pops, Seneca Hotel (Niagara Falls)

Marilyn Maye, The Happiest Sound in Town
Feinstein's

Sharon McNight, Men of Note; Twisted Xmas
Metropolitan Room, Rrazz Room; Don't Tell Mama

Mark Nadler, I'm a Stranger Here Myself
54 Below, Adelaide Cabaret Festival

MUSICAL COMEDY PERFORMER

Stearns Matthews, That's How Young I Feel; The Importance of Being STEARNSest
Don't Tell Mama

Colleen McHugh, Calendar Girl
Duplex

Adam Shapiro, Guide to the Perfect Breakup; Adam Shapiro Twists the Classics
Duplex; North Hill Auditorium (Needham, MA)

Jim Speake, Jim Speake Sings 'til the Cows Come Home
Don't Tell Mama

DUO/GROUP

Lorinda Lisitza & Ted Stafford, The Ted & Lo Show
Metropolitan Room, Path Café, Don't Tell Mama

Sue Matsuki & Edd Clark, It's Us Again! The Music of Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gormé; Sue & Edd's Fabulous Christmas Show
Don't Tell Mama, Le Chateau (South Salem); Don't Tell Mama, Community Church of Wurtsboro

Mary Liz McNamara & Ritt Henn, Take That! Tunes by McNamara & Henn
Duplex, NY Society for Ethical Culture

MAJOR DUO/GROUP

Eric Comstock & Barbara Fasano, Three for the Road; I Hear Music: A Burton Lane Centennial Songbook; Summer in the City; The Night Has a Thousand Eyes;and others
Triad, Café Sabarsky, Kitano, 54 Below, Metropolitan Room

Shaynee Rainbolt & Donn Trenner, Two for the Road
Metropolitan Room, Union City Performing Arts Center

KT Sullivan & Karen Kohler, Vienna to Weimar
Triad

REVUE

Boys Night Out: The Music of The Rat Pack, Written by Danny Bolero, directed by Joseph Macchia
Metropolitan Room

Smile on My Face: The Songs of Richard Eisenberg, Produced and written by Richard Eisenberg, dialogue and direction by Peter Napolitano, musical direction by Barry Levitt
Laurie Beechman, Etcetera Etcetera, Urban Stages

Tonight, New York City… The Rick Jensen Songbook, Written, musical directed, and hosted by Rick Jensen, directed by Lina Koutrakos
Metropolitan Room

SPECIAL PRODUCTION / VARIETY PRODUCTION/RECURRING SERIES

Duos, Produced and hosted by Sean Harkness
Metropolitan Room

Metrostar Talent Challenge, Produced by the Metropolitan Room and Beck Lee, hosted by Tom Gamblin
Metropolitan Room

Music at the Mansion, Produced by Nicholas Adler and Corinna Sowers-Adler, hosted by Corinna Sowers-Adler
Oakeside Bloomfield Cultural Center

NY Sheet Music Society Programs, Produced and hosted by Linda Amiel Burns
Local 802 Musicians Hall

OPEN MIC

Mostly Sondheim, Hosted by Brian Nash, Emily McNamara, Ben Cameron
Duplex

Salon, Founder/Artistic Director/Host: Mark Janas; Executive Producer: Tanya Moberly
Etcetera Etcetera

Singers Forum Open Mic Night, Produced by the Singers Forum, hosted by John Koprowski
Singers Forum

HOST – VARIETY SHOW/SERIES OR OPEN MIC

Tom Gamblin, MetroStar Talent Challenge
Metropolitan Room

Mark Janas, Salon
Etcetera Etcetera

Dana Lorge, Wednesday Night at the Iguana
Iguana

BENEFIT SERIES

Cabaret Cares, Produced by Joseph Macchia; to benefit Help Is On The Way Today
Laurie Beechman

The Concerts for City Greens, Executive Producer Raissa Katona Bennet;, Associate Producer Dr. Garrett Bennett; to benefit Tudor City Greens
Tudor City Greens

Winter Rhythms 2012 Peter Napolitano, Producer; Frances Hill, Artistic Director; to benefit Urban Stages Outreach Program
Urban Stages

PIANO BAR/RESTAURANT SINGING ENTERTAINER

Tommy Dose
Don't Tell Mama

Maria Gentile
Duplex

Michael Kirk Lane
Don't Tell Mama

PIANO BAR/RESTAURANT INSTRUMENTALIST

Nate Buccieri
Don't Tell Mama, Brandy's, Duplex

William TN Hall
Don't Tell Mama, Duplex, Uncle Charlie's

Brian Nash
Duplex

Bill Zeffiro
La Mediterranée

MUSICAL DIRECTOR

Barry Levitt
Robert Cuccioli (Birdland), Charlotte Patton (Duplex), Lauren Robert (Iridium), Adam Shapiro (Duplex), Anthony Santelmo Jr. (Don't Tell Mama), Smile on My Face (Laurie Beechman, Etcetera Etcetera, Urban Stages), Tonya Pinkins (54 Below), Broadway Swings: Terese Genecco, Natalie Douglas, Scott Coulter (54 Below)

Tracy Stark
Boys Night Out (Metropolitan Room), Tanya Holt (Metropolitan Room), Barb Jungr (Metropolitan Room), 2012 MAC Awards (BB King's), Marcus Simeone (Metropolitan Room), Cabaret Cares (Laurie Beechman)

Steven Ray Watkins
Lennie Watts (Metropolitan Room, Duplex), Amy Wolk (Duplex), Jim Speake (Don't Tell Mama)

DIRECTOR

Eric Michael Gillett
Sheera Ben-David (Feinstein's), Showstoppers! benefit series (Laurie Beechman), Marieann Meringolo (Feinstein's), Raissa Katona Bennett (Feinstein's)

Lina Koutrakos
Rick Jensen's Tonight New York City (Metropolitan Room), Mardi Grant (Duplex), Devin Bing (Metropolitan Room)

Lisa Moss
2012 Duplex Gala (Duplex), From Book to Broadway (Duplex), Social Intercourse (Duplex)

Peter Napolitano
Hopelessly in Love: The Lyrics of Tom Toce (Metropolitan Room, Urban Stages), Smile on my Face: The Songs of Richard Eisenberg (Laurie Beechman, Etcetera Etcetera, Urban Stages, Adam Shapiro: Guide to the Perfect Breakup (Duplex), Fran Leonardis (Metropolitan Room)

Gretchen Reinhagen
Bob Diamond (Don't Tell Mama), Marcia Roney (Metropolitan Room, Don't Tell Mama), Donna Hayes (Laurie Beechman, Don't Tell Mama), Irenka Jakubiak (Don't Tell Mama)

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR

Jason Ellis
Jeff Macauley, Marc McBarron Kessler & J. Michael Reeds, Stacy Sullivan, Alison Nusbaum (Don't Tell Mama)

Jean-Pierre Perreaux
Marilyn Maye, Amanda McBroom, Yvonne Constant, Annie Ross (Metropolitan Room)

Ted Stafford
Lorinda Lisitza: Triumphant Baby, Loni Ackerman, Lauren Fox, Pamela Luss (Metropolitan Room)

SONG

"All I Saw Was You"
Music by Ben Wexler, lyrics by Mark Sonnenblick

"Do You Think of Me?"
Music and lyrics by Ryan Langer

"It's About Time"
Music and lyrics by Shelly Markham & Paul Rolnick

"Movin' On"
Music and lyrics by Andrew Sotomayor

"Too Close to the Sun"
Music by Steve Marzullo, lyrics by Amanda Yesnowitz

SPECIAL MUSICAL MATERIAL

"Bye-Bye, Aloha, Yo!"
Music by Jeff Lazarus, lyrics by Tom Toce

"Don't Ask Me to Blend"
Music by Peter Mills, lyrics by Amanda Yesnowitz

"84 Years Old"
Music and lyrics by Drew Fornarola

"My Kind of Guy"
Music and lyrics by Bill Zeffiro

"Subway Crush"
Music and lyrics by Patrick Dwyer

RECORDING (LaMott Friedman Award)

Terese Genecco
"Live from the Iridium"

Colleen McHugh
"Prêt-à-Porter: Cole Porter's French Connections"

T. Oliver Reed
"Do I Love You"

Jane Scheckter
"Easy to Remember"

Stacy Sullivan
"It's a Good Day – A Tribute to Miss Peggy Lee"

SHOW OF THE YEAR

Ann Hampton Callaway – The Streisand Songbook, Directed by Dan Foster
54 Below, Boston Pops, Seneca Hotel (Niagara Falls)

Mark Nadler – I'm a Stranger Here Myself
54 Below, Adelaide Cabaret Festival

Ben Rimalower – Patti Issues, Written and performed by Ben Rimalower, Directed by Aaron Mark
Duplex

Stacy Sullivan – It's a Good Day – A Tribute to Miss Peggy Lee, Jon Weber, Music Director
Iridium, Don't Tell Mama, Metropolitan Room

For more information and tickets, visit MACNYC.com.