Buckley will be awarded the Bob Harrington Lifetime Achievement Award, which is named for Bob Harrington, the late cabaret critic who penned a cabaret column for Back Stage.
Former Sunset Boulevard star Buckley will sing during the evening, which will also boast performances by Keith David, Klea Blackhurst, Mary Foster Conklin and Barbara Fasano, among others. Jim David will emcee the annual event, which begins at 6:30 PM.
Winners of the annual awards were picked by Back Stage editors David Finkle and John Hoglund. The awards are a one-time honor; that is, recipients cannot be named for the same award more than once.
The complete list of 2007 Bistro Award Winners follows.
Vocalist: Keith David at the Metropolitan Room; Douglas Ladnier at Danny's Skylight Room Debut: Valarie Pettiford at the Metropolitan Room
Major Engagement: Jeff Harnar at Feinstein's at the Regency; Rebecca Luker at Feinstein's at the Regency
Major Jazz Vocalist: Kurt Elling at Birdland
Jazz Vocalist: Andrew Suvalsky at the Metropolitan Room
Musical Duo: Klea Blackhurst and Billy Stritch in Dreaming of a Song: The Music of Hoagy Carmichael at the Metropolitan Room; Faith Prince and Tom Wopat in Let's Fall in Love at Feinstein's at the Regency
Musical Group Performance: Tom Andersen, Scott Coulter, and Tim Di Pasqua in Southern Comfort: A Down-Home Country Music Jamboree at The Beechman
Musical Comedy Performance: Jay Rogers in Eat, Drink, and Be Mary at the Metropolitan Room; Kristine Zbornik at the Metropolitan Room
Unique Artist: Jose Luis Rodriguez at Danny's Skylight Room
Return to Cabaret: Charles Cochran at Danny's Skylight Room
Tribute Show: Terese Genecco in Drunk With Love: A Tribute to Frances Faye at the Metropolitan Room
Piano Bar Entertainer: Ray Fellman for The After Party at the Laurie Beechman Theater at the West Bank Café; David Shenton at Helen's Piano Lounge; Rick Unterberg at the Townhouse.
Comedian: Bob Smith at Gotham Comedy Club
Song of the Year: "One Thing" by Tim Di Pasqua
Special Material: "Almost (99 I Love You's)" by Joe Iconis and Robert Maddock
Recording: Mary Foster Conklin for "Blues for Breakfast"; Barbara Fasano for "Written in the Stars"
Musical Director: Shelly Markham for his performances with Andrea Marcovicci in By Request at the Oak Room at the Algonquin
Instrumentalist: Sean Smith
Instrumental Group: The Ross Patterson Little Big Band at Danny's Skylight Room
Technical Director: Tim Flannery at the Oak Room at the Algonquin
Special Award: Chris Mazzilli, Steve Mazzilli and Lennie Watts for outstanding achievement at the Metropolitan Room; Donald Schaffer for outstanding cabaret achievement at Danny's Skylight Room; Erv Raible with Wendy Lane Bailey for the Cabaret Conference at Yale University; and Mike Greensill for consistent excellence as musical conductor and arranger
Ira Eaker Special Achievement Award: (Named for Sherri Eaker's late father, the co-founder of Back Stage and a nightclub enthusiast) Sheera Ben-David
The Gotham Comedy Club is located in Manhattan at 208 West 23rd Street, between Seventh and Eighth Avenues. Tickets, priced $35 (plus a two-drink minimum), are available by calling (646) 654-5725 or by e-mailing [email protected]. (There are also premium tickets, priced at $60, which include a champagne reception from 5-6 PM with the Bistro winners.)