2019 MAC AWARDS
Sony Hall, NYC, March 26, 2019
Reported by Marilyn Lester for Cabaret Scenes
Award shows are—statues, commendations and plaques aside—more often than not occasions for high-level bonding. So it was at the 33rd Annual MAC Awards event. The final presenter, Klea Blackhurst, touched on this notion when she announced she’d heard the word “community” used by at least 32 people from the rostrum. In the relatively small world of cabaret, those involved on all levels do indeed pride themselves on their sense of community. So it’s of no small consequence when members of that community come together yearly to celebrate their own with a round of awards.
MAC—Manhattan Association of Cabarets—votes on about two dozen awards each year, with results unknown until the envelopes are opened in real time. Five awards are announced ahead of time, the result of MAC committee determinations. Leading the festivities was a song from the selected Show of the Year, Midnight at The Never Get: “I Prefer Sunshine,” sung with heart by Sam Bolen, arranged by Adam Podd. Later in the program, with the formal presentation of the award, Max Friedman (director) with co-creator Bolen, accepted with gratitude, following a deeply felt introduction by author James Gavin. (Mark Sonnenblick—book/music/lyrics— was not present.)
Youth was celebrated with an introduction by Matthew Duer, 2018 MAC Wingspan cabaret student scholarship recipient, to 2019’s honoree, Enza Jonas-Giugni, a 10th-grader at the Bronx High School of Science. MAC partners with Wingspan Arts to provide a financial grant to help support tuition costs for participation in Cabaret Troupe Workshops. Jonas-Giugni has been a Wingspan Arts Summer Conservatory member since sixth grade and has participated in the Wingspan Cabaret for three years.
The unique and delightfully eccentric composer/lyricist, book writer, and performer, Joe Iconis, who received the Board of Directors Award, was introduced by another unique and completely delightful performer (and top-class booker), Sydney Myer. That two such one-of-a-kind talents could exist in the same room is quite amazing in itself. Iconis spoke of his deep love for cabaret, which goes back to his childhood, and he later played and sang the In Memoriam song, his “The Goodbye Song,” which appropriately followed the segment in which Ricky Ritzel (winner of the Recurring Series Award for Ricky Ritzel’s Broadway) read the names of those who’d passed on, as images filled the video screens of Sony Hall.
Hanson Award winner, Teresa Fischer, introduced by MAC committee member and cabaret master, Roy Sander, performed “(I Stayed) Too Long at the Fair,” and Ben Cameron, winner of the Ruth Kurtzman Benefit Series Award for Broadway Sessions, had many thanks to proffer, including to the Laurie Beechman Theatre, which is home to the series. Appropriately, the Beechman’s manager and host, Kenny Bell, introduced Cameron with pride. The award for Celebrity Artist is one voted on by the MAC members (as all competitive awards are), and winner Anita Gillette stirred up the action with arousing Broadway-style rendition of Bradford Fowler’s blues standard, “He May Be Your Man (but He Comes to See Me Sometimes).”
Lifetime Achievement Award winner Karen Mason was introduced by an eloquent David Kenny, who noted, among other delightful facts about the diva, that Mason literally changed his life, principally by introducing him to the world of cabaret and its community. Mason, who’s star has shined on television, Broadway, and Off-Broadway, as well as on recordings and in cabaret, offered two songs—a humorous and apropos customized version of Fats Waller’s “Lulu’s Back in Town” (Al Dubin/Harry Warren) as “Karen’s Back in Town” (additional lyrics by Barry Kleinbort), and a slow, intense “Look for the Silver Lining,” sung as if giving personal advice to a friend. It was a version of the 1919 Jerome Kern/B.G.DeSylva number that gave it new life.
As is the custom with most award shows, the heavy hitters receive their accolades last. (Note: Male Vocalist winner, Jeff Macauley was unable to be present). And so in succession, Jeff Harnar, who won for Director, was followed by Female Vocalist winner, Josephine Sanges, with a swinging jazz-cabaret arrangement of “That Old Black Magic”; Major Artist Female winner, Natalie Douglas, with a moving “If I Can Dream”; and Major Artist Male winner, Sydney Myer ,with an irrepressible, humorous and utterly Sydney-fied “Between Men.”
Kudos go to all who appeared on stage and the many who worked behind the scenes to make the 33rd Annual MAC Awards an agreed-upon success, including Julie Miller, producer; Lennie Watts, director; and Amy Wolk, stage manager, plus the band: Bobby Peaco, music director and pianist; Matt Scharfglass, bass (winner of the Ensemble Instrumentalist Award); and Don Kelly, drums. Jennie Litt was show announcer and Liora Michelle and Alexa Welch were trophy presenters.
Here are the 2019 MAC Award winners, voted on by the active MAC members.
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
KAREN MASON
(L-R) Presenter David Kenney, Karen, Christopher Denny (Karen’s MD)
(Photo: Genevieve Rafter Keddy)
BOARD OF DIRECTORS AWARD
JOE ICONIS
(Photo: Maryann Lopinto)
SHOW OF THE YEAR
MIDNIGHT AT THE NEVER GET
Sam Bolen (Co-conceiver), Max Friedman (Director)
Not in attendance: Mark Sonnenblick (Book, Music, Lyrics)
(Photo: Genevieve Rafter Keddy)
RUTH KURTZMAN BENEFIT SERIES AWARD
BEN CAMERON/BROADWAY SESSIONS
(Photo: Genevieve Rafter Keddy)
HANSON AWARD
TERESA FISCHER
(Photo: Genevieve Rafter Keddy)
WINGSPAN SCHOLARSHIP WINNER
ENZA JONAS-GIUGNI
Enza with presenter Matthew Duer
(Photo: Genevieve Rafter Keddy)
FEMALE VOCALIST
JOSEPHINE SANGES
(Photo: Genevieve Rafter Keddy)
MALE VOCALIST
JEFF MACAULEY
(Jeff was not in attendance)
MAJOR ARTIST – FEMALE
NATALIE DOUGLAS
(Photo: Maryann Lopinto)
MAJOR ARTIST – MALE
SIDNEY MYER
(Photo: Genevieve Rafter Keddy)
NEW YORK DEBUT – FEMALE
SIERRA REIN
(Photo: Genevieve Rafter Keddy)
NEW YORK DEBUT – MALE
TIM CAHILL
(Photo: Genevieve Rafter Keddy)
CELEBRITY ARTIST
ANITA GILLETTE
(Photo: Genevieve Rafter Keddy)
IMPERSONATION/CHARACTERIZATION/DRAG ARTIST
DORIS DEAR
(Photo: Maryann Lopinto)
MAJOR IMPERSONATION/CHARACTERIZATION/DRAG ARTIST
BenDeLaCreme
(Ben was not in attendance)
MUSICAL COMEDY PERFORMER
IRA LEE COLLINGS
(Photo: Genevieve Rafter Keddy)
DUO/GROUP
EVELYN SULLIVAN & JASON ELLIS
(Photo: Genevieve Rafter Keddy)
MAJOR DUO/GROUP
MARCUS SIMEONE, LINA KOUTRAKOS, SEAN HARKNESS
(Sean was not in attendance)
(Photo: Genevieve Rafter Keddy)
RECURRING SERIES
RICKY RITZEL’S BROADWAY
SPECIAL PRODUCTION
MAMA’S NEXT BIG ACT!
Lennie Watts, creator & host
(Photo: Genevieve Rafter Keddy)
EMCEE
BOBBIE HOROWITZ
(Photo: Genevieve Rafter Keddy)
DIRECTOR
JEFF HARNAR
(Photo: Maryann Lopinto)
MUSICAL DIRECTOR
TRACY STARK
(Photo: Genevieve Rafter Keddy)
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
JEAN-PIERRE PERREAUX
(Photo: Genevieve Rafter Keddy)
ENSEMBLE INSTRUMENTALIST
MATT SCHARFGLASS, bass
(Photo: Maryann Lopinto)
PIANO BAR/RESTAURANT INSTRUMENTALIST
RICK JENSEN
(Rick was not in attendance)
PIANO BAR/RESTAURANT SINGING ENTERTAINER – MALE
TOMMY J. DOSE
(Photo: Genevieve Rafter Keddy)
PIANO BAR/RESTAURANT SINGING ENTERTAINER – FEMALE
TARA MARTINEZ
(Photo: Genevieve Rafter Keddy)
RECORDING (LaMott Friedman Award)
SHEREE SANO, Live Acts
(Photo: Genevieve Rafter Keddy)
MAJOR RECORDING
MARISSA MULDER, Two Tickets Left
(Photo: Genevieve Rafter Keddy)
SONG
“BEST AS I CAN”
Music by Alex Rybeck, lyrics by Bob Levy
(Alex was not in attendance)
(Photo: Genevieve Rafter Keddy)
COMEDY/NOVELTY SONG
“WTF, DISNEY”
Music and lyrics by Brett Kristofferson
(Photo: Maryann Lopinto)
TROPHY PRESENTERS
LIORI MICHELLE (L) & ALEXA WELCH with LENNIE WATTS
(Photo: Maryann Lopinto)
JULIE MILLER (Producer) & LENNIE WATTS (Director)
(Photo: Genevieve Rafter Keddy)
MAC BOARD OF DIRECTORS
(L-R) BOB DIAMOND, STEARNS MATTHEWS, KIM GROGG
JENNIE LITT, LENNIE WATTS (President), AMY WOLK, FRANK DAIN
JULIE MILLER (Vice President), WENDY RUSSELL (Treasurer)
ROY SANDER (Advisory Board Member)
(Photo: Helane Blumfield)
