THE MAC AWARDS…AFTER-THOUGHTS…. AFTER A WEEK, AFTER ALL THE HUGGING AFTER THE APPLAUSE, THERE’S AFTERGLOW AFTER ALL
The 2009 MAC Awards show, held last Monday (May 18) may be over, but the buzz still buzzes and tongues are still wagging, as I’ve learned and been surprised by, as I’ve been making the rounds from venue to venue to venue. Since my columns here at Cabaret Exchange are focused on music performers, not the comedians also honored by MAC Awards,
I’ll keep my comments about music, though I must say there were plenty of laughs to be had that night. And quite a few of those laughs came from those primarily known for their singing. I was amused by the enthused BEN CHERRY, winning for Male Debut, who blurted out his genuine gratitude, when he thanked performers who voted for him and promised “to go all YOUR shows” and, he added, “I promise to pay full price!” That will have to wait a while, since he told me he had to leave right away for a performing commitment out of town as he shakes off cabaret for Shakespeare, as the actor immerses himself in roles in Utah. (Trivia question: what MAC winner this year is from Utah?)
Bzzzzzzzzzz! Time’s up. The answer is the always sparkling and amusing KLEA BLACKHURST, also last year’s show’s hostess with the mostes’ on the ball---an inside reference to her being cast in Call Me Madam--- who is a co-winner this year, in the Major Artist category. Her partner, BILLY STRITCH (they won for their Hoagy Carmichael salute), got some laughs solo by reading the acceptance speech JIM CARUSO wrote as a pragmatic optimist in case his weekly Birdland CAST PARTY won (it did) in the new Open Mic category (“Like we need another category!” quipped CHRISTINE PEDI. Well, open mics have flourished lately, and the new category reflects that, along with the idea that they shouldn’t compete with shows that are pre-planned and rehearsed. (“Rehearsal? What’s that?” a jazz friend of mine sometimes says, but that’s another story.) Christine, who IS known for being funny, brought welcome energy to the usual rattling off of nominee names by doing them in some of her spot-on impersonated celebrity voices. (Trivia question # 2: Christine is going even further out of town for work following the Awards show. How far will she go?)
The answer is London, to the Jermyn Street Theatre, June 2-21. Another immediate exodus – to the state of Georgia and then Florida, where he works regularly at The Keys --- came from MAC President RICKY RITZEL. He skipped town after he was seen skipping on stage in a kilt. He knows how to make an entrance---AND an exit. Taking the drama of the moment and the captive audience, he used the opportunity for a surprise announcement. “This is the last time I will be addressing you on stage as your President,” informing the crowd of many MAC members that he had decided NOT to seek re-election. Allowing a moment or two for gasps or smelling salts to be sought, he assured us that he was not deserting MAC but would be willing to remain as a Board member if it pleases the masses. And now, as they say, back to the show? For another thing—and zing--- he made sure that “The Joint Is Jumpin’” by reprising that very song he did with SPIDER SALOFF at the MAC Awards twenty --- yes, twenty --- years ago. A quirky bit, the expected lively number begins as a dirge by Ricky, causing Spider’s eyes to glaze over and then she falls asleep. Then, after the appreciative response, they do make the joint jump by picking up the tempo one hundred fold. Spider IS still in town, playing the Metropolitan Room this week (May 27 and 28) before she returns to her home base of Chicago.
Also rushing off to The Metropolitan Room is this year’s winner for Male Vocalist, MARCUS SIMEONE. He had a date there shortly after the Awards, with barely had time to catch his breath (and we know he’s gotta lotta lung power, evidenced at the MAC show and over the years; it’s his third MAC win) and he returns June 28 and July 11. Asked for a comment on the Awards, he replied, “Well, I guess I would say to be able to do what you love is a gift and to be recognized is an even greater gift.” Female Vocalist winner TERESE GENECCO returns for her monthly wowing of crowds and adrenaline rush at The Iridium on Tuesday, with two shows: 8 pm and 10pm! "I am truly amazed and deeply appreciative that I was chosen as the Outstanding Female Vocalist this year! I never imagined I would be embraced in that category. Winning the MAC Award this year is validation for me on a grand scale. It adds fuel to my fire to continue on my own authentic and unique path as an artist and as an entertainer."
Another Iridium monthly performer, LAURIE KRAUZ, took home the Jazz prize for the long-running, long-aborning Tapestry Rewoven show that shows no signs of unraveling, just traveling (she and co-creator, music director DARYL KOJAK have been doing the show in other cities lately). This show also won a Bistro award in the Tribute category as it is a tribute to the seminal Carole King album (they were vinyl then, or dare I say 8-track tape and cassette). One for the record books (another kind of record) is triple-crown winner, the revue NASHVILLE—which previously won Bistro and Nightlife Awards--- with DARYL GLENN onstage yet again to accept an award for this feel-good, real good, smash Nashville celebration of the music from the Robert Altman movie. Daryl’s own special guest that night? The lady he was squiring was director Altman’s widow, Catherine Altman, who’s long been in his corner, that corner now crowded with awards and good reviews. The show is returning to The Metropolitan Room for monthly visits, the next being June 7.
MARILYN MAYE won in the Celebrity category and also provided a major late-in-the-night pick-me-up with her medley of songs about rainbows (including the line, “why are there so many songs about rainbows?” from “The Rainbow Connection” originally sung an amphibian known as Kermit who can probably NOT hop with as much sprightliness as Miss Maye). She was, as always, a smash, her voice having about as many colors as there are in the rainbow and tireless. (She was seen just after the Awards show at the aforementioned MAC-winning Cast Party, singing again for the crowds there. Consider it all just a warm-up to her brand new show, also coming into The Metropolitan Room --- a Johnny Mercer program. Look for Maye in June, with fireworks worthy of July 4th)
Prominent in the proceedings was a mountain of Motown music which served a few purposes: it was a celebration of the 50th anniversary of Motown and made the point of how it can lay a claim to being “the second chapter of the American Songbook.” But, perhaps most of all, it demonstrated the versatility of the music AND of the Outstanding Vocalist nominees, each of whom performed a Motown classic in a way that solidified or expanded his or her known style. Some were re-invented with great creativity—a coup for the performers, creative music director for the show, STEVEN RAY WATKINS, and the evening’s director, LENNIE WATTS (who won a MAC for directing, one of his 2008 projects being last year’s MAC Awards show!). One of those nominees, RAISSA KATONA BENNETT, was still beaming about it the next night at The Iridium where we both saw Karen Oberlin’s dreamy and just-right jazzy Doris Day salute (this is just one of that venue’s shows that, like their recommended steak dinner, is very juicy and satisfying). Raissa, not a lifelong Motownite, but more of a musical theatre-experienced performer, commented, “I felt completely safe in Lennie and Steven’s hands in these unchartered waters.” In having each singer’s custom-made arrangement developed, “you see yourself through someone else’s eyes. It was revelatory. It makes you feel special to have something created just for you.” Raissa sings in and puts together the monthly multi-performer FREE concerts at Tudor City Greens, the gardens opposite the United Nations. The next is Wednesday, June 10, with sets at noon and 1 pm. Guests include some MAC winners: the aforementioned Terese Genecco, Laurie Krauz with Daryl Kojak, and SHAYNEE RAINBOLT who received this year’s MAC Award for Outstanding Jazz CD for her recording of the songs of Russ Garcia (last year, they’d won as collaborators for writing the MAC Best Song for one of this excellent CD’s songs, “I Remember,” as you’ll remember. In fact, I saw Laurie, Shaynee, and Terese at Karen’s show, as well as SHAWN RYAN who won in the Musical Comedy category and MILES PHILLIPS, who shared a MAC honor with Karen for their duo show. Their music director, TRACY STARK, won for such duties as well as her piano bar work. The clubs have been just crawling with MAC winners and nominees as appreciative audiences at each other’s shows.
Winning for her CD was cabaret favorite KAREN MASON, who will be guest hostess at the MAC-nominated Algonquin Salon open mic on Sunday in the lobby of The Algonquin Hotel, 7 pm to 10 pm. The weekly event is skipping Tony Awards night but having a Tony/Broadway show tunes theme THIS Sunday with Broadway’s Karen, who recently co-starred in Hairspray on the Great White Spray---I mean Way. The Salon’s two daddies, producer PETER NAPOLITANO and music director MARK JANAS were MAC Winners for Outstanding Song this year for their superb and moving “Come Home,” which I love each time I hear it. And I heard it performed twice since the Awards: by Annie Hughes in her show on Thursday and by Julie Reyburn at the Salon on Sunday. Asked for a comment, Peter told me, “Winning the MAC Award with Mark Janas for Best Song is a great honor, especially since the other nominees were so strong, and it's always nice to be recognized by your peers. But I'm particularly pleased because ‘Come Home’ has a unique topic - parents letting go of their children. Hopefully, this award will encourage songwriters, including myself, to continue to explore cabaret as a showcase for new and diverse material."
The MAC Awards show, co-hosted by ANDREA MARCOVICCI and NANCY WITTER (and their costume changes) was long ---- long on talent and on creativity. Rather than drown out long-winded speeches with music, game ERIC PICKERING was enlisted to “dance off” anyone whose speech went on too long, but that proved to be an amusing threat not carried out and no one had to be carried out. It might have only been necessary a couple of times. The time-killer is the wait for a nominee to get to the stage in the large B.B. King venue and maybe that’s unavoidable as the place is large and those nearest the stage are, frankly, those willing to pay the highest price and nominees are scattered and sometimes taken by surprise or wearing shoes that look glamorous but not best for sprinting.
Well, I haven’t even mentioned half the performances and highlights; certainly one was Hanson Award winner Will Trice---that award is kept secret ’til the end, which is why it wasn’t in your program or other lists of announced winners and performers, thus not part of adapted lists that instantly turn nominees into winners with the magic of font changing…but look for a feature on the talented Will elsewhere on this site any minute. Although Lifetime Achievement winner POLLY BERGEN, introduced with a speech to warm and inform by REX REED, was mesmerizing singing “The Party’s Over,” the party wasn’t over for many for a long time. Post-show parties and chatter and congratulating continued and continued at the Laurie Beechman Theatre and Don’t Tell Mama, too, where happy, wide-awake looking people spilled out onto the sidewalk. Eric Pickering, winner for his piano bar work there, had not “danced them off.” The place was just packed and those claiming they were leaving didn’t seem to wanna leave.
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A full list of nominees and winners is available elsewhere on this site.
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in the Major Artist category. Her partner, BILLY STRITCH (they won for their Hoagy Carmichael salute), got some laughs solo by reading the acceptance speech JIM CARUSO wrote as a pragmatic optimist in case his weekly Birdland CAST PARTY won (it did) in the new Open Mic category (“Like we need another category!” quipped CHRISTINE PEDI. Well, open mics have flourished lately, and the new category reflects that, along with the idea that they shouldn’t compete with shows that are pre-planned and rehearsed. (“Rehearsal? What’s that?” a jazz friend of mine sometimes says, but that’s another story.) Christine, who IS known for being funny, brought welcome energy to the usual rattling off of nominee names by doing them in some of her spot-on impersonated 
celebrity voices. (Trivia question # 2: Christine is going even further out of town for work following the Awards show. How far will she go?)
shortly after the Awards, with barely had time to catch his breath (and we know he’s gotta lotta lung power, evidenced at the MAC show and over the years; it’s his third MAC win) and he returns June 28 and July 11. 
Asked for a comment on the Awards, he replied, “Well, I guess I would say to be able to do what you love is a gift and to be recognized is an even greater gift.” Female Vocalist winner TERESE GENECCO returns for her monthly wowing of crowds and adrenaline rush at The Iridium on Tuesday, with two shows: 8 pm and 10pm! "I am truly amazed and deeply appreciative that I was chosen as the Outstanding Female Vocalist this year! I never imagined I would be embraced in that category. Winning the MAC Award this year is validation for me on a grand scale. It adds fuel to my fire to continue on my own authentic and unique path as an artist and as an entertainer."
Awards--- with DARYL GLENN onstage yet again to accept an award for this feel-good, real good, smash Nashville celebration of the music from the Robert Altman movie. Daryl’s own special guest that night? The lady he was squiring was director Altman’s widow, Catherine Altman, who’s long been in his corner, that corner now crowded with awards and good reviews. The show is returning to The Metropolitan Room for monthly visits, the next being June 7.
known as Kermit who can probably NOT hop with as much sprightliness as Miss Maye). She was, as always, a smash, her voice having about as many colors as there are in the rainbow and tireless. (She was seen just after the Awards show at the aforementioned MAC-winning Cast Party, singing again for the crowds there. Consider it all just a warm-up to her brand new show, also coming into The Metropolitan Room --- a Johnny Mercer program. Look for Maye in June, with fireworks worthy of July 4th)
Outstanding Vocalist nominees, each of whom performed a Motown classic in a way that solidified or expanded his or her known style. Some were re-invented with great creativity—a coup for the performers, creative music director for the show, STEVEN RAY WATKINS, and the evening’s director, LENNIE WATTS (who won a MAC for directing, one of his 2008 projects being last year’s MAC Awards show!). One of those nominees, RAISSA KATONA BENNETT, was still beaming about it the next night at The Iridium where we both saw Karen Oberlin’s dreamy and just-right jazzy Doris Day salute (this is just one of that venue’s shows that, like their recommended steak dinner, is very juicy and satisfying). Raissa, not a lifelong Motownite, but more of a 
musical theatre-experienced performer, commented, “I felt completely safe in Lennie and Steven’s hands in these unchartered waters.” In having each singer’s custom-made arrangement developed, “you see yourself through someone else’s eyes. It was revelatory. It makes you feel special to have something created just for you.” Raissa sings in and puts together the monthly multi-performer FREE concerts at Tudor City Greens, the gardens opposite the United Nations. The next is Wednesday, June 10, with sets at noon and 1 pm. Guests include some MAC winners: the aforementioned Terese Genecco, Laurie Krauz with Daryl Kojak, and SHAYNEE RAINBOLT who received this year’s MAC Award for Outstanding Jazz CD for her recording of the songs of Russ Garcia (last year, they’d won as collaborators for writing the MAC Best Song for one of this excellent CD’s songs, “I Remember,” as you’ll remember. In fact, I saw Laurie, Shaynee, and Terese at Karen’s show, as well as SHAWN RYAN who won in the Musical Comedy category and MILES PHILLIPS, who shared a MAC honor with Karen for their duo show. Their music director, TRACY STARK, won for such duties as well as her piano bar work. The clubs have been just crawling with MAC winners and nominees as appreciative audiences at each other’s shows.
the Great White Spray---I mean Way. The Salon’s two daddies, producer PETER NAPOLITANO and music director MARK JANAS were MAC Winners for Outstanding Song this year for their superb and moving “Come Home,” which I love each time I hear it. And I heard it performed twice since the Awards: by Annie Hughes in her show on Thursday and by Julie Reyburn at the Salon on Sunday. Asked for a comment, Peter told me, “Winning the MAC Award with Mark Janas for Best Song is a great honor, especially since the other nominees were so strong, and it's always nice to be recognized by your peers. But I'm particularly pleased because ‘Come Home’ has a unique topic - parents letting go of their children. Hopefully, this award will encourage songwriters, including myself, to continue to explore cabaret as a showcase for new and diverse material."
long on talent and on creativity. Rather than drown out long-winded speeches with music, game ERIC PICKERING was enlisted to “dance off” anyone whose speech went on too long, but that proved to be an amusing threat not carried out and no one had to be carried out. It might have only been necessary a couple of times. The time-killer is the wait for a nominee to get to the stage in the large B.B. King venue and maybe that’s unavoidable as the place is large and those nearest the stage are, frankly, those willing to pay the highest price and nominees are scattered and sometimes taken by surprise or wearing shoes that look glamorous but not best for sprinting.
Hanson Award winner Will Trice---that award is kept secret ’til the end, which is why it wasn’t in your program or other lists of announced winners and performers, thus not part of adapted lists that instantly turn nominees into winners with the magic of font changing…but look for a feature on the talented Will elsewhere on this site any minute. Although Lifetime Achievement winner POLLY BERGEN, introduced with a speech to warm and inform by REX REED, was mesmerizing singing “The Party’s Over,” the party wasn’t over for many for a long time. Post-show parties and chatter and congratulating continued and continued at the Laurie Beechman Theatre and Don’t Tell Mama, too, where happy, wide-awake looking people spilled out onto the sidewalk. Eric Pickering, winner for his piano bar work there, had not “danced them off.” The place was just packed and those claiming they were leaving didn’t seem to wanna leave.
