2022 MAC Award Nominees Announced; View the Full List

The Manhattan Association of Cabarets has announced the 2022 MAC Award nominees. The nominees were determined by votes cast by the active MAC membership, except for the song and recording categories, which were determined by special committees.

As previously announced, Chita Rivera and Marta Sanders each receive a Lifetime Achievement Award. The Mabel Mercer FOUNDATION and Lennie Watts each receive a MAC Board of Directors Award. Aaron Lee Battle is the Hanson Award winner, and CABARET ON THE COUCH receives the Ruth Kurtzman Benefit Series Award. Jim Caruso's CAST PARTY/PAJAMA CAST PARTY receives the Show of the Year Award

The winners will be revealed as the envelopes are opened live at the 36th Annual MAC Awards on Tuesday, April 12 at 7:00 pm at Peter Norton Symphony Space in New York City.

The MAC Awards ceremony is produced by Michael Kirk Lane and directed by Lennie Watts, with musical direction by YAZUHIKO FUKUOKA. The event is open to the public. Tickets are available at www.symphonyspace.org/events/vp-36th-mac-awards. For additional information, visit www.MACnyc.com.

The 2022 MAC Award Nominees are:

FEMALE VOCALIST

SUSAN MACK
Music in the Air
Birdland Theater

Amy Beth Williams
Beautiful Mystery: The Songs of Leonard Cohen; A Thousand Beautiful Things
Don't Tell Mama

DEBORAH ZECHER
Jewish Caroling: The Music of Carole King, Carole Bayer Sager, and Carolyn Leigh
Don't Tell Mama

MALE VOCALIST

Sean Patrick Murtagh
Summer Sunday Soiree, Holiday Test Drive IX
West Bank Cafe, The Green at Lincoln Center, Martuni's Piano Bar (SF)

Kim David Smith
Mostly Marlene, A Wery Weimar Christmas
Club Cumming (NYC), Club Cumming on the Coast (Kennebunkport, ME), Adelaide Cabaret Festival

DORIAN WOODRUFF
Studio Musician: The Music of Manilow
Pangea

MAJOR ARTIST - FEMALE

Meg Flather
Rodgers and Hammerstein 2021
Don't Tell Mama

Tanya Moberly
I Love New York Songwriters Part II
Don't Tell Mama

Gabrielle Stravelli
Various different shows
Birdland, West Bank Cafe

MAJOR ARTIST - MALE

Peter Cincotti
Birdland

Jason Kravits
Off the Top
Birdland

CRAIG POMRANZ
Welcome Back; We're Back Again with a Holiday Show
Pangea

David Sabella
25Chicago25; Pandemic Relief
Feinstein's/54 Below; Pangea

NEW YORK DEBUT

RODERICK FERGUSON
Man Overboard!!!
Don't Tell Mama

Carolyn German
Unsolicited Advice
Don't Tell Mama, The Duplex

Bruce Sabath
Searching for Tevye
Don't Tell Mama

CELEBRITY ARTIST

Natalie Douglas
Best of Tributes: The Women (Nina, Dolly, Roberta); Best of Tributes: The Men (Nat, Sammy, Elvis); Tributes: James Taylor; To Nina: Tribute to Nina Simone; Four Women, Four Decades
Birdland Theater, Birdland Jazz Club, Feinstein's at the Nikko (S.F.), Feinstein's at Hotel Carmichael (Indiana), Gulfshore Playhouse (Naples, FL)

ANDRÉ De SHIELDS
Black by Popular Demand
Feinstein's/54 Below

Norm Lewis
(There's No Place Like) Home for the Holidays
Feinstein's/54 Below

Billy Stritch
Billy's Place
Birdland

Lillias White
The Green Room 42

IMPERSONATION/CHARACTERIZATION/DRAG ARTIST

Flotilla DeBarge
Corona and FLO; Shots & Shrieks with Nurse Fatass; Do They Flo It's Christmas?
Pangea

Jinkx Monsoon AND BenDeLaCreme
The Return of the Jinkx and DeLa Holiday Show
Town Hall, Lincoln Theatre (Washington, D.C.)

CISSY WALKEN
Hammered Drag Brunch; The Invasion; The Simsinz; Completely
The Rusty Nail, Stonewall Inn, Caveat, Rockbar NYC

MUSICAL COMEDY PERFORMER

Leanne Borghesi
Borghesi's Back
Don't Tell Mama

Andrea Bell WOLFF
Adventures in Vegas
Don't Tell Mama

DUO/GROUP

Elena Bennett AND Fred Barton
Bennett and Barton: Back in the Swing of Things!
West Bank Cafe

Michael Garin AND MARDIE MILLIT
The Michael and Mardie Show
West Bank Cafe

Darnell White AND David LaMarr
Fully Vaccinated
Don't Tell Mama

MAJOR DUO/GROUP

Jim Caruso AND Billy Stritch
Bemelmans Bar at the Carlyle Hotel

CLEARLY NOW (Sean Harkness, Lina Koutrakos, Marcus Simeone)
Clearly Now, Season 3
Don't Tell Mama, Pangea

Eric Comstock AND Barbara Fasano
Birdland

PIANO BAR INSTRUMENTALIST

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

GERRY DIEFFENBACH
Don't Tell Mama; The Duplex; Stonewall Inn

William TN Hall
Don't Tell Mama; Brandy's

Michael McAssey
Pangea

Darnell White
Brandy's; Stonewall Inn

PIANO BAR/RESTAURANT SINGING ENTERTAINER - FEMALE

Elaine Brier
Don't Tell Mama

MARIA GENTILE
Brandy's; Stonewall Inn; The Duplex

Tara Martinez
Don't Tell Mama

Alison Nusbaum
Don't Tell Mama; Brandy's

PIANO BAR/RESTAURANT SINGING ENTERTAINER - MALE

Jonathan Hoover
Don't Tell Mama

Brian Kalinowski
Don't Tell Mama

Paul Pilcz
Don't Tell Mama

JON SATROM
Don't Tell Mama, Brandy's

RESTAURANT/HOTEL LOUNGE/HAPPY HOUR ENTERTAINER

YAZ FUKUOKA
Don't Tell Mama

Eric Yves Garcia
West Bank Cafe

Ricky Ritzel
Don't Tell Mama

Sheree Sano
Chez Josephine

ENSEMBLE INSTRUMENTALIST

Steve Doyle, Bass
Cast Party (Birdland); A Swinging Birdland Christmas (Birdland); Karen Oberlin and Bewitched: The Life and Lyrics of Lorenz Hart (Birdland)

Matt Scharfglass, Bass
Tanya Moberly/I Love New York Songwriters Part II (Don't Tell Mama), Marnie Klar/A Woman's Prerogative (Don't Tell Mama), Debbie Zecher/Jewish Caroling (Don't Tell Mama), Scott Coulter & Friends/From Dolly Parton to David Bowie (Feinstein's/54 Below)

Skip Ward, Bass
Sue Matsuki & Gregory Toroian: Sunday Open Mic & Jazz Brunch (Pangea), Brenda Braxton/After Hours! (Feinstein's/54 Below); Maria Corsaro/You Taught My Heart to Sing (Pangea); Kati Neiheisel/Yesterday... Once More (Pangea); Sidney Myer (Pangea)

RECURRING SERIES

THE LINEUP WITH Susie Mosher
Produced by Susie Mosher and Hope Royaltey; music direction by Brad Simmons
Birdland Theater

Ricky Ritzel'S BROADWAY
Created and produced by Ricky Ritzel; staged and choreographed by Jay Rogers and Aaron Morishita
Don't Tell Mama

SALON
Founder, Artistic Director, Host: Mark Janas; Executive Director: Tanya Moberly
Don't Tell Mama

REVUE OR SPECIAL PRODUCTION

Rita Hayworth - THE HEAT IS ON!
Starring Quinn Lemley, written and directed by Carter Inskeep, produced by Paul Horton, musical director Tom Wilson, costume designer Wendall Going
Don't Tell Mama

A SWINGING BIRDLAND CHRISTMAS
Created by and starring Billy Stritch, Klea Blackhurst, Jim Caruso
Birdland

RIAN KEATING: TIME STAMPS - LIFE FRAGMENTS IN STORY AND SONG
Written and performed by Rian Keating; directed by Tanya Moberly; musical direction by Woody Regan
Don't Tell Mama

VIRTUAL PRESENTATION

CABARET CONVERSATIONS
Conceived, curated, and hosted by Michael Kirk Lane; produced by 92Y School of Music
92Y web site

MARDIE MILLIT: LIVE FROM LOCKDOWN!
Mardie Millit: producer, writer, director, videographer, and star; Michael Garin: pianist, arranger, occasional singer
Facebook

OPEN MAC LIVE!
Hosted by and principal performer: Michael McAssey, produced by Peter Nictakis
Facebook, YouTube

WEEKLY VIRTUAL SPOTLIGHT ON YOU OPEN MIC
Produced and emceed by Natasha Castillo
Facebook, YouTube

EMCEE

Jim Caruso
Jim Caruso's Cast Party
Birdland

Susie Mosher
The Lineup with Susie Mosher
Birdland Theater

DIRECTOR

Barry Kleinbort
Claudine Cassan-Jellison/Hey Frenchy: Stories and Songs from the Pantry (Don't Tell Mama); Anita Gillette and Penny Fuller/Sin Twisters (Feinstein's/54 Below); Karen Mason/Christmas! Christmas! Christmas! (Laurie Beechman); Haley Swindal/Back in Business (Feinstein's/54 Below)

Lina Koutrakos
Dorian Woodruff/Studio Musician: The Music of Manilow (Pangea); Kati Neiheisel/Yesterday...Once More (Pangea); Susan Mack/Music in the Air (Birdland)

Tanya Moberly
Amy Beth Williams/Beautiful Mystery - The Songs of Leonard Cohen (Don't Tell Mama); Rian Keating/Time Stamps - Life Fragments in Story and Song (Don't Tell Mama); Bruce Sabath/Searching for Tevye (Don't Tell Mama); Marnie Klar/A Woman's Prerogative (Don't Tell Mama); Frank McDonough/Legends of Las Vegas (Don't Tell Mama)

MUSICAL DIRECTOR

Daryl Kojak
Celia Berk/Porch Performances (Music at the Mansion); Collection of Solos and Duets from the Great American Songbook/ Beloved Songs from Stage and Screen (Old Dutch Church, Kingston, NY); Tulis McCall/Tulis Talks and Sings (Don't Tell Mama); ASA/Cabaret Scenes Magazine's 25th Anniversary (The Green Room 42)

Tracy Stark
Sidney Myer/Sidney Myer at Pangea (Pangea); Meg Flather/Rodgers and Hammerstein 2021 (Don't Tell Mama); Kim David Smith/Mostly Marlene (Club Cumming); Brenda Braxton/After Hours (Feinstein's/54 Below); Alice Ripley/Alice Ripley in Concert (The Green Room 42)

Billy Stritch
Cast Party (Birdland), Marilyn Maye (Birdland); Linda Eder/Feinstein's/54 Below; LuAnn DeLessups (Feinstein's/54 Below)

Gregory Toroian
Sue Matsuki/This Broad's Way (Pangea), Maria Corsaro/You Taught My Heart to Sing (Pangea); Kati Neiheisel/Yesterday... Once More (Pangea), Dorian Woodruff/Studio Musician-The Music of Manilow (Pangea); Jackie Draper/Spreadin' Rhythm Around (Laurie Beechman Theatre)

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR

ADAM DeCARLO
Meg Flather/Rodgers and Hammerstein 2021; Angela Bacari/One Night Only; Claudine Cassan-Jellison/ Hey Frenchy: Stories and Songs from the Pantry; Deborah Zecher/Jewish Caroling; Ricky Ritzel's Broadway (all at Don't Tell Mama)

KJ HARDY (LIGHTS) AND AMANDA RAYMOND (SOUND)
Marilyn Maye's 93rd Birthday Celebration; André De Shields/Black by Popular Demand; Jason Danieley/Reflections; Kelli O'Hara/Diamond Series; Paulo Szot/An Enchanted Evening (all at Feinstein's/54 Below)

Rocky Noel
Leanne Borghesi/Borghesi's Back (Don't Tell Mama); Our Sinatra (Birdland Theater); Quinn Lemley/The Heat Is On (Don't Tell Mama); Marnie Klar/A Woman's Prerogative (Don't Tell Mama); Claudine Cassan-Jellison/ Hey Frenchy: Stories and Songs from the Pantry (Don't Tell Mama)

Alison Nusbaum
Rian Keating/Time Stamps; Bruce Sabath/Searching for Tevye; David LaMarr and Darnell White/Fully Vaccinated; Timothy Quinlan/All My Stupid Jobs; Andrea Bell Wolff/Showgirl (all at Don't Tell Mama)

KELLY WOHLFORD
Tanya Moberly/I Love NY Songwriters Part II; Amy Beth Williams/A Thousand Beautiful Things; American Popular Song Society; Cathy Taylor/Life Hack Unabridged; Jill Senter/La Soirée (all at Don't Tell Mama)

SONG

INSIDE
Music and Lyrics by Meg Flather

JUST SAY GOODBYE
Music by John Forster, Lyrics by John Forster and Harriet Goldberg

LET THE MUSIC PLAY
Music and Lyrics by Paul Rolnick and David Friedman

WARP AND WEAVE
Music and Lyrics by John Forster

WHILE I'M STILL HERE
Music and Lyrics by Bob Levy

COMEDY/NOVELTY SONG

BOO HOO
Music by John Forster, Lyrics by John Forster, Hillary Rolls, Tom Toce

HELIUM
Music and Lyrics by John Forster

I SURVIVED YOU
Music and Lyrics by Bob Levy

THOSE YEAR-END HOT KISSES
Music and Lyrics by John A. Todras

YOU CAN KEEP THE WINGS
Music and Lyrics by Carolyn German

RECORDING (LaMott Friedman Award)

TINA BURNER
Maybe This Time

Chip Deffaa / VARIOUS ARTISTS
Chip Deffaa's Irving Berlin: Love Songs and Such

Dawn Derow
My Ship, Songs from 1941

Bob Levy
While I'm Still Here

Marya Zimmet
On the Road to Love

MAJOR RECORDING

Phil Geoffrey Bond / VARIOUS ARTISTS
Sondheim Unplugged: The NYC Sessions Vol 1

CLEARLY NOW (Sean Harkness, Lina Koutrakos, Marcus Simeone)
Clearly Now

Gay Marshall
Back on Boogie Street - The Songs of Leonard Cohen

Karen Mason
Let the Music Play

David Sabella
Time Heals