31st Annual MAC Awards to Honor Michele Lee

The Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs (MAC) will present Michele Lee with its 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award at the 31st Annual MAC Awards to be held Tuesday, March 28 at 7:00 pm at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill in New York City.

Ms. Lee created the role of Rosemary in the original Broadway production of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying opposite Robert Morse. She reprised the role in the film adaptation. She also appeared in the Broadway productions of Seesaw (Tony nomination, Drama Desk and the Outer Critics Award for Best Actress); The Tale of the Allergist's Wife (Tony nomination); and Wicked. In addition to the film version of How to Succeed..., she appeared in Carl Reiner's The Comic with Dick Van Dyke and Disney's The Love Bug. On television, she received an Emmy nomination for her role in Knots Landing. Her cabaret and concert appearances include Feinstein's at the Regency, Carnegie Hall (with Michael Feinstein), Birdland, 54 Below, The Town Hall (all in NYC), and numerous venues around the country.

Ken Starrett will receive the 2017 Board of Directors Award. He has been the North American Director of The Noël Coward Society for 14 years. His life-long passion for Coward began at age 14, when he appeared as Simon in Hay Fever. He became a member of Actors Equity in 1950 and has worked on Broadway, Off-Broadway, in tours and summer stock. Favorite roles include Fagan in Oliver!, Charley in Where's Charley and Sherlock in Sherlock Holmes. He has also worked as a stage manager, working with actress Vinie Burrows on her solo shows, and traveling to Europe with the award-winning Off-Broadway production of The Blacks. He's also worked in films, television and night clubs, having appeared with Sheila MacRae at the Rainbow Room and the Playboy Clubs.

Joseph Macchia/CABARET CARES will receive the 2017 Ruth Kurtzman Benefit Series Award. Joseph is the founder of Help Is on the Way Today, a not-for-profit organization founded in 2007 that raises and distributes funds to NYC-based organizations that support children and young adults living with HIV/AIDS, particularly, those with little or no medical coverage and/or financial support. His monthly Cabaret Cares events, featuring performers from Cabaret and Broadway, promote awareness and raise the much-needed funds.

In addition to the above Board-selected honors, awards in over 25 categories, voted on by the MAC membership, will also be presented in an evening that will include performances from many of the award-winners.

The 31st Annual MAC Awards will be held on Tuesday, March 28 at 7:00 pm at NYC's B.B. King Blues Club & Grill, 237 W. 42nd St. The show is produced by Julie Miller, directed by Lennie Watts, with musical direction by Tracy Stark. Tickets are available at www.macnyc.com.