Highlights of the 2006 Nightlife Awards

Once again, the best and the brightest of New York's many nightlifes scenes gathered on one stage to celebrate their art form at the 2006 Nightlife Awards. Presented by Scott Siegel, the Nightlife Awards are more of a concert than an awards ceremony, as each winner shows off his/her talents in lieu of an acceptance speech. Divas mingled with new up-and-coming talent, jokes were told, anecdotes were shared, and the music went on for hours. If you weren't at the Town Hall on Monday (and really, you should have been), here are a few of the magnificent moments that you missed:

*Outstanding Cabaret Female Vocalist Karen Mason opening the evening with a funny, sassy "I Know A Place."

*Outstanding Male Standup Comedian winner Bill Burr's routine, mercilessly skewering everyone from politicians to overly-permissive parents.

*Outstanding Cabaret Male Vocalist winner Tom Andersen's intense reimagining of "You'll Never Get Away From Me" from Gypsy.

*Outstanding Cabaret Musical Comedy/Characterization Performance winner Jason Graae recounting his adventures in voice-over commercial work, including an imitation of an Irish-accented Ken Jennings, and a deliriously silly (and ironic) rendition of "How Lucky Can You Get."

*Outstanding Jazz Combo Performance winners Harry Allen & Joe Cohn Quartet's smooth, rich instrumental guitar and sax.

*Outstanding Duo/Group Cabaret Performance in a Major Engagement winners Sandy Stewart and Bill Charlap (mother and son, incidentally) tugging at heartstrings as they turned up the charm.

*Second-year-in-a-row Outstanding Female Jazz Vocalist winner Paula West performing an exquisite "Skylark."

*Darius de Haas singing a wonderfully emotional "Good Morning, Heartache."

*Ute Lemper conjuring Marlene Dietrich with her alternately cool and furious rendition of "Lies Lies Lies."

*Charles Busch, in full drag as Miriam Pashman, president of the Manhattan Independent Cabarets, Restaurants And Clubs (or MICRAC—say it out loud. Better yet, don't.) stealing the show as he introduced Outstanding Female Standup Comedian winner Kristen Schaal.

*Bill Finn's dry anecdotes as he presented the Outstanding Cabaret Female Vocalist in a Major Engagement award to Elaine Stritch.

*An emotional Elaine Stritch accepting the award and singing "It Amazes Me" as an ode to her loving audience.

*Lifetime Legend Honoree Eartha Kitt returning to her roots, purring her way through a silky rendition of "C'est Si Bon" and flirting with the audience in French, Spanish, Italian and English. The audience, as ever, responded in kind.

*Brian Stokes Mitchell, winner for "Outstanding Cabaret Male Vocalist In A Major Engagement" singing "This Nearly Was Mine" from South Pacific. Unamplified.

Don't miss next year's Nightlife Awards. When la crème de la crème are all performing together, it's guaranteed to be a night to remember.

Thanks to Maryann LoPinto for the pictures!