BWW 2015 NY Cabaret Awards: 'Editor's Choice' Honors Go To Karen Mason, Mark Nadler, Steve Ross, Alex Rybeck, Jim Caruso, Sean Harkness and Ian Herman

After BroadwayWorld launched its New York Cabaret Awards in 2012, the cabaret section's editors realized that the selected categories and the popular vote nature of the election didn't adequately recognize some great performances and shows for that particular year. So in 2013, BWW added "Editor's Choice Awards" to the mix to not only reward special performances but also to acknowledge people who have helped grow cabaret and foster the spirit of the art form.

This year, BWW New York Cabaret Editor Stephen Hanks and his reviewing staff--including Alix Cohen, David Clarke, Billie Roe, Rembert Block, and John Hoglund--selected seven stars of cabaret for this special honor. Now that the Awards for 2015 performances and shows are official, we wanted to tell you a bit about this year's "Editor's Choice Award" winners and offer them a chance to thank the New York cabaret community. Congratulations to all these worthy Award recipients.

Performer of the Year:
Karen Mason
Previous Honoree: Marissa Mulder

This year, Karen Mason was a BroadwayWorld New York Cabaret Award "Celebrity Female" nominee, and while she might have lost out on the award to Betty Buckley, her long-running and consistently sold out 2015 show Mason @Mama's at Don't Tell Mama, where she celebrated being the first performer to open the room in 1982, made Mason a clear "Performer of the Year" winner in the eyes of the BWW reviewing team. She has starred on Broadway, Off-Broadway, television, and made numerous recordings and is a 10-time MAC Award winner, winning the MAC Award for "Major Female Vocalist" for six consecutive years. She has also won the 2006 Nightlife Award for "Major Female Vocalist" and has three Bistro Awards.

Mason most recently garnered rave reviews starring as The Queen of Hearts in Wonderland on Broadway. She originated the role of Tanya on Broadway in Mamma Mia!, and was awarded a 2002 Drama Desk nomination as Best Actress. Her other leading roles include Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard, which she performed to critical acclaim and standing ovations on Broadway and in Los Angeles for three years.

"Thank you to the editors of BWW for acknowledging my shows at Don't Tell Mama, which a truly defining time for me as an artist," Mason says. "I felt so very proud of the work, and was wildly blessed to have created the show with my Director Barry Kleinbort and my Music Director Christopher Denny [both of whom were 2015 BWW Cabaret Award nominees in their respective categories] and I share this Award with them. I also thank [Don't Tell Mama Booking Manager] Sidney Myer for giving me a home, Jason Ellis for his great work on the lights, and my husband Paul Rolnick for making sure I sounded great. Most importantly, it is always gratifying (and a huge relief) to know that your work is appreciated."

Performer of the Year: Mark Nadler
Previous Honoree: Carole J. Bufford (for "Vocalist of the Year")

To call Mark Nadler a cabaret and performing "force of nature" is an understatement. He's been a ubiquitous presence on the New York Cabaret scene for more than 30 years, as well as being an internationally acclaimed entertainer. One year after winning the BWW New York Cabaret Award for "Best Show, Male" for Running Wild: Songs & Scandals of Roaring '20s at Feinstein's/54 Below, Nadler was a clear "Editor's Choice" Award recipient of "Performer of the Year" not only because of his highly-acclaimed show Addicted to the Spotlight at Feinstein's/54 Below, but for presenting his raucous show Crazy 1961 on the new PBS Television series 66th & Broadway.

Nadler's Off-Broadway hit, I'm a Stranger Here Myself, was honored in 2013 with the Nightlife Award and the show was nominated for a Drama Desk Award and two Broadway World Awards. The indefatigable Nadler has performed at Carnegie Hall with the New York Pops Orchestra, and has been a soloist with the Baltimore Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, Oregon Symphony, National Arts Centre Symphony in Ottawa, and others. Nadler is a past MAC Award winner for "Outstanding Musical Revue" and a three-time MAC Award winner for "Outstanding Musical Comedy Performer."

"I was completely stunned to have been chosen as "Performer of the Year" with Karen Mason, whom I completely adore and admire," Nadler told BWW. "I've just been going along doing my work and trying my best to be the bad boy of cabaret and for the editors of Broadway World to honor me in this way means that someone feels that it's not all just fun and games, but that it actually has value. I can't say I'm humbled (because I don't do 'humble'), but I'm certainly honored to the marrow of my bones."

Dedication and Devotion to the Art of Cabaret:
Steve Ross
(Previous Honorees: Sidney Myer, Jamie deRoy)

Steve Ross, who was honored last year with a "Lifetime Achievement Award" from MAC (Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs) rose to fame as a cabaret entertainer during the late 1970s, thanks to his lengthy sojourns at New York's fabled Algonquin Hotel and Ted Hook's Backstage. He has spent the ensuing decades singing and playing in smart clubs and swank parties all over the world, such as The Ritz in London, the Crillon in Paris and the Imperial Hotel Tokyo, in addition to festivals in Hong Kong, Perth and Spoleto. On the airwaves, Steve has been the performer/host for radio series for both the BBC and National Public Radio. In 1992, MAC voted him outstanding singer-instrumentalist, the year Steve made his Off-Broadway debut in his own tribute to Fred Astaire, I Won't Dance. He continues to tour in solo concerts, master classes, theatrical engagements and symphonic Pops appearances.

After all these years, Ross shows no signs of slowing down. In 2015 alone, he not only staged a run of shows at London's cabaret club Crazy Coqs, he performed multiple shows in New York, appearing at Café Sabrasky in The Neue Galerie, and multiple shows at Birdland, most recently in November when he dazzled with his show, Rhythm and Romance. BWW review Alix Cohen has written about Ross: " . . . his fascinating and emotionally translucent shows never fail to enlighten and entertain."

Steve Ross' reaction to his "Editor's Choice Award": "The great singer and personality [and earth mother to me] Paula Laurence once said: 'In Shakespeare, as in sex, there's no substitute for experience.' And referencing the latter, another pal once said 'The worst he ever had was wonderful.' I echo these sentiments as I think about the music I've been immeasurably fortunate enough to make for more than 60 years. It's humbling to sit at the keyboard and have the fingers and voice still work, and of course it's thrilling when there is the cornucopia of the Songbook to pick from. I sincerely thank my fellow-travellers along this path, including the wonderful directors, researchers, and co-stars--such as Liliane Montevecchi, Karen Oberlin, and Jim Brochu, to name but a few-the critics who've encouraged me, and the many singers I've accompanied. And I have to mention my stalwart string section for all these years, especially the bassist Brian Cassier. They have all helped me realize this little miracle of music making in ways I find difficult to describe adequately in words. I salute them all and am grateful for this recognition."

Excellence In Songwriting:
Alex Rybeck
(Previous Honoree: Steve Schalchlin)

In addition to his 2015 BWW New York Cabaret Award for "Best Musical Director," Alex Rybeck is also picking up this "Editor's Choice Award" for his great songwriting, which was highlighted the past voting year with shows like Alex Rybeck and Friends at Feinstein's/54 Below in November 2014, More Music by Alex Rybeck at Feinstein's/54 Below last May, and Music of Alex Rybeck at the Metropolitan Room this past November.

Rybeck is a pianist, arranger, composer, and music director, internationally recognized for his work on Broadway, in cabarets and concerts, and on recordings. Originally from the Washington, DC area, Rybeck attended Oberlin College (in Ohio), and later, NYU Tisch School of the Arts, where he was mentored by Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Schwartz, and Stephen Sondheim. His Broadway credits include: Merrily We Roll Along (original cast), Tommy Tune's Grand Hotel, and the hit revival of Damn Yankees starring Victor Garber and Jerry Lewis. Rybeck has captured two MAC Awards for Music Direction, and has worked with such stars as Liz and Ann Hampton Callaway, Faith Prince, Donna McKechnie, Karen Mason, Rita Gardner, Tommy Tune & The Manhattan Rhythm Kings, Marni Nixon, Michael Feinstein, Australia's David Campbell, Metropolitan Opera star Roberta Peters, and the legendary Kitty Carlisle Hart, to name a few. Additionally, he has been music director for every solo album by Liz Callaway. Among his original songs are "What a Funny Boy He Is," recorded by the late Nancy LaMott.

"This is one of the most meaningful awards I could ever receive," Rybeck told BWW. "To be acknowledged by BroadwayWorld is not only a wonderful surprise, but makes me feel that even this late in the game my music has relevance. I have been composing music and writing songs since I was a kid and it's what I came to New York to pursue professionally. Yet it is only in the past couple of years I've begun to put more focus on getting my music out to the public. The reaction from audiences and press (as well as from the singers and musicians) has been both encouraging and validating. I owe a big debt of thanks to my many fine collaborators, whose lyrics provided a broad spectrum of moods and styles to draw on. I was also fortunate in having Sara Louise Lazarus help shape those evenings of shows that included such diverse, eclectic material.

Excellence in Hosting a Variety Show, Recurring Series or Open Mic: Jim Caruso

Call it no-contest, a no-brainer, or any other description you want to provide, it was easy for the BWW reviewing staff to select Jim Caruso for a special "Editor's Choice" Award for Cabaret Show Hosting, specifically for his work as the long-time leader of the incredibly popular Cast Party at Birdland. BWW felt the selection was so clear-cut it didn't make sense to create a separate voting category in this area of cabaret. Caruso hosted the first Cast Party at a club on a Monday in December 2002, which was essentially a cocktail party with some folks singing around the piano. According to Caruso, his friend Lionel Casseroux suggested they repeat the show the following week. "I said 'No," Caruso recalls, "but we did it anyway. People showed up. More Mondays. More show tunes. More cocktails. There was laughing. There was showing off. There were celebrities. There was hooking-up. Cast Party became a rather sexy, sing-and-be-seen weekly event where show folks could rub elbows and Lord-knows what else. Something unique was always happening." By 2004, the raucous open mic event moved to Birdland and, as Caruso says, "For the past 14 years, I've looked forward to Mondays with the zeal of a Kardashian taking a selfie."

Caruso has a lot more than just being Host of Cast Party on his resume. He made his Broadway debut alongside Liza Minnelli in the smash hit Liza's At The Palace!, singing, dancing and celebrating the music and arrangements of the late, great Kay Thompson and the Williams Brothers. The show was honored with a 2009 Tony Award for "Best Special Event "and the recording was nominated for a Grammy. For his nightclub work, Caruso won the BWW Award for "Best Variety Show Host" in 2012 and 2014, and has won six MAC Awards and two BackStage Bistro Awards for sold-out shows at Birdland, Bemelmans Bar at The Carlyle Hotel, Arci's Place, The Oak Room at the Algonquin Hotel, and The Russian Tea Room. He has also performed shows at the Cinegrill and Gardenia in Los Angeles, The Vic Theater and Davenport's in Chicago, Libby's in Atlanta, the Colony Palm Beach Hotel in Florida and the Connaught Room in London.

"I'm thankful to BWW for thinking that what I love to do every Monday night is worth celebrating," Caruso says. "The quality of the Cast Party Symphony Orchestra has been the other key to our success. To have Billy Stritch as musical director/pianist/singer extraordinaire is an extreme gift. Steve Doyle and Daniel Glass are two of the most sought-after bassists and drummers in the country. I'm lucky to have able assistance from Rick Hinkson, photographer Kevin Alvey, Rocky Noel and Robert Polanco, who create impromptu sound and light magic from a tech booth the size of a golf bag, and the great Birdland staff that keeps the reservations in order, the party humming, the food hot, and the drinks flowing."

Excellence in Musicianship:
Sean Harkness and
Ian Herman
Previous Honoree: Jon Weber

You'd have a hard time finding anyone in the New York cabaret community who doesn't think Sean Harkness is one of the best, if not THE best, guitarist on the scene these days. Harkness came to New York from Burlington, VT in 1994 and hasn't looked back, having become a first-call guitarist who compliments an exhaustive client list of artists and productions worldwide, and in New York's finest jazz, rock, folk, cabaret, blues, R&B, and singer/songwriter venues. Harkness won a 2011 Backstage Bistro Award for "Outstanding Instrumentalist," a 2014 BroadwayWorld New York Cabaret Award for "Best CD Release" (with Karen Oberlin), and three MAC Awards (for ensemble instrumentalist, his solo shows, and his most recent CD with duo partner, Canadian trumpeter Mike Herriot). Sean is also a solo artist with six CDs, whose music is featured on Windham Hill Records [Sony/RCA/BMG] and a list of independents. He has also scored music for television, including World's Strongest Man, ESPN, NASCAR and ABC Sports. Walden Guitars featured Harkness on the covers of their 2011 and 2012 catalogs, and he was the cover story on the Nov/Dec 2012 issue of Cabaret Scenes Magazine.

"It is a genuine honor to receive an "Editor's Choice Award" from BroadwayWorld," Harkness says. "In an age where marketing skills drive the catalog of art available to the public, we need more benchmarks of actual content. Having one's artistic efforts and accomplishments recognized by a committee of experienced industry professionals with no agenda such as the BroadwayWorld reviewers is an important thing indeed. The Duet CD project with pianist Ian Herman is a true collaboration of artists rather than one person accompanying the other. The result is indeed exponentially greater than the sum of its parts. We feel the recording is gorgeous and we're thrilled to share it with people. The concert we gave at SubCulture last May was far and away the experience of the year for me."

Ian Herman has been one of the go-to Musical Directors for many cabaret artists for years, including most recently with rising star Carole J. Bufford. Herman began his musical career studying classical piano and at 13 he was a guest soloist with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. After attending Manhattan School Of Music, he began working with performers, playing in nightclubs and concert halls in New York and around the country. In 1999, Herman received the Backstage Bistro Award for Best Musical Director. He was a pianist and vocal coach at the Broadway revival of Grease, working with guest stars such as Al Jarreau, Jon Secada, Sheena Easton, Chubby Checker, and Darlene Love. His other Broadway credits include Jelly's Last Jam, The Who's Tommy, Song and Dance, and Swing, for which he wrote vocal and dance arrangements. Ian recently performed a sold out solo concert of his original music at the Zipper Factory Theater in New York.

"This Award came as quite a surprise," Herman told BWW. "I'm very honored and I'm very proud of the work Sean and I have done on our CD and the resulting concert at SubCulture. It's wonderful to be recognized for that."

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