Interview: Macon Prickett Is MACON: HIS OWN WAY! at 54 Below

Macon Prickett is thrilled to premiere his solo cabaret debut in MACON: His Own Way! at 54 Below on Friday November 11th at 9:30 pm. This cabaret-star-in-the-making promises an evening of show tunes, standards, eleven o’clock numbers, and a little bit of diva worship on the side. (Tickets are available on 54 Below's website.)

After spending the last several years working in the little basement of dreams at 54 Below, Macon has observed and learned from the best that the cabaret world has to offer. This performance is Macon’s own way of paying homage to the great show-stoppers that have graced the 54 Below stage! It’s fun! It’s opulent! It’s Broadway!

Hailing from the farmlands of Prickettville, Alabama, Macon Prickett was born to entertain! His New York City cabaret debut has been in the works long before he even knew what those words meant! Since making the big move to the Big Apple nearly seven years ago, Macon has draped himself across pianos on stages throughout the city at venues such as 54 Below plus The Duplex, Don’t Tell Mama, Club Cumming, and late night karaoke at Baby Grand. Macon is a member of Actor’s Equity Association, occasionally chewing the scenery as a cow, a snail, an earthworm, a ghost, and awaiting the day he’ll get the chance to play a real boy!

Below, read a conversation with Macon about the show.

How does it feel to be making your solo cabaret debut at 54 Below?

Making my 54 Below solo cabaret debut is an absolute dream come true! Like so many, I remember being introduced to 54 Below via YouTube while in college and watching videos of Patti LuPone, Jeremy Jordan, Lindsay Mendez, and so many other stars belting their faces off in that magical room. Not only is it my favorite cabaret room in the city, but as an employee it's also become my home away from home. To debut my solo cabaret show on the 54 Below stage is a thrill! The rich history of the club is as vital to the room as the artists and audience are. There's truly nowhere like it in the city so I couldn't be more excited to step onto the stage as a solo cabaret artist for the first time and debut this passion project of mine for my friends, family, and hopefully some of the lovely people reading this article! 

What has the process of putting this show together been like so far? What went into the process of choosing your setlist?

Putting this show together has been surprisingly therapeutic, a little stressful (in the best way), but mostly just lots of fun. Though I've been thinking about this seriously for a few years (and low-key planning it my entire life), I didn't realize what a challenge it would be. There are SO many songs out there that I love and I wish I could sing them all! There are also so many stories I'd love to tell and things that I want to say but obviously I've got to keep the show under 75 minutes while ensuring that the audience is engaged and entertained.

Seeing hundreds of wonderful cabaret shows over the last several years has been a great privilege, but also it's shown me that there are so many brilliant ways that cabaret as an art form can be expressed. I've seen some of the very best to ever do it and while I do consider it a great advantage, it can also be intimidating. One of my mentors is the marvelous Marilyn Maye and as I watched her performance last week, I asked myself how can anyone do what she does? The truth is, we can't. We can't aspire to be Marilyn Maye and succeed. We have to be ourselves and bring our own individual gifts to the stage which is why I've named the show MACON: His Own Way!

This show is about my own particular journey through this life, this city, and this crazy business. Putting together the set list has come with challenges for sure. There are so many songs I love that aren't necessarily right for this show. I think I considered five or six different closers while making edits. Needless to say, the show has gone through several iterations over the last few months but I've got it all down and have been in rehearsals with my wonderful music director Canaan J. Harris working out all of the kinks to make it as tight as I can. I'll be performing songs that mean a lot to me from the musical theatre canon, some Diva hits, a few standards, a medley or two, and maybe even a little country ditty as a tribute to my family and my home state, Alabama the Beautiful. 

You also work at 54 Below. Can you tell me a bit about your decision to do this show there?

I do! I've been working at 54 Below since our post-Covid reopening in early June of 2021! The last several years working there have been a whirlwind! I began as Covid-vaccination card monitor at the front door, then moved to the front of house/box office team, then served as a maitre d', then production assistant, and now I work as an Assistant Programming Director and with artist relations as well! For me, there was nowhere else I could make my solo cabaret debut. I began hosting/producing the 54 Below staff shows last year and had such a blast with them that I knew a solo show was the next move for me. After some encouragement from some friends and the support of my colleagues and the programming department, I'm so glad it's finally happening! 

What do you love about 54 Below?

As I mentioned before, the room has a very specific energy that lives within it from both its storied history and the many legendary performances that have taken place on that stage. I've spent a LOT of time in that basement. I've seen it buzzing with cheers and applause from a sold out crowd with the lights dimmed as music stirs through the air and servers silently weave through the tables. I've also seen the room completely empty and silent with the work lights on and not a soul stirring about. I was there when the COVID winter surge of 2021 forced us to cancel shows left and right and I was there in 2022 when the club won the 2022 Tony Award Honor for Excellence in Theatre.

I've been lucky enough to witness historic cabaret performances, Broadway cast reunion concerts, premieres of new musicals, knockout star-filled benefits, and a few Marilyn Maye birthdays. I've gotten the opportunity to become friends with so many artists I grew up idolizing and many of our wonderful regulars/supporters as well. Not everyone knows this but 54 Below has a dedicated group of patrons who attend the club multiple times a week. People truly love spending time there not only for the artists but to socialize with each other and the staff. We also have a board and founders that genuinely value the staff from our managers down to our back of house team. That alone makes coming to work a joy. From the Tony-winning stars to the college freshman making their 54 Below debut, little dreams come true in that basement every single day and I am so very grateful to be a part of it all. 

What have you been listening to lately?

I'm a musical theatre fan through and through. I always have a few cast albums on repeat. Currently I am deeply obsessed with The Notebook original Broadway cast album. I've also been listening to some old-school Dolly Parton lately. I decided to take a dive into her catalogue and was surprised to find that it's even more vast and diverse than I thought. The way she tells a story through song is truly unparalleled so that's been a fun musical journey for me. I'm a huge Swiftie so I also have Taylor Swift in my queue along with some Ariana Grande and Chappell Roan sprinkled throughout. Some others in my constant music rotation are Judy Garland live at Carnegie Hall (duh), Barbra Live at the Bon Soir (get into it), Patti LuPone at Les Mouches (so great), some of Marilyn Maye's earlier albums (I love The Lamp is Low), and lately Alysha Umphress' and things... like this (which is cabaret at it's best)! 

Who should come see this show?

EVERYONE! I wanna sell this room out! Hah! In all seriousness, this show is my love letter to the city and showbusiness so if you love a showtune, great food/drinks, and fun-filled night on the town, come on down! 

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See MACON: His Own Way! on Friday, November 1, 2024 at 9:30 pm at 54 Below!

If you can't make it in person, the show will also be livestreamed. Visit 54 Below’s website for more information.

Visit Macon online at www.maconwprickett.com or on social media @mrmaconprickett for "updates, silliness, and diva worship!"

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