Among the winners of the 2007 awards are such Broadway names as Rebecca Luker, Keith David, Valarie Pettiford and Billy Stritch. A gala evening celebrating this year's winners will be held April 9 at the Gotham Comedy Club.
Winners were picked by Back Stage editors David Finkle and John Hoglund. The awards are a one-time honor; that is, recipients cannot be named for the same award more than once.
The complete list of 2007 Bistro Award Winners follows.
Vocalist: Keith David at the Metropolitan Room; Douglas Ladnier at Danny’s Skylight Room
Debut: Valarie Pettiford at the Metropolitan Room Major Engagement: Jeff Harnar at Feinstein's at the Regency; Rebecca Luker at Feinstein's at the Regency
Major Jazz Vocalist: Kurt Elling at Birdland
Jazz Vocalist: Andrew Suvalsky at the Metropolitan Room
Musical Duo: Klea Blackhurst and Billy Stritch in Dreaming of a Song: The Music of Hoagy Carmichael at the Metropolitan Room; Faith Prince and Tom Wopat in Let's Fall in Love at Feinstein's at the Regency
Musical Group Performance: Tom Andersen, Scott Coulter, and Tim Di Pasqua in Southern Comfort: A Down-Home Country Music Jamboree at The Beechman
Musical Comedy Performance: Jay Rogers in Eat, Drink, and Be Mary at the Metropolitan Room; Kristine Zbornik at the Metropolitan Room
Unique Artist: Jose Luis Rodriguez at Danny's Skylight Room
Return to Cabaret: Charles Cochran at Danny's Skylight Room
Tribute Show: Terese Genecco in Drunk With Love: A Tribute to Frances Faye at the Metropolitan Room
Piano Bar Entertainer: Ray Fellman for The After Party at the Laurie Beechman Theater at the West Bank Café; David Shenton at Helen’s Piano Lounge; Rick Unterberg at the Townhouse.
Comedian: Bob Smith at Gotham Comedy Club
Song of the Year: "One Thing" by Tim Di Pasqua
Special Material: "Almost (99 I Love You's)" by Joe Iconis and Robert Maddock
Recording: Mary Foster Conklin for "Blues for Breakfast"; Barbara Fasano for "Written in the Stars"
Musical Director: Shelly Markham for his performances with Andrea Marcovicci in By Request at the Oak Room at the Algonquin
Instrumentalist: Sean Smith
Instrumental Group: The Ross Patterson Little Big Band at Danny’s Skylight Room
Technical Director: Tim Flannery at the Oak Room at the Algonquin
Special Award: Chris Mazzilli, Steve Mazzilli and Lennie Watts for outstanding achievement at the Metropolitan Room; Donald Schaffer for outstanding cabaret achievement at Danny's Skylight Room; Erv Raible with Wendy Lane Bailey for the Cabaret Conference at Yale University; and Mike Greensill for consistent excellence as musical conductor and arranger
Ira Eaker Special Achievement Award: (Named for Sherri Eaker's late father, the co-founder of Back Stage and a nightclub enthusiast) Sheera Ben-David
Bob Harrington Lifetime Achievement Award: Recipient to be announced shortly.
