The Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs (MAC) announced its MAC Award nominations March 2, honoring scores of singers, vocalists, directors, musical directors, comedians, jazz performers, songwriters and instrumentalists who performed shows, original revues or were heard on recordings in 1999.
Among nominees are teenage Australian singer Tim Draxl, singer-actor David Campbell, director Lennie Watts, singer Sally Mayes, singer Sean Hayden, singer Carolyn Montgomery (for The Songs of Michael Ogborn), pianist Paul Loesel and singer Scott Burkell (for Love Songs and Other Crap), musical director Alex Rybeck, singer and Streisand impersonator Steven Brinberg, singer-songwriter Amanda Green, singer Karen Mason and many more.
Winners will be announced 7:30 PM April 9 at 14th annual MAC Awards at Town Hall in New York City.
Comedian Julie Halston and songwriter Julie Gold announced the noms (in 30 categories) 6 PM March 2 at the West Bank Café.
Tickets to the awards ceremony, typically packed with stars, are available at (212) 307-4100 or at the Town Hall Box Office, 123 W. 44th St. As previously announced, entertainment legends Barry Manilow and Bobby Short will be honored with special awards at the April gala, and both will perform. The stage will also shine with performances by Robert Cuccioli, Faith Prince, Karen Mason, Alix Korey and Julie Wilson. The Bobby Peaco Trio will also perform.
The nominees are:
FEMALE VOCALIST
Barbara Brussell (88s, Firebird)
Natalie Gamsu (88s, Bradstan, Algonquin)
Jeanne MacDonald (88s, Firebird)
Marilyn Volpe (Arci's Place)
MALE VOCALIST
Charles Cermele (88s, Firebird)
Scott Coulter (Don't Tell Mama)
Jack Donahue (88s, Don't Tell Mama, Firebird)
Thomas (Don't Tell Mama)
FEMALE MUSICAL COMEDY
Joan Crowe (Don't Tell Mama)
Amanda Green (Laurie Beechman Theater)
Georga Osborne (Don't Tell Mama, 88s)
VARIETY PRODUCTION
Jamie deRoy & friends (Laurie Beechman Theater)
Dream Street Cabaret (Sam's)
Poole Party (Don't Tell Mama)
MAJOR FEMALE VOCALIST
Karen Mason (Arci's Place, Joe's Pub)
Sally Mayes (88s, Firebird)
Julie Wilson (Algonquin)
MAJOR MALE VOCALIST
Michael Feinstein (Feinstein's at The Regency)
Phillip Officer (Laurie Beechman Theater)
Steve Ross (Firebird)
MALE MUSICAL COMEDY
Matt Leahy (Don't Tell Mama)
Mark Nadler (Sardi's)
Michael Vaccaro (Don't Tell Mama)
FEMALE COMEDY
Shecky Beagleman
Angela LaGreca
Nancy Witter
MALE COMEDY
David Cohen
Rob Magnotti
Ron Poole
Paul J. Williams
MAJOR FEMALE STAND-UP COMEDY
Margaret Cho
Sunda Croonquist
Sherry Davey
Judy Gold
Cory Kahaney
MAJOR MALE STAND-UP COMEDY
Lewis Black
Mario Cantone
Jim David
Jeff Ross
MAJOR JAZZ PERFORMER
Susannah McCorkle (Algonquin)
Billy Stritch (Joe's Pub, Jazz Standard)
Paula West (Firebird)
VOCAL GROUP
The Accidentals (Don't Tell Mama, Btm Ln, Wrld Fnc )
Jenny Burton Experience (Don't Tell Mama, Resorts)
Eastern Standard Time (Judy*s)
ZAZ (Danny's)
SPECIAL PRODUCTION
The Blonde Leading the Blonde (Hackett & Moberly)
John Bucchino & David Campbell
Rick Jensen & Barbara Fasano
FEMALE DEBUT
Tessa Bell (Danny's)
Loli Marquez-Sterling (Don't Tell Mama)
Naomi Miller (Don't Tell Mama)
Carolyn Montgomery (Don't Tell Mama, Firebird)
JAZZ PERFORMER
Joyce Breach (Danny's)
Mary Foster Conklin (Don't Tell Mama)
Natalie Douglas (88s)
SINGER/INSTRUMENTALIST
Eric Comstock (Blue Room)
Rick Jensen (88s, Don't Tell Mama)
Steven Lutvak (Bradstan, Algonquin, Odette's)
MALE DEBUT
Tim Draxl (88s, Don't Tell Mama, Oak Room)
Sean Hayden (Triad)
Go Mahan (Judy*s)
Gregg Rodeheffer (Don't Tell Mama)
IMPERSONATION/CHARACTERIZATION
James Beaman (Black Market Marlene at 88s, Judy*s)
Steven Brinberg (Simply Barbra at Don't Tell Mama)
Tommy Femia (Judy Garland Live at Don't Tell Mama)
Richard Skipper (Evening w/Carol Channing-Hltn A.C.)
MUSICAL COMEDY GROUP
Scott Barbarino & The Bev Naps
Just Friends
Next Big Broadway Musical
PIANO BAR/RESTAURANT ENTERTAINER
Jenifer Kruskamp (Don't Tell Mama)
George Sanders (Don't Tell Mama)
Ruby Rims (Judy*s)
PIANO BAR/RESTAURANT PIANIST
Gerry Dieffenbach
Karen Miller
Bobby Peaco
Jerry Scott
MAJOR RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Ann Hampton Callaway: "Easy Living"
Sally Mayes: "The Story Hour"
Julie Wilson: "Julie Wilson Sings The George Gershwin Songbook"
RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Bobby Belfry: "Imperfect Rhymes"
Steven Brinberg: "Simply Barbra"
Charles Cermele: " Ask Me Again"
Frank Anthony D'Agostino: "Moments"
Rick DellaRatta: "Live in Brazil and the Blue Note"
Brian DeLorenzo: "Found Treasures"
Jamie deRoy: "Jamie deRoy & Friends: The Child In Me"
Tim DiPasqua: "Synchronicity"
Stephen Dolginoff: "Journey to the Center of the Earth"
Natalie Douglas: "Not That Different"
Catherine DePuis: "I Hear Music"
David Gurland: "David Gurland"
Greta: "In the Dark of the Night"
Cory Jamison: "Here’s to Hoagy"
Lee Lessack: "I Know You By Heart"
Connie Pachl: "Coming Through"
Peter Rapanaro: "Smile"
Joan Ryan: "Joan Ryan"
Bonnie Lee Sanders: "Seasoned Woman"
Bob Stewart and Hank Jones: "Take Two"
KT Sullivan and Mark Nadler: "American Rhapsody"
Vanessa Vickers: "Contemporary Piano"
REVUE OF THE YEAR
Love Songs & Other Crap: The Songs of Scott Burkell and Paul Loesel (Don't Tell Mama)
Make Your Own Party '99: The Songs of Heisler & Goldrich (Don't Tell Mama, Triad)
Our Sinatra (Algonquin, Blue Angel)
Rick Crom's Our Life & Times 99 (Rose's Turn, Triad)
SONG OF THE YEAR
Marcy Heisler & Zina Goldrich, "Music of Your Life"
Rick Jensen, "Amanda Sang"
Paul Rolnick, "We Never Ran Out of Love, We Just Ran Out of Time"
COMEDY/SPECIAL MATERIAL OF THE YEAR
Rick Crom, "Denial"
Marcy Heisler & Zina Goldrich, "The Morning After (Leave!)"
Bob Ost, "A Quiet Little Christmas"
MUSICAL DIRECTOR
Christopher Denny (David Campbell, Karen Mason, Steven Brinberg)
Ross Patterson (Baby Jane Dexter, Mark Coffin, Teri Lynn Paul)
Alex Rybeck (Faith Prince, Jeff Harnar, Alexandra Haas)
DIRECTOR
Barry Kleinbort (Karen Mason, Jeff Harnar, Eric Michael Gillett & Melanie Vaughn)
Lina Koutrakos (Confidentially, Cole, Rick Jensen, Patrick DeGennaro)
Lennie Watts (Gregg Rodeheffer, Amy Schmidt, Michael Vaccaro)
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
Matt Berman (Firebird, Arci's Place)
Bobby Kneeland (Don't Tell Mama)
Shawn Moninger (Don't Tell Mama)
-- By Kenneth Jones
