THE MANHATTAN ASSOCIATION OF CABARETS
announces the 39th Annual
MAC Awards
CHARLES BUSCH to receive LIFETIME
ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
THE 2025 MAC AWARD NOMINEES ANNOUNCED
The Manhattan Association of Cabarets
(MAC) is pleased to announce the upcoming 39th Annual
MAC Awards. The awards presentation and show will take
place on Thursday, April 10, 2025 at 7:00 pm, at Peter
Norton Symphony Space at 2537 Broadway at 95th Street in
New York City.
The MAC Awards will honor excellence in
NYC nightlife during the 2024 calendar year. In addition
to live musical performances at the show, competitive
awards will be presented in multiple categories to
performers, songwriters, directors, musical directors,
piano bar performers, behind-the-scenes technical
experts, and more, as well as the presentation of
special honoree awards. The envelopes will be opened and
the winners will be announced live at the MAC Awards
show.
At the event, MAC will present a Lifetime
Achievement Award to theater and cabaret legend CHARLES
BUSCH.
CHARLES BUSCH is
the author and star of such plays as Psycho Beach
Party, Die Mommie Die, The Divine Sister,
and Vampire Lesbians of Sodom, one of the longes-
running plays in Off-Broadway history. His comedy The
Tale of the Allergist’s Wife ran nearly two years on
Broadway and received a Tony nomination for Best
Play. In 2024, he was inducted into the Theater Hall of
Fame. As a cabaret entertainer, Mr. Busch has appeared
in many cities including San Francisco, Los Angeles,
London, Paris, and in concert in New York’s Jazz at
Lincoln Center’s American Songbook series. (Photo
Credit: Eric Stephen Jacobs)
The MAC Awards show is produced by JULIE
MILLER and directed by AMY WOLK. The musical
director and leader of the MAC Awards Band will be JOHN
BRONSTON.
Tickets are available at https://www.symphonyspace.org/events/vp-the-39th-annual-mac-awards
For more information, visit www.macnyc.com
Please forward all requests and questions
to CabaretMACnyc@gmail.com
THE 2025 MAC AWARD NOMINEES ARE:
FEMALE VOCALIST
AMY BETH WILLIAMS
In Reverse
Don’t Tell Mama
JOSEPHINE SANGES
How My Heart Sings
Pangea, Hewitt/Woodmere Public Library
MARGARET CURRY
The Space In-Between
The Laurie Beechman Theatre, The Green Room 42
NATASHA CASTILLO
That’s My Music: Growing Up with the Carpenters
Don’t Tell Mama
SARAH CARSON
Strange Magic - A Musical
Journey Through the Unconscious Mind
Don’t Tell Mama
SUSAN MACK
No More Blues, The Susan Mack Quintet
Birdland, Jazz on Main, Maureen’s Jazz Cellar
MALE VOCALIST
CHRISTOPHER CASWELL
Listen to My Heart
The Laurie Beechman Theatre, Arts Project of Cherry
Grove
RIAN KEATING
Songs from My Trunk
Don’t Tell Mama
TIM CONNELL
Tis the Season, It’s the Joy in Your Heart
The Green Room 42, Pangea
WOODY REGAN
From There to Here
Don’t Tell Mama
MAJOR ARTIST – FEMALE
CAROLE J. BUFFORD
You Don’t Own Me, Come Together, Yuletide Carole
54 Below, Birdland
MARIEANN MERINGOLO
The Birthday Show: Vintage 1964, 25 Years of Musical
Magic, In the Spirit 2024
The Green Room 42, Chelsea Table + Stage
NICOLE ZURAITIS
Birdland
TANYA MOBERLY
Standards
Don’t Tell Mama
MAJOR ARTIST – MALE
ARI AXELROD
A Place for Us, Self-Portrait
Birdland, Bay Street Theater
CRAIG POMRANZ
Berlin to Dylan to Simon and Garfunkel: It’s All
Kosher
Don’t Tell Mama, The Gardenia
CRAIG RUBANO
Take the Moment
The Laurie Beechman Theatre, UU Congregation of Monmouth
County
KIM DAVID SMITH
Kim Sings Kylie (You Hear it
and You Know), More Mostly Marlene, A Wery Weimar
Christmas, Death of Classical’s “Tiergarten”
Bard Spiegeltent, Post Office Ptown, Club
Cumming, Great Hall at St Mary’s Church, Joe’s Pub
NICOLAS KING
Various
Post Office PTown, 54 Below, Davenport’s, Crooners
NEW YORK DEBUT – FEMALE
AVERY NUSBAUM
It’s A Girl
Don’t Tell Mama
JENN BORNSTEIN
Diary of a Pizza Bagel’s Daughter
Don’t Tell Mama
LaRAISHA DiEVELYN DIONNE
Journey to the Center
Don’t Tell Mama
SHEREE SANO
Tension and Release – The Cole Porter I Know and Love
Salmagundi Art Room, Winchester Garden, The Ellington
Room
NEW YORK DEBUT – MALE
M. CAN YASAR
Turkish Rhapsody
Don’t Tell Mama
MATTHEW MARTIN WARD
What I Love
Don’t Tell Mama
MICHAEL RIDER
This ‘Ol House: Stories of a City Bear, Country Queen
Chelsea Table + Stage, The Green Room 42
CELEBRITY ARTIST
ANN HAMPTON CALLAWAY
Finding Beauty
54 Below
ANN HAMPTON CALLAWAY AND LIZ CALLAWAY
NY State of Mind
54 Below
BETH LEAVEL
Beth Leavel, Beth Leavel Sings Sondheim
54 Below
BILLY STRITCH
Birdland
GABRIELLE STRAVELLI
Birdland
NORM LEWIS
Summertime, The Best of Christmas
54 Below
SALLY MAYES
Now and Then
The Green Room 42
ICON
ADAM PASCAL AND ANTHONY RAPP
Celebrating Friendship and History
54 Below
ANDRE DESHIELDS
André DeShields Celebrates The 40th Anniversary of
Harlem Nocturne
54 Below
JENNIFER HOLLIDAY
An Intimate Evening
Red Eye NY, Catalina Jazz Club, Café Carlyle
TONY DANZA
Standards and Stories
54 Below
IMPERSONATION/CHARACTERIZATION/DRAG
ARTIST
CHEO BOURNE
The Bucket List
Don’t Tell Mama
KIKI BALL-CHANGE
Hoe Down!
Red Eye NY, Joe’s Pub, Crown and Anchor
SHANNON DALEY
Love And Let Die: Confessions of a
Bond Girl
Don’t Tell Mama
VARLA JEAN MERMAN
The Errors Tour
Red Eye NY, Crown and Anchor
MUSICAL COMEDY PERFORMER
AMY WOLK
Amy Has Some Things To Wolk On
Don’t Tell Mama
BECCA KIDWELL
If You Hadn’t But You Did: songs of love, sex, and
murder
Don’t Tell Mama, Club Café Boston
LENA MOY-BORGEN
A Very Jewish Christmas Story
Don’t Tell Mama
LILA DAY
More of the Same
Pangea, Don’t Tell Mama
DUO/GROUP
ERIC COMSTOCK AND BARBARA FASANO
Birdland
KAREN MACK AND ELLIOT ROTH
Twofer Tuesday, Live at The Sands,
Elliot & Karen's 3rd Ever Holiday Thing
Pangea, Crown and Anchor, The Triad
SETH SIKES AND NICOLAS KING
The New Belters Sing MGM
Mansion at Saratoga, The Red Room, 54 Below
REVUE
FIND THE ROAD - A JOHN M. COOK ANTHOLOGY
Created and written by John M. Cook
Don’t Tell Mama
HOLIDAY REGARDS
Created and written by Michael Colby
Urban Stages
JOE ICONIS AND FAMILY
Created, written, and directed by Joe Iconis
54 Below, The Laurie Beechman Theatre
RECURRING SERIES
THE AMERICAN POPULAR SONG SOCIETY SERIES
Created, produced, and hosted by Linda
Amiel Burns
Don’t Tell Mama
JIM CARUSO’S CAST PARTY
Created, produced, and hosted by Jim Caruso
Birdland
THE LINEUP
Created and hosted by Susie Mosher, produced by Hope
Royaltey
Birdland
SONDHEIM UNPLUGGED
Created by Phil Geoffrey Bond, produced by Lucia
Spina and Rob Maitner
54 Below
SPOTLIGHT ON YOU OPEN MIC
Produced and hosted by Natasha Castillo, co-created
with John Koprowski
53 Above
EMCEE
GOLDIE DVER
Sneak Peek
Don’t Tell Mama
JIM CARUSO
Cast Party
Birdland
SUSIE MOSHER
The Lineup
Birdland
TRIBUTE SHOW
CAROLYN MONTGOMERY
GirlSINGER, A Celebration of Rosemary Clooney
Birdland, 54 Below
DEBORAH ZECHER AND JOSHUA ZECHER-ROSS
Family Matters: A Celebration of all Things Rodgers,
Rodgers, and Guettel (Richard, Mary, and Adam)
Don’t Tell Mama
GOLDIE DVER
What A Man! Goldie Dver Sings Anthony Newley
Don’t Tell Mama, Salmagundi Club
KATI NEIHEISEL
London by Night (Julie London)
Pangea
RENEE KATZ
Renee Katz Sings Irving Berlin: Lost in His Arms
Don’t Tell Mama
SPECIAL PRODUCTION
DON’T CRY FOR ME - MY YESHIVA
Written, produced, and performed by Joe Fox, directed
by Lennie Watts, musical direction by Dan Furman
Don’t Tell Mama
GRAND HOTEL: THE 35TH ANNIVERSARY
REUNION
Produced by Walter Willison, musical director Alex
Rybeck
54 Below
JOE ICONIS CHRISTMAS EXTRAVAGANZA
Created and written by Joe Iconis, produced by
Jennifer Ashley Tepper, directed by John Simpkins
54 Below
MAMA’S NEXT BIG ACT
Produced by Don’t Tell Mama and Lennie
Watts, created by Lennie Watts, musical direction by
Yasuhiko Fukuoka
Don’t Tell Mama
DIRECTOR
BARRY KLEINBORT
Lorna Dallas/Snapshots (Chelsea Table + Stage), Karen
Mason/Just in Styne (Birdland), Jason Henderson/Getting
to Noël You (Don’t Tell Mama) Jeff Harnar (54 Below,
Birdland), Ann Kittredge/Romantic Notions (Chelsea Table
+ Stage)
JEFF HARNAR
Craig Rubano/Take the Moment (The Laurie Beechman
Theatre), Celia Berk/A Dream and a Song (54 Below),
Renee Katz/Lost in His Arms (Don’t Tell Mama), Josephine
Sanges/How My Heart Sings (Pangea), Richard Holbrook/Twenty+Four
in 2024 (54 Below)
LENNIE WATTS
Sarah Carson/ Strange Magic - A Musical
Journey Through the Unconscious Mind (Don’t Tell Mama);
M. Can Yasar/Turkish Rhapsody (Don’t Tell Mama); Deborah
Zecher and Joshua Zecher-Ross/Family Matters: A
Celebration of All Things Rodgers, Rodgers, and Guettel
(Richard, Mary, and Adam) (Don’t Tell Mama); Shannon
Daley/Love and Let Die: Confessions of a Bond Girl
(Don’t Tell Mama); Joe Fox/Don’t Cry for Me - My Yeshiva
(Don’t Tell Mama)
LINA KOUTRAKOS
Margaret Curry/The Space In-Between (The Laurie Beechman
Theatre, The Green Room 42), Kati Neiheisel/London By
Night (Pangea), Susan Mack/No More Blues (Birdland),
Marieann Meringolo/The Birthday Show, Vintage 1964 (The
Green Room 42), Dawn Derow/Woman’s Work (The Cutting
Room)
TANYA MOBERLY
Amy Beth Williams/In Reverse (Don’t Tell Mama), Marnie
Klar/Karen Carpenter Covers (Don’t Tell Mama), Woody
Regan/From There to Here (Don’t Tell Mama), Rian
Keating/Songs from My Trunk (Don’t Tell Mama), Dan
Thaler/These are the Days (Don’t Tell Mama)
MUSICAL DIRECTOR
BILLY STRITCH
Jim Caruso’s Cast Party (Birdland), Gabrielle Stravelli
(Birdland), David Marino (Birdland), Tribute to Fred Ebb
(Birdland)
DARNELL WHITE
BoyOnBillBoard (54 Below), Melba Moore/To Broadway with
Love (54 Below), Diva LaMarr, Darnell White/Just the Two
Of Us (Pangea), Michael Ray Fisher Does Marilyn Maye (54
Below), The Garfunkles (Café Carlyle)
GREGORY TOROIAN
Margaret Curry/The Space In-Between (The Laurie Beechman
Theatre, The Green Room 42), Kati Neiheisel/London By
Night (Pangea), Maria Corsaro and Leslie Vincent/An
Evening of Jazz (Don’t Tell Mama), Debra Ta and Gregory
Toroian/Reservations for Two (Don’t Tell Mama)
TEDD FIRTH
Susan Mack/No More Blues (Birdland), Carolyn
Montgomery/Girl Singer (54 Below), Melissa Errico/A
Manhattan Valentine (Birdland), Marilyn Maye/By Request
(54 Below), Sally Mayes/Now and Then (The Green Room 42)
TRACY STARK
Kim David Smith/Various (Joe’s Pub, Club Cumming),
Brenda Braxton/Stars Tonight! (54 Below), Meg Flather/The
Brick Room Tour (Don’t Tell Mama), Can Yasar/Turkish
Rhapsody (Don’t Tell Mama), Jeanne McDonald live at the
Eldred Preserve (The Eldred Preserve)
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
ADAM DeCARLO
Deborah Zecher & Joshua Zecher-Ross/Family
Matters (Don't Tell Mama); Meg Flather/The Brick Room
Tour (Don't Tell Mama); Claudine Cassan-Jellison/Memory
Laps (Don't Tell Mama); Sarah Carson/ Strange Magic - A
Musical Journey Through the Unconscious Mind (Don't
Tell Mama); Marjorie Sanua's Secrets of Life (Don't Tell
Mama); Shannon Daley/Love and Let Die (Don't Tell Mama)
AMANDA RAYMOND/ BECKY MORRIS
Marilyn Maye/By Request (54 Below); The
Callaways/New York State of Mind (54 Below); Lee Roy
Reams/Uncensored! (54 Below); Grand Hotel Cast Reunion
Concert (54 Below)
GIAN DiCOSTANZO
Fidelity Theatricals/Selections from Hair (Don’t Tell
Mama); Joe Fox/Don’t Cry For Me, My Yeshiva (Don’t Tell
Mama); Eden Casteel/Kahn Artist (Don’t Tell Mama); Jay
Daniels/Jay Walking (Don’t Tell Mama); Hope Levy/The
Connie Converse Universe (Don’t Tell Mama)
KELLY WOHLFORD
Lost in his Arms: Renee Katz Sings Irving Berlin (Don’t
Tell Mama); Andrea Marcovicci/Beyond Compare (Don’t Tell
Mama); American Popular Songbook Society (Don’t Tell
Mama); Yael Rasooly and Daniel Rein/Hymn to Love-A
Cabaret with Piaf (Don’t Tell Mama); Goldie Dver/What a
Man! - The Songs of Anthony Newley (Don’t Tell Mama)
SHERIDAN GLOVER
Leslie Carrara-Rudolph/Moonlight Madness
(The Green Room 42); Reeve Carney Performs the Music of
Prince (The Green Room 42); Ava Nicole Francis/The Dream
That I See (The Green Room 42); Madeline Dalton/Swingin'
with Sara (The Green Room 42); Natalie Joy Johnson/Songs
from the Bunker (The Green Room 42)
ENSEMBLE INSTRUMENTALIST
DON KELLY, drums/percussion
Can Yaser/Turkish Rhapsody (Don’t Tell
Mama); Eve Eaton/Back to Billy (Don’t Tell Mama); Marnie
Klar/Karen Carpenter Covers (Don’t Tell Mama); Natasha
Castillo/Growing Up with the Carpenters (Don’t Tell
Mama); Sarah Carson/ Strange Magic - A Musical Journey
Through the Unconscious Mind (Don’t Tell Mama)
MATT SCHARFGLASS, bass
Can Yasar/A Turkish Rhapsody (Don’t Tell
Mama); Carolyn Montgomery/girlSINGER, A Celebration of
Rosemary Clooney (54 Below); Jenn Bornstein/Diary of a
Pizza Bagel's Daughter (Don’t Tell Mama); Marnie Klar/Karen
Carpenter Covers (Don’t Tell Mama); Tanya Moberly/I Love
NY Songwriters (Don’t Tell Mama)
RITT HENN, bass
Amanda McBroom/Wintersong (Birdland); Ann Hampton
Callaway and Liz Callaway/NY State of Mind (54 Below);
Jeff Harnar/It’s Delovely (Birdland); Renee Katz/ Lost
in His Arms (Don’t Tell Mama); Tanya Moberly/Standards
(Don’t Tell Mama)
SKIP WARD, bass
Brenda Braxton/Stars Tonight! (54 Below);
Kati Neiheisel/London by Night (Pangea); Leslie Vincent
and Maria Corsaro/An Evening of Jazz with Leslie Vincent
and Maria Corsaro (Don’t Tell Mama); Margaret Curry/The
Space In-Between (The Laurie Beechman Theatre); Michael
Rider/This ‘Ol House: Stories of a City Bear, Country
Queen (Chelsea Table + Stage)
PIANO BAR SINGING ENTERTAINER – UPTOWN
ANDRE JORDAN
Don’t Tell Mama
ANNA ANDERSON
Don’t Tell Mama, Brandy’s
ELAINE BRIER
Don’t Tell Mama
JENNIFER PACE
Brandy’s
JON SATROM
Don’t Tell Mama, Brandy’s
TARA MARTINEZ
Don’t Tell Mama
PIANO BAR SINGING ENTERTAINER –
DOWNTOWN
ALANA DIAZ
Stonewall, The Duplex
MARIA GENTILE
The Duplex, Stonewall
MILES WHITTAKER
Stonewall
SUSAN CAMPANARO
Stonewall
PIANO BAR INSTRUMENTALIST – UPTOWN
ALEXANDRA FREDERICK
The Townhouse, Don’t Tell Mama, Da Marino
BILL ZEFFIRO
Le Rivage, Tudor City Steakhouse, Da Marino
GERRY DEIFFENBACH
Don’t Tell Mama
JOE REGAN
Don’t Tell Mama
NATE BUCCIERI
Don’t Tell Mama, Brandy’s
WILL TN HALL
Don’t Tell Mama, Brandy’s
PIANO BAR INSTRUMENTALIST – DOWNTOWN
BRANDON JAMES GWINN
Marie’s Crisis
DAN PARDO
Stonewall
DARNELL WHITE
The Nines, Soho Grand Club Room
KENNEY GREEN-TILFORD
Marie’s Crisis
SONG
ABOUT LOVE
Music and Lyrics by Bob Levy
BETTER PLACE
Music and Lyrics by Tracy Stark
BIG DREAMS
Music by Teresa Eggertsen Cooke, Lyrics by Andy Jackson
LITTLE DID I KNOW
Music and Lyrics by Ava Nicole Frances
LOOKING BACK
Music by Michael Leonard, Lyrics by Jane Scheckter and
Roger Schore
THE MOON IS A KITE
Music and Lyrics by Ann Hampton Callaway
WAIT
Music and Lyrics by Drew Fornarola
COMEDY/NOVELTY SONG
THE BAGEL’S IN MY SOUL
Music and Lyrics by Daniel Cainer
LUV SCHMUV
Music by David Alpher, Lyrics by Jennie Litt
OL’ SANTA FELL IN LOVE WITH A HOT KNISH
Music and Lyrics by John A. Todras
SHE LIKES ME
Music by Tom Toce, Lyrics by Bob Levy and Tom Toce
SOMEONE WHO CAN STAND YOU
Music and Lyrics by John Forster
THE TEACHERS I REMEMBER
Music by Matthew Martin Ward, Lyrics by Peter Napolitano
RECORDING (LaMott Friedman Recording
Award)
BOB LEVY
All About Love: The Dane Vannatter Recordings Volume II
D.C. ANDERSON
Believe, Breathe and Sing
KAREN MACK
Catch & Keep
RICK BOGART
Rick Bogart Sings Mr. Paganini
SHEREE SANO
Tension and Release – The Cole Porter I Know and Love
MAJOR RECORDING
JANE SCHECKTER
I’ll Take Romance
NATALIE DOUGLAS
Back to the Garden
ROSEMARY LOAR
Curaçāo Vagabundo – Vagabond Heart
TANYA MOBERLY
I Love New York Songwriters
VARIOUS ARTISTS
Chip Deffaa's Rare and Unrecorded Irving Berlin Songs
Join us on Thursday, April 20 at 7pm, for
The 39th Annual MAC Awards, when the
envelopes will be opened and the winners will be
announced and celebrated.