Review: The 24th Annual MAC Awards

And the winner is…The 24^th Annual MAC Awards! So it goes in my book. If there was an award show for award shows, this one, the third entry in the awards season, was certainly the best. The evening was hosted by Sharon McNight and ran long, as all awards shows do, without seeming long or boring. I was entertained every moment of the show. The gentle flow between the entertainers, presenters, and thank you speeches were all kept to perfectly palatable time limits.

Some of my favorite moments of the evening were, Mario Cantone, who was fashionably late and provided big laughs, Julie Reyburn, Brandon Cutrell and Lina Koutrakos, all of whom were, as always, at their amazing best, and Peggy Lee impersonator Chuck Sweeney, who had the audience rolling on the floor with laughter. The Les Paul Trio graced the stage featuring the very suave Tony DeSare, who continued on his own with “I Love A Piano,” and Angela Shultz, winner of the Hanson Award sang “My Moment” (aka “The American Idol Song”), a hysterical song penned by MAC Award winner Hector Coris. Terese Genecco & Sean Harkness performed a song from her Elvis show, Under The Covers.

Other greats were KT Sullivan and Mark Nadler, the legendary Leslie Uggams, always a treat to see, and the ever lovely and talented Lucie Arnaz with Billy Stritch at the piano. Another major moment was when the people that work in the rooms we all go to for Cabaret came out on stage and performed together and individually. Each and every one showed us that they will be the MAC Award winners of tomorrow!

Tony Award winner Brian Stokes Mitchell presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to Leslie Uggams. Other special honorees of the evening were Peter Leavy (Board of Directors Award, presented by KT Sullivan), Playbill.com (Board of Directors Award, presented by Karen Mason), Angela Shultz (Hanson Award, presented by Lennie Watts) and Brandon Cutrell (Time Out New York Award, presented by Adam Feldman). Board of Directors Awards are given to "people, organizations or publications that have shown extraordinary support to the cabaret community."

Director Lennie Watts, producer Julie Miller and musical director Tracy Stark sure know how to put on a show. G-d willing, I’ll be back next year.

A complete list of all the winners of the 24th Annual MAC Awards can be found elsewhere on this site. 

For complete info about the reviewer, please go to www.thekingofbroadway.com and follow on twitter/tkob