The Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs (MAC) is pleased to announce the 26th Annual MAC Awards Show. The event will be held on Thursday, March 29th, at the world-famous B.B. King Blues Club & Grill in NYC. The evening will feature many live performances as well as the live announcement of the winners of the 2012 MAC Awards. In addition, as MAC celebrates The Year of the Songwriter, five exceptional songwriters will receive special honors.
The Host of the evening will be the wildly talented and always entertaining Jason Graae. Scheduled to appear as performers or presenters are: Scott Barbarino, Kenny Bell, Anna Bergman, Liz Lark Brown, Mary Foster Conklin, Scott Coulter, Baby Jane Dexter, Natalie Douglas, Kevin Dozier, Bernie Furshpin, Terese Genecco, Sean Harkness, Thomas Honeck, Karen Mason, Sharon McNight, Julie Miller, Sidney Myer, Mark Nadler, Christine Pedi, Don Rebic, Julie Reyburn, Sarah Rice, Ricky Ritzel, Johnny Rodgers, Billy Stritch, KT Sullivan, Steven Ray Watkins, Lennie Watts, and Amy Wolk.
Awards in 23 categories will be presented, including two brand new categories: Benefit, and Show of the Year. The winners of the MAC Awards are not known in advance to anyone other than the accounting firm, which is sworn to strict secrecy. Immediately upon hearing their name announced from the podium, the winners in each of the performance categories will take to the stage and perform a song – showing everyone why they deserve the award they just received! Because even MAC does not know who the winners will be before the envelopes are opened on stage, every single nominee is rehearsed in advance so that they are prepared to take the stage and perform in the event they win the award that night. There is a wonderful electrical atmosphere in the venue to have an entertainer be surprised by a win, and then immediately go out on stage and perform. It’s an audience favorite!
Each year, MAC selects special honorees to be celebrated at the MAC Awards for their exemplary contributions to the cabaret community and beyond. This year, the theme of the MAC Awards show is The Year of the Songwriter. The honorees of the evening are all critically praised audience favorites, whose songs fill the cabaret venues every night of the year.
MAC will present two “Lifetime Achievement” awards at this year’s ceremony. The honorees this year are Ervin Drake and David Friedman, both of whom are highly acclaimed internationally known songwriters who have written material that has become a standard part of the American Songbook, such as Ervin Drake’s “It Was A Very Good Year” and “I Believe,” and David Friedman’s “Listen To My Heart” and “Help Is On The Way.”
