Marilyn Maye, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Nikki Blonsky and More Present at 2013 Bistro Awards Tonight

The 28th Annual Bistro Awards gala, set to take place tonight, March 4, has announced some of its main presenters. Unlike most other awards show, the Bistro Awards is an evening filled with great performances from the winners - stars as well as talented newcomers - who represent a wide variety of styles from the worlds of cabaret, comedy, and jazz.

Marilyn Maye, the legendary entertainer who won the 2008 Bob Harrington Lifetime Achievement Award, will present Lainie Kazan with her very own Lifetime Achievement Award. Dee Dee Bridgewater, the acclaimed vocalist and Tony Award-winning actress who won the 2012 Bistro for Outstanding Jazz Artistry, will present Maurice Hines with his honor for Enduring Artistry. Nikki Blonsky, of the film "Hairspray" and the ABC Family TV series "Huge," will present the comedy award to Alec Mapa. Lee Summers, the award-winning actor and composer, will present the versatile singer and actress Jenifer Lewis with her award for Dazzling Return to New York Cabaret. Larry Moss, the director, acting coach and performer, will present Clint Holmes with his honor for Major Engagement. Thirteen other awards will be given out as well.

The celebration will take place at Gotham Comedy Club, 208 West 23rd Street (between 7th & 8th avenues). To purchase tickets, go to www.bistroawards.com. For additional information, call 646-637-2806 or 917-239-5467.

Tony Award-nominated Ms. Kazan has entertained audiences on stage and screen and in nightclubs since the 1960s - from "Funny Girl" to "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," from MR. Kelly's to Feinstein's at Loews Regency. Mr. Hines is a celebrated actor, dancer and choreographer who started on TV variety shows in the 1950s and went on to a Tony Award-nominated career on Broadway, is being honored for his Enduring Artistry. The evening, under the direction of Shellen Lubin, will once again be co-hosted by comedian and actor Jim David, and will feature performances from most of this year's Bistro-winning artists.

Clint Holmes brought his bravura showmanship and powerful vocals to the Café Carlyle in a critically-acclaimed new show comparing and contrasting the music of Cole Porter and Paul Simon. Sue Raney, a leading light on the West Coast jazz scene since the 1950s and still gloriously in command of her sunny voice and trademark range, marked her first New York nightclub engagement in over 25 years, at Feinstein's at Loews Regency.

In 2012, film, TV and stage star Jenifer Lewis performed on a New York cabaret stage for the first time in 20 years. Broadway and symphony conductor Barry Levitt, who is music director for many of nightlife's biggest names, will be honored for "Ongoing Musical Excellence," and Mx. Justin VivIan Bond, the Tony Award-nominated performance artist, for "Singular Artistry."

Two Special Awards will be presented: to Jack Kleinsinger, whose concert series "Highlights in Jazz" has been presenting major jazz performers for 41 seasons, and to Ben Rimalower, the writer and performer of the poignant and hilarious solo play "Patti Issues," which has been extended four times at The Duplex.

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