New York City Mayor Bloomberg Set to Proclaim 'MARCH IS CABARET MONTH'

New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg will issue a proclamation declaring March "Cabaret Month" in honor of a tradition long observed by New York City club owners. The proclamation will be presented at the Cabaret Hotline Anniversary Gala at the Laurie Beechman Theater on March 6th. Vocalist Craig Pomranz (photo below), who spearheaded the campaign to get the Mayor on board, will accept the document on behalf of the cabaret community including the organizations: Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs (MAC), Cabaret Hotline, and The Mabel Mercer Foundation, which presents the annual Cabaret Convention each October.

"The Mayor recognized that nightclub performing in a cabaret setting is a classic part of New York's identity in films, television and literature," says Pomranz, who won a 2012 MAC Award as Best Male Vocalist. "Even people who have never been to the city imagine themselves sitting in a sophisticated nightclub, sipping a cocktail and watching a performer in an intimate setting. We hope this proclamation will bring more attention to this versatile and vibrant art form. Cabaret is New York, as much as theater, galleries and Central Park."

Decades ago, club owners began using the phrase, "March is Cabaret Month" to coax audiences out of their apartments during the chilly, slow winter months. March was chosen because it began with the Backstage Bistro Awards (as they were then known, now they are the "Bistro Awards") and ended with the MAC awards. The Mayor's office supported the community's efforts then as well, and in 2008, Cabaret Hotline Online, a popular online website and newsletter, resurrected "March is Cabaret Month" with support from venue operators, organizations and performers.

The cabaret genre is filled with passionately loyal performers and audiences. Attracting New Yorkers and visitors alike, new nightclubs are still popping up, like 54 Below, which opened with a bang last summer. There are venues large and small from the mainstay, Don't Tell Mama, to the Allen Room at Jazz at Lincoln Center, B.B. King's in Times Square, the intimate Metropolitan Room in Chelsea, Joe's Pub at The Public Theater, and The Cutting Room on the East Side, which recently underwent a renovation. The elegant Café Carlyle is opening a new late night cabaret show series, and even the East Village is getting into the "act" as Sidewalk Cafe begins a series of cabaret performances in March.

For Cabaret Hotline Gala tickets email: stuhamstra@svhamstra.com