The Best of Cabaret 2002

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Best Female Vocalist:
1) Julie Reyburn at Judy’s Chelsea
2) Marnie Baumer at Don’t Tell Mama
3) Deborah Boilly at Don’t Tell Mama
4) Natalie Douglas at The Duplex
5) Jana Robbins at Danny’s
6) Julie Johnston at Judy’s Chelsea

Best Female Vocalist in a Major Engagement:

1) Kristin Chenoweth in Lincoln Center’s American Songbook Series
2) Karen Akers at the Oak Room
3) Betty Buckley at Feinstein’s at the Regency
4) Lillias White at Feinstein’s at the Regency
5) Andrea Marcovicci at the Oak Room
6) KT Sullivan at the Oak Room
7) Mary Cleere Haran at The Café Carlyle
8) Phoebe Snow at Joe’s Pub
9) Ute Lemper at Joe’s Pub

Best Male Vocalist:
1) Lennie Watts at Don’t Tell Mama

2) Steven Lutvak at Joe’s Pub
3 William Ryall at Don’t Tell Mama
4) Jonny Peterson at Danny’s
5) Jarrod Cafaro at Don’t Tell Mama

7) Michael McAssey at Don’t Tell Mama

8) Frank Fontana at Don’t Tell Mama

9) Matt Bogart at Joe’s Pub

10) D.C. Anderson at Don’t Tell Mama

Best Male Vocalist in a Major Engagement:

1) Steve Ross at The Stanhope Hotel

2) Tom Wopat at Arci’s Place

3) James Naughton at The Café Carlyle

4) Michael Feinstein at Feinstein’s at the Regency

5) Dave Frishberg at The Oak Room

6) Hal Linden at Feinstein’s at the Regency
7) David Campbell at The Café Carlyle

Best Comedy:

1) Tommy Koenig at The Duplex
2) Pat Candaras at Don’t Tell Mama

Best Comedy by an Icon:
Mort Sahl at Joe’s Pub

Best Jazz in Cabaret Clubs:

1) Cy Coleman at Joe’s Pub

2) George Shearing at Feinstein’s at the Regency

3) Keely Smith at Feinstein’s at the Regency

4) Cleo Laine & John Dankworth at Feinstein’s at the Regency
5) The Pizzarelli Family at Feinstein’s at the Regency

Best Musical Comedy:
1) Sharon McNight at Judy’s Chelsea
2) Michael Vaccaro at Don’t Tell Mama
3) Amanda Green & Jim Caruso at The Laurie Beechman Theatre

4) John Flynn at Upstairs at Rose’s Turn

Best Ongoing Cabaret Series:

1) Lincoln Center’s American Songbook Series
2) New Mondays at the Duplex
3) David Lahm & Friends at Judy’s Chelsea

Best Benefit:

For Natalie Douglas, at The Duplex

Best CDs:
1) Tie: Scott Coulter and Steven Lutvak: The Time it Takes

2) Karen Oberlin’s Sentimental Journey
3) John DePalma: The Song is Mine

Best Cabaret Party:

Scott Coulter’s CD release celebration; he had lost his voice but friends stepped up to help, volunteering to sing so that he wouldn’t have to cancel the party.

Best Cabaret Shows Performed in Theaters:
1) Mandy Patinkin at the Henry Miller
2) Kristin Chenoweth at John Jay College
3) Veronica Klaus at HERE

Best Female Debut:
Lorinda Lisitza at Don’t Tell Mama

Best Male Debut:

Brandon Cutrell at Don’t Tell Mama (not for the show, but for Cutrell’s talent as an intepreter of lyrics)

Best Cabaret Debut by a Performer Already Accomplished in Another Field:
William Ryall at Don’t Tell Mama (he’s a seasoned musical theater actor)

Best Dressed:

1) Andrea Marcovicci — elegant at the Oak Room
2) BJ Crosby — an outfit with a sense of humor, worn at the Cabaret Convention
3) Marcus Kettles — playfully psychedelic at Judy’s Chelsea

Best Impersonations/Characterizations:
1) Kelly Briggs and Jerry Christakos as Dar and Kristy van de Camp (Don’t Tell Mama)
2) Rick Skye as Liza (Don’t Tell Mama)
3) Christine Pedi as everyone (Don’t Tell Mama)
4) Steven Brinberg as Barbra (Don’t Tell Mama)

Best Singer/Songwriter/Instrumentalist:

1) Steven Lutvak at Joe’s Pub
2) John Bucchino at The Duplex

Best Vocal Duo:
Marin Mazzie and Jason Danieley, Lincoln Center’s American Songbook Series

Best Revue of a Contemporary Songwriter’s Work:
1) Rick Crom’s What in the World? at Upstairs at Rose’s Turn
2) Amanda Green at The Duplex
3) The Big Barry Birthday Bash at Don’t Tell Mama
4) Mikey Writes It (Michael Holland) at Don’t Tell Mama
5) Francesca Blumenthal
6) Marcy Heisler and Zina Goldrich at Don’t Tell Mama

Most Unique Act or Performance:
1) Rob Kapilow with Ann Hampton Callaway at Lincoln Center’s American Songbook Series
2) Rob Kapilow with Brian d’Arcy James at Lincoln Center’s American Songbook Series
3) Seth Rudetsky’s Chatterbox at Don’t Tell Mama

Most Unforgettable Rendition of a Single Song:
1) Julie Reyburn singing “Try to Remember” in reference to 9/11

2) Martha Lorin singing “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” in a jazz idiom
3) Steve Ross singing “Losing My Mind”
4) Jarrod Cafaro singing “The Mason”

Best Concept Shows:
1) Elaine St. George at Don’t Tell Mama
2) KT Sullivan at the Oak Room
3) Morgan Sills at Danny’s

Best Upscale Piano Bar Entertainer:

Tie: Lana Rein and Chris Barrett at The FireBird

Best Piano Bar Team:

1) Charles Lindberg & Scott Ailing at Danny’s

Best Piano Bar Pianist
1) Bobby Peaco at Don’t Tell Mama
2) Jerry Scott at Danny’s

3) John MacMahon at Don’t Tell Mama/Regents
4) Tracy Stark at Judy’s

5) D.J. Bradley at Don’t Tell Mama/Judy’s Chelsea

Best Female Piano Bar Vocalists:

1) Kimlee Hicks at Judy’s Chelsea/Rose’s Turn
2) Leslie Anderson at Judy’s Chelsea

3) Jennifer Kruskamp at Don’t Tell Mama
4) Elaine Brier at Don’t Tell Mama/Judy’s Chelsea
5) Jennifer Pace at Don’t Tell Mama

Best Male Piano Bar Vocalists:
1) A.J. Irvin at Don’t Tell Mama
2) George Sanders at Don’t Tell Mama
3) Michael Dionne at Rose’s Turn
4) Jonathan Tomaselli at Judy’s Chelsea/Don’t Tell Mama

Most Original and Ambitious Show:
1) Mark Nadler’s Tchaikowsky and Other Russians at The Oak Room (now at the FireBird)

2) Rhapsody in Seth (Seth Rudetsky) at Ars Nova
3) Thomas at Don’t Tell Mama

Emotional Highlight of the Year:
John Wallowitch and Bertram Ross at Danny’s

Most Meteoric Career Trajectory:
Peter Cincotti, 19-year-old jazz pianist

Best Sound Design:
Anna Bergman, who performed her entire show at Danny’s without a microphone. Brava!

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[More reviews by the Siegels can be found at www.cabarethotlineonline.com. For information on the First Annual Nightlife Awards, to be co-presented by Scott Siegel on January 27 at The Town Hall, click here.]