First Annual Nightlife Awards Ceremony Slated for January 27, 2003

A new awards show is coming to town — Town Hall, to be exact. On Monday, January 27, that venerable venue will host The First Annual Nightlife Awards, honoring the best of cabaret, comedy, and jazz in New York City.

The winners will be chosen by more than a dozen judges, including Stephen Holden of The New York Times, Rex Reed of The New York Observer, Robert L. Daniels of Variety, and TheaterMania’s own Barbara & Scott Siegel. They will be selecting winners in 18 different categories and, in addition, Living Legend Awards will be given to three celebrated entertainers. “This is a broad-based award in which more than 15 critics, journalists, and respected authorities will see acts in small and big clubs alike and then vote for the best acts they’ve seen all year,” says co-presenter Scott Siegel, who adds that “The critics will vote only in the areas of their own expertise.”

Cabaret songstress Andrea Marcovicci will be one of the hosts for the evening, and several other performers yet to be announced will be on hand to add music and humor to the proceedings. “We’ll also be announcing in advance our three Living Legend Award honorees — one each for cabaret, jazz, and comedy — as well as celebrity presenters,” says Siegel, who stresses that the Nightlife Awards aren’t just about honoring entertainers — they are also about providing entertainment. “The audience will hear acceptance speeches,” he says, “but they’ll also get an evening full of performances by cabaret and jazz entertainers and comedians who will have been chosen by New York’s most important nightlife critics as the very best of 2002.”

“Our mission” continues Siegel, “is to redefine and highlight the importance of cabaret, jazz, and comedy in the constellation of New York City entertainment. When people think of New York, they think of the city that never sleeps. Where is everybody when they’re not at home? Well, quite a lot of them are in our famous nightclubs. We want to honor the gifted performers who create that nightlife.”

Tickets for the event are priced at $25, $50, and $75, and separate tickets to the post-show party are available at $50. They may be purchased at the box office during the week of the Cabaret Convention at Town Hall, which began last evening and ends on Sunday, October 27, but will not again be on sale there until January 2. In the interim, they can be bought through Ticketmaster.

For tickets to the post-show party or for further information about the Nightlife Awards, phone Scott Siegel at 212-752-4119 or e-mail him at siegelentertainment@msn.com. To view the First Annual Nightlife Awards web page, click here.