2016 BWW Cabaret Awards: Celia Berk and Sidney Myer Win Top Show Honors; Betty Buckley and Tony Yazbeck are Top Celebs

By: Jan. 19, 2017
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BREAKING NEWS: The votes are in and the results are official for the fifth annual BroadwayWorld New York Cabaret Awards. More than 32,000 votes were cast this year for the excellent performers and shows in 16 categories. BroadwayWorld would like to extend congratulations to all of this year's winners and nominees.

Celia Berk's MANHATTAN SERENADE is the runaway winner of the award for Best Show, Female. This is the second major category win for Berk, who won in the Best Debut Show category last year for YOU CAN'T RUSH SPRING. In the Best Show, Male category, Sidney Myer's long-awaited return to performing in LIVE AT THE LAURIE BEECHMAN THEATRE was the winner by a wide margin, besting Stearns Matthews' ME AND THE GERSHTWINS (also at the Laurie Beechman) and Mark Nadler's Pangea residency.

Celia Berk is the winner for this year's Best Show, Female
for her show MANHATTAN SERENADE.

Alex Rybeck takes the award for Best Musical Director for the second year in a row for his work on Berk's SERENADE, in addition to Corinna Sowers-Adler's HIGH STANDARDS. The legendary Marilyn Maye is also a consecutive winner as Best Director, this time around for Minda Larsen's MY SOUTHERN SONG at the Metropolitan Room.

For Celebrity Show, Betty Buckley and Tony Yazbeck won their respective categories. Buckley took the award for Best Show, Celebrity Female for the second year in a row with her latest STORY SONGS at Joe's Pub, narrowly beating out Laura Benanti's TALES FROM SOPRANO ISLE at Café Carlyle. Yazbeck's THE FLOOR ABOVE ME (Birdland) squeaked out a win over Norm Lewis' NORM LEWIS WISHES YOU A SWINGIN' CHRISTMAS and Tony Danza's STANDARDS & STORIES (both at Feinstein's/54 Below) for Best Show, Celebrity Male.

Charlie Poveromo & The Barry Levitt Quartet are this year's Best Debut Show winners for their run at the Metropolitan Room, narrowly beating Hanna Burke's WHY IS EVERYONE LAUGHING?: A TRIBUTE TO MADELINE KAHN (Don't Tell Mama). In the Best Musical Comedy or Alt Cabaret Show category, Shawn Moninger's BECAUSE I CAN was the clear winner, as was Savannah Brown and Chase O'Donnell's TOO BLONDES for Best Duo Show and Stacy Sullivan for A NIGHT AT THE TROUBADOUR WITH ELTON JOHN AND DAVID ACKLES for Best Tribute Show (all at the Metropolitan Room).

Best Show, Celebrity Male winner Tony Yazbeck
in his show THE FLOOR ABOVE ME.

Voted the city's Best Vocalists this year are Lisa Viggiano and Jeff Harnar. Ann Hampton Callaway won the Best Jazz Vocalist (Male or Female) category in a landslide, ending the four-year streak of previous winner Jane Monheit.

Jim Caruso's CAST PARTY at Birdland won for Best Variety or Recurring Series. A winner for last's Excellence in Hosting a Variety Show, Series or Open Mic Editor's Choice Award, Caruso's CAST PARTY has been a Monday night staple at Birdland for over a decade. The series narrowly beat last year's winning series, Feinstein's/54 Below's 54 BELOW SINGS.

In this year's new categories, Special Event - Solo and Special Event - Multiple, Jessica Vosk's YOU ASKED FOR IT (Joe's Pub) and singer/songwriter duo Matt Cusson/Brian Gallagher's THE MATT & BRIAN SHOW (Birdland) won, respectively.

(Note: Editor's Choice Awards for Cabaret Personalities of the Year, Dedication & Devotion to the Art of Cabaret, Excellence in Hosting Variety Show, Series, or Open Mic, Excellence in Musicianship, and Excellence in Songwriting will be announced at a later date.)

Again, here are the winners of the 2016 BroadwayWorld New York Cabaret Awards:

Best Debut Show (Male or Female)
Charlie Poveromo & the Barry Levitt Quartet - Charlie Poveromo & the Barry Levitt Quartet at the Metropolitan Room - Metropolitan Room

Best Director
Marilyn Maye - Minda Larsen, My Southern Song - Metropolitan Room

Best Duo Show
Savannah Brown & Chase O'Donnell - Too Blondes - Metropolitan Room

Best Jazz Vocalist (Male or Female)
Ann Hampton Callaway

Best Musical Comedy or Alt Cabaret Show
Shawn Moninger - Because I Can - Metropolitan Room

Best Musical Director
Alex Rybeck - Celia Berk, Corinna Sowers-Adler

Best Show, Celebrity Female
Betty Buckley - Story Songs - Joe's Pub

Best Show, Celebrity Male
Tony Yazbeck - The Floor Above Me - Birdland

Best Show, Female
Celia Berk - Manhattan Serenade - Metropolitan Room

Best Show, Male
Sidney Myer - Live at The Laurie Beechman Theatre - Laurie Beechman Theatre

Best Tribute Show
Stacy Sullivan - A Night at the Troubadour with Elton John and David Ackles - Metropolitan Room

Best Variety Show or Recurring Series
Jim Caruso, Producer - Cast Party - Birdland

Best Vocalist, Female
Lisa Viggiano

Best Vocalist, Male
Jeff Harnar

Special Event (Multiple)
Matt Cusson & Brian Gallagher - The Matt & Brian Show - Birdland

Special Event (Solo)
Jessica Vosk - Jessica Vosk: You Asked For It - Joe's Pub


BroadwayHD is exclusive Presenting Sponsor for this year's awards, representing a record-breaking 75 theater regions. Voters participating in this year's awards receive special offers and subscription opportunities to BroadwayHD, whose co-branding will extend through the voting and winners announcements.

Since its launch in 2015, BroadwayHD aims to extend the reach of Broadway to fans old and new, anytime and anywhere. BroadwayHD is the only online streaming service of its kind, offering viewers an unprecedented Broadway experience and access to exclusive live streams. In addition to exclusive live streamed content, BroadwayHD offers subscribers unlimited access to an on-demand library of over 160 theater productions from the comfort and convenience of their own homes-or wherever streaming is possible. It's the Broadway you know and love, curated from the stage to your screen."

In June of 2016, BroadwayHD made history with the live stream of Roundabout Theatre Company's "She Loves Me," marking the first-ever Broadway live stream. On January 14, BroadwayHD will live stream Roundabout Theatre Company's "Holiday Inn, The New Irving Berlin Musical."



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