Gretchen Reinhagen Wins Nightlife Award for 'Special Kaye'

Gretchen Reinhagen has been chosen as the 2010 Nightlife Award winner in The category of Outstanding Cabaret Comedy or Characterization. The award is in recognition of her new show, "Special Kaye: A Tribute to the Incomparable Kaye Ballard" which has been extended at New York's Metropolitan Room (www.metropolitanroom.com). In addition to the added performance on December 19th, the show will also run in 2010 with two Sunday performances, January 17th and 24th at 4:00PM as well as Thursday, February 4th @ 7:30PM. The extension follows the successful opening night premiere at the Annenberg Theater in Palm Springs, California on November 13th and a three-night opening run at the Metropolitan Room.

The Nightlife Awards are bestowed by a distinguished panel of more than two dozen critics and experts who regularly cover cabaret, comedy, and jazz. This broad-based, critic-driven awards concert has the distinction of being the only awards show where the winners are asked to perform in lieu of making acceptance speeches. This year's award show will be held on January 25th at 7PM at The Town Hall in New York, and will be hosted by Bruce Vilanch.

"Special Kaye: A Tribute to the Incomparable Kaye Ballard" is directed by Barry Kleinbort, who has also written special material and directed shows for Ms. Ballard including "Kaye Ballard...Working 42nd Street at Last" at the Kaufman Theater in New York. Musical Director for the show is David Gaines. "Special Kaye" honors the vast library of musical material recorded by, originated by, or written specifically for Ms. Ballard. Audiences have long known Ballard for her work on such programs as "The Mothers-in-Law" but may be surprised to learn of the many great musical gems that she introduced throughout her Broadway and cabaret career. The show has garnered high praise from the critics. Bruce Fessier of The Desert Sun said "Gretchen Reinhagen's tribute to Kaye Ballard is the kind of gift you remember after you've opened all the presents around the Christmas tree." David Finkle of The Village Voice named it a "Voice Choice" stating "Reinhagen has the kind of strong, confident presentation that fits this tribute to the ever-hilarious Kaye Ballard." Cabaret Hotline Online hailed it as the "MUST SEE, 5-STAR, show of the year" while Roy Sander of bistroawards.com said "[Reinhagen] shares Ballard's complete commitment to everything she does" and Rob Lester of Cabaret Scenes called it a "triumph."

Reinhagen's cabaret work has covered a broad range of material including a show of Great American Songbook classics entitled "Back to Basics"; a blues/rock show, "Almost Blue", which featured an all female five piece band; and a comic turn in "How ‘Bout Them Apples". The latter also featured the team of Kleinbort and Gaines and received rave reviews including a critic's pick from Back Stage in which she was recognized as "performing with all the confidence and humor of a young Kaye Ballard." She met Director Barry Kleinbort and Musical Director David Gaines while attending the Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts School's Professional Workshop: The Art of Cabaret. Mr. Kleinbort and Mr. Gaines have each worked with some of the biggest names in cabaret including Jeff Harnar, Georga Osborne, Jamie deRoy, Penny Fuller, Karen Mason and Kaye Ballard.

In addition to cabaret, Reinhagen is an actress, and voice teacher. She attended Pepperdine University on a music scholarship and received her B.A. in Voice Performance. She has since gone on to perform in venues ranging from the House of Blues in New Orleans to the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh, Scotland. As an actress, she has performed such roles as Miss Hannigan in "Annie", Nancy in "Oliver", the Narrator in "Joseph...", Janis Joplin in "Beehive", and the Mother Superior in "Nunsense" - a role she shares in common with Ms. Ballard.

"Special Kaye: A Tribute to the Incomparable Kaye Ballard" runs at The Metropolitan Room (www.metropolitanroom.com; 34 West 22nd Street, New York, NY 10010; 212-206-0440) Sundays, January 17th and 24th @ 4:00PM and Thursday, February 4th @ 7:30PM. There is a $20 cover charge and 2 drink minimum ($5 discount on the cover charge for members of MAC or Cabaret Hotline Online). For more information, visit www.gretchenreinhagen.com.