Feature: And The Nominees Are... BEST OPEN MIC SHOW

You know, you can't just put up a club act any time you want to. It's expensive AF and artists really can't afford to do it all the time, unless they are one of the lucky few who actually make their living by singing in nightclubs. Nancy LaMott used to say that performing cabaret was "a very expensive hobby." It is true that, for many, nightclub singing is an art form that nourishes the soul, while day jobs feed the family. Nevertheless, actors need to act, and singers need to sing, and thank goodness for the open-mic nights that happen around the city that give performers a chance to get up in front of a crowd, to try out new material, to simply revel in a few moments of creation and of community.

Whether a performing artist is working with music, comedy, storytelling, drag, magic, ventriloquism... whatever their proclivity, the artists are lucky in that these open mic programs exist and stand, ready to put them in the spotlight during the times when circumstances are keeping them from creating their own show.

The Category Is BEST OPEN-MIC SHOW

Sue Matsuki - Jazz Brunch - Pangea: One of the newer open mic programs, Jazz Brunch is the brain child of Sue Matsuki, who joined forces with her longtime colleague, musical director Gregory Toroian, to create a safe and fun space for cabaret singers to get their jazz on. Hosted by the downtown home of alt cabaret, Pangea, the Jazz Brunch lasts about three hours with Matsuki curating and emceeing as, one after another, singers take to the stage and share their latest musical creations, or maybe revisit something from their repertoire, or even test the waters of what live performing feels like. It's a fun and friendly way to spend a weekend afternoon, with great food, and great company. No video footage of Jazz Brunch could be found online but HERE is a Broadway World review of the series.

Josh Bardier - Actoria - The Astor Room: Creator and emcee Josh Bardier brings together a revolving cast of Featured Performers at this raucous riot of acabaret with three rules, endless laughs, and a welcoming community for any performer or lover of music - one of the few clubs and open-mics in Long Island City where people can hang without feeling the Manhattan pressure on top of them. All good feels, all good vibes, and all good people.

Ben Cameron - Broadway Sessions - Laurie Beechman Theatre: The long-running series hosted by the irrepressible Ben Cameron fills the stage of the Laurie Beechman with Broadway actors having some fun after-hours, and audiences who want to get a little closer to their idols than the first rom of the mezzanine. There's a reason it's so popular: quality, quality, quality. Oh, and Cameron.

Bar Nine - Masks and Musicals - Bar Nine: The OUTDOOR and socially distanced event is the most innovative Broadway-related experience since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Attendees can sing one Broadway song with a live pianist. Strict safety measures will be in place. This is how live entertainment evolves with the needs of the moment.

Mark Janas & Tanya Moberly - Salon - Don't Tell Mama: An indispensable part of the nightlife scene for fifteen years, Salon provides singers with a place to try out new material in a room filled with their colleagues. The creation of musical director Mark Janas, produced by director Tanya Moberly, and kept running smoothly by a team of cabaret performers dedicated to the series, Salon is an institution where there is no judgement, no fear, and no empty seats.

James Tison, Gus Constantellis and Dylan Adler - Snowflake Open Mic - Club Cumming: LGBTQIA+ comic James Tison turns the torid and tawdry (in the best of all possible ways!) Club Cumming into a comedy zone for queer comics to get up and show their stuff for each other and for the Club Cumming crowds. It's an evening of inclusivity, community, laughter and love, where the up-and-comers test the waters... and sometimes sink, sometimes swim. Tison keeps it bright, upbeat, and welcoming at all times.

Nora Lyn Kennedy - Thirsty Thursday with Nora Lyn Kennedy - Don't Tell Mama: The creation of show business renaissance woman Nora Lyn Kennedy, Thirsty Thursday started so Kennedy could show off her super talented friends. It has, since, become a welcoming place for all artists to strut their stuff... now online but, one day, as live theater once more.

Jim Caruso - Cast Party - Birdland: Soon it will be twenty years since Cast Party debuted at Birdland, and this year Cast Party got a baby brother - Pajama Cast Party. It's been called the Mother of All Open Mic Nights, and it's true. I mean... Liza sang here once. "nuff said.

Cast a vote to bestow upon your favorite Open-Mic Night a Broadway World Award HERE.

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