Winner of 'Mama's Next BIG Act!' Revealed

There was an explosion last night at the finale of "Mama's Next BIG Act!" at Don't Tell Mama. In a giant win, Amorika Amoroso came out on top of a remarkably gifted and well-matched group of performers who treated the standing-room only audience to an evening of sustained artistry and passion. Amoroso, a deliriously funny R&B and blues singer/bad-ass who slices and dices with stories of growing up unique, sang "Moving on Up," which not only blew the roof off the joint, but also served notice that a major star was marching onto the scene in New York cabaret.

But it was close. Razor-sharp close. Hot on her heels in the scoring were Lisa Yaeger (the 1st Runner Up) and Wendy Russell (the 2nd Runner Up). Yaeger, the adorable mom from Union County in New Jersey, who, like all the others, learned how to outdo herself during the 12-week contest, is the relative veteran in the Top 3, having already earned a 2013 MAC nomination for Best Debut. Russell, a native New Yorker who's been a voice teacher and frequent back-up vocalist for 15 years, threw off her glasses (and took off the gloves) during the contest, revealing a soaring alto and a disarming gift for connecting with deep heart and intelligence.

The two other Fantastic 5 Finalists were the "butter-voiced" soul and R&B-singing Jerry Phelps, and the fearlessly funny (and attractive) performance artists Savannah & Chase, two recent college grads in their New York cabaret debut.

Clutching her Black & Decker Toaster Oven on a stage crowded with the likes of Broadway and cabaret legend Karen Mason (who entertained while the ballots were being tallied); Don't Tell Mama booking agent Sidney Myer, and Contest Producer and Host Lennie Watts, Amoroso flashed her winning, crooked smile with easy deadpan as she acknowledged the boisterous and appreciative crowd.

As Watts had just pointed out, the "Mama's Next BIG Act!" prize package includes a fully-produced, four-show run of a new show (complete with publicity support and graphic design by Hector Coris); an appearance on Seth Rudetsky's nationally-aired Sirius/XM Radio show and a feature story in Cabaret Scenes. The winner's show poster will be permanently enshrined on Mama's Legacy Wall, which is festooned with original posters of some of the club's legendary acts. The winner will also have an original song written for them by the much admired tunesmith and director Barry Kleinbort. Yaeger, the 1st Runner Up, will open for Amoroso, and get a fully-produced Mama's one-night stand for herself, at which Russell will be the opening act.

Steven Ray Watkins, who served as music director for the summer-long contest, praised the Fantastic 5 in comments off-stage: "These guys weren't just popping songs they already knew on the table; they were challenging themselves, incorporating ideas from the judges, pushing themselves farther and farther. It was a total pleasure to work with them."

The audience and jury-voted competition's two permanent judges are the singer-entertainer Tanya Moberly, and the singer and Cabaret Scenes Magazine editor-in-chief Frank Dain. The contest's co-producers are Don't Tell Mama's general manager Limor Shekhter, and the cabaret giant, Mr. Watts.

Presented by the legendary Theatre District hotspot Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, "Mama's Next BIG Act!" started on June 9 with an initial field of just under 50 diverse performers in a variety of performance. Early in the genre-bending competition it became clear that "Mama's Next BIG Act!" was going to be a place to experiment and to establish a new beachhead for nightclub performing that is inclusive, daring and relevant to audiences of many ages.

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