2000 BACK STAGE BISTRO AWARDS

Each year BACK STAGE, the weekly magazine covering NYC theater, cabaret and other entertainment events presents the BISTRO AWARD to outstanding cabaret performers and performances of the previous year. The awards were begun by the late Bob Harrington, who was the cabaret reviewer for BACK STAGE for many years, and wrote the Bistro Bits column in the paper.

Currently the recipients are chosen by the 2 cabaret reviewers of the BACK STAGE namely John Hoglund and Roy Sander. One of the most important rules of the judging is that you can only win one BISTRO AWARD in a single category in your lifetime.

The awards will be presented at a special ceremony and show at The Supper Club on Monday, February 28th.

2000 BACK STAGE BISTRO AWARD RECIPIENTS

BACK STAGE BISTRO Awards 15th ANNIVERSARY GALA
At The Supper Club, 240 W. 47th Street, NYC -- Monday, February 28, 6:30 pm

Event Kicks off Cabaret Month in NYC

28 of Cabaret's Brightest Stars Honored Lea DeLaria, Faith Prince, Wallowitch and Ross among Award Recipients

GUEST EMCEE JIM DAVID

NEW YORK - January 26, 2000 - Back Stage: The Performing Arts Weekly has announced the winners of the 15th Annual Bistro Awards for outstanding achievement in cabaret. Twenty-eight artists will be recognized for their distinguished work in 1999. In keeping with tradition, the name of the recipient of the coveted Bob Harrington Lifetime Achievement Award will be revealed at the ceremony. Past honorees include Julie Wilson, Barbara Cook, Marcia Lewis, and Eartha Kitt.

Faith Prince will receive the award for Outstanding Major Engagement, and Lea DeLaria is the award recipient for Outstanding Musical Comedy. This year's Outstanding Vocalists are Alexandra Haas, Lynn Lobban, Carlos Martin, and Lennie Watts.

In the category of Outstanding Singer/Instrumentalist, Michael Garin receives the Bistro Award, and the Howard Fishman Quartet is being recognized for Outstanding Musical Group. Marcy Heisler and Zina Goldrich are named Outstanding Songwriters, and singer-songwriter Tom Andersen receives the award in the Outstanding Special Material category for "Play Your Song For Me Blues."

Honors go to the musical revue "Hard Candy," the songs of Carol Hall, conceived and directed by Mark Nadler. Two productions are being given awards in the Outstanding Theme Show category: "Toujours Cabaret," starring Sigrid Sunstedt, and "Looking Around Corners For You," conceived, researched by, and starring Heather Gilchriest, and written, directed, and staged by Gary Lyons.

Rich Vos is the award recipient as Outstanding Comedy Performer. Other recipients noted for Outstanding Achievement include David Maiocco for Musical Direction, and David Gurland, Dane Vannatter, and Paula West, for their recordings "David Gurland," "Flight," and "Restless," respectively.

This year there are three Special Awards: Karen Miller, Erv Raible, and Rochelle Seldin are being honored for Eighty Eight's, one of New York's most beloved cabarets and piano bars, which closed its doors last May; a Special Award goes to Ruby Rims for almost a decade of "Teddycare," which brings holiday cheer to countless hospitalized children and other patients; and, for their many years of delightful entertainment, John Wallowitch and Bertram Ross will also receive a Special Bistro Award.

The evening will feature performances from all Bistro-Winning Artists and shows.

The gala event kicks off Cabaret Month in New York City, as officially designated in previous years by the Mayor's Office. It is a month-long celebration of this unique art form, featuring special performances, panel discussions, and other events.

The Back Stage Bistro Awards will be held on Monday, February 28 at the Supper Club, 240 W. 47th Street, beginning with a reception at 5 pm with Jerry Scott at the piano, followed by the awards presentation and show at 6:30. Back Stage Editor-in-Chief Sherry Eaker is producing and hosting the event along with Back Stage cabaret critics John Hoglund and Roy Sander. Comedian Jim David is guest emcee, and the show is under the direction of Thomas Mills.

A limited number of tickets will be sold to the public at $50, available at Back Stage, 1515 Broadway, 14th Floor; by credit card by calling (212)536-1497; or by visiting the Back Stage website at www.backstage.com.

The Back Stage Bistro Awards is sponsored in part by www.cabaret.org and additional support is provided by BMI.

Press and television coverage of the event is welcome.

About the BACK STAGE Bistro Awards:

The Bistro Awards were established in I985 by Back Stage's original "Bistro Bits" columnist, the late Bob Harrington, in recognition of excellence and creative achievement in cabaret.

The first award of its kind, the Bistro has evolved into one of the industry's most prized accolades. Bob Harrington's guidelines for determining winners continue to serve as the principles to which Back Stage's current "Bistro Bits" columnists adhere when selecting winners.

The Bistro recognizes achievement in a wide variety of categories - from outstanding performances to creative accomplishments and special contributions to the art by members of the cabaret community.

New categories can be introduced to reflect developments in this unique and ever changing art form. The object is not to choose the "best" anything of the year, but to recognize artistic achievement and originality.

In some cases, the Back Stage Bistro recognizes performers who are newly arrived on the scene, while at other times it honors artists who have shown impressive growth over the years. The Bob Harrington Lifetime Achievement Award salutes distinguished careers. By design, the award cannot be given to an artist more than once in the same category, yet there never seems to be a lack of talented recipients for the Back Stage Bistro.

The Bistro Awards 15th Anniversary Gala is being held at the Supper Club, 240 W. 47th Street, NYC, on Monday, February 28, 2000 at 6:30 pm.

Founded in 1960, BACK STAGE is the leading source of inside information on the performing arts.

used with the permission of BACK STAGE

Report on the 2000 BISTRO AWARDS Gala at the Supper Club

Report on the 1999 BISTRO AWARDS Gala at the Supper Club

Report on the 1998 BISTRO AWARDS Gala at the Supper Club

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