Carol Fredette and Lillias White

are among the winners to be honored at the

30th ANNUAL BISTRO AWARDS GALA

Wednesday, March 4, 6:30 pm / Gotham Comedy Club

Jason Graae to Host

A special lineup of past Bistro Award-winning artists
will help celebrate three decades of cabaret’s oldest award

(New York City, January 29, 2015) - Jazz headliner Carol Fredette and Tony Award-winning actress and singer Lillias White will be among the eleven performers honored at the 30th Annual Bistro Awards gala, which recognizes outstanding achievement in New York cabaret, jazz, and comedy. The celebration will take place on Wednesday, March 4, at 6:30 pm at Gotham Comedy Club, 208 W. 23rd St. (between 7th & 8th avenues).

Carol Fredette started working in the New York jazz scene while still a teenager, and has since headlined every major jazz club in the city in addition to performing at prestigious venues around the country and internationally; she is receiving a Bistro for Ongoing Jazz Artistry. Lillias White, who has won Tony, Drama League, Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk, Obie, and AUDELCO awards for her theatre performances, and an Emmy for her work in television, is being recognized with an Outstanding Major Engagement Bistro Award for her exciting shows at 54 Below.

Hosting this year’s 30th anniversary show is Jason Graae, whose varied career spans Broadway, Off Broadway, opera, television, and film. He is a four-time Bistro Award recipient for his various one-man shows, which have toured all over the country, and for his original special musical material.

As is the Bistro Awards’ tradition, the evening will feature performances from the Bistro winners.

A number of outstanding vocalists are in the spotlight this year: Celia Berk, former MetroStar winner Marissa Mulder, jazz singer Gabrielle Stravelli, singer-pianist Eric Comstock, and newcomer Joshua Dixon. This year’s Ira Eaker Special Achievement Award—given to an outstanding performer on the rise, and named after Back Stage’s co-founder, co-publisher, and first cabaret critic—goes to the multi-talented Kristoffer Lowe.

Other honorees include Jon Weber, cited as Outstanding Musical Historian and Entertainer for his show “From Joplin to Jarrett: 115 years of Piano Jazz,” and Shana Farr for her Outstanding Concept Show “In the Still of the Night,” an artful presentation of the works of Noël Coward and Cole Porter. Stearns Matthews is being recognized for his Outstanding Recording “Spark.”

A special tribute to celebrate the Bistro Awards’ 30th anniversary will include a lineup of previous Bistro Award recipients as both presenters and performers. Actress-singer Sally Mayes is writing special  musical material for the event. For the third year in a row, Shellen Lubin will serve as the show’s director.

The gala event will be held on Wednesday, March 4 at Gotham Comedy Club, 208 W. 23rd Street. A Champagne reception for Bistro recipients and Premium Ticket holders begins at 5 pm, followed by the awards presentation and show starting at 6:30 pm. Producer Sherry Eaker will host the annual event, along with the other members of the Bistro Awards Committee: Kevin Scott Hall (Edge Media Network, BistroAwards.com), Roy Sander (BistroAwards.com, chairman of the Advisory Board of MAC), Robert Windeler (BistroAwards.com), and Mark Dundas Wood (BistroAwards.com, StageBuddy.com). Ms. Eaker, who heads the Bistro Committee, is the former longtime Editor-in-Chief of Back Stage and the producer of the event since its inception. Roy Sander and Wendy Lane Bailey are associate producers.

The Bistro Awards are sponsored by ASCAP, with in-kind support from Branson B. Champagne. Premium Tickets are $135, which includes the pre-show Champagne reception, priority seating, and the ticket-buyers’ names listed in the program; General Admission tickets are $80. Ticket-buyers in both categories are invited to the “After Bistros” supper party as guests of the Bistros. Show-only tickets are available at $70. A two-drink minimum applies to all ticket categories. For details about the various categories and early purchase prices, visit www.BistroAwards.com. For additional information, call 917-239-5467.

Following is a complete list of the winners being recognized for their outstanding work:
Carol Fredette / Ongoing Jazz Artistry
Lillias White / Major Engagement / 54 Below
Kristoffer Lowe / Ira Eaker Special Achievement Award
Celia Berk / Vocalist
Eric Comstock / Singer-Instrumentalist
Joshua Dixon / Debut
Shana Farr / Concept Show / “In the Still of the Night”
Stearns Matthews / Recording / “Spark”
Marissa Mulder / Vocalist
Gabrielle Stravelli / Jazz Vocalist
Jon Weber / Musical Historian and Entertainer / “From Joplin to Jarrett: 115 Years of Piano Jazz”

Lillias White has been recognized on Broadway with the Tony Award®

"She can hold a note longer than Carmen McRea and sounds like a cross-pollination of Sara Vaughn and Dinah Washington... She is the dynamic Lillias White." - Rex Reed

LILLIAS WHITE has been recognized on Broadway with the Tony Award®, Drama Desk Award®, Peoples Choice® Award and The Outer Critics Award® for Best Actress in a Musical -- Broadway's Prestigious Quadruple Crown -- for her 1997 role as Sonja in the "The Life." In 1990 she won The Obie Award® for Best Actress in a Musical for her portrayal of Hennie in "Romance in Hard Times". In addition, she won The Drama Logue Award® for Best Actress in a Musical for her role in the national tour of "Dreamgirls." Other theater credits include the Broadway productions of "How to Succeed in Business", "Once on This Island", "Rock n' Roll: The First 5,000 Years ( Aretha Franklin )," "Barnum, " "Carrie" and "Dreamgirls," as well as the off Broadway productions of "Crowns," "The Vagina Monologues," "Waiting for Godot," "The Princess & The Black-Eyed Pea," and "Dinah Was". Lillias White has also gone on the national and international tours for "Ain't Misbehavin', "Tintypes" and "The Wiz".

Lillias White's TV and Film credits include featured roles in the films, Pieces of April, The Grinch That Stole Christmas, Gloria, North and Disney's Hercules. In 1992, Ms. White won an Emmy Award® for her role as Seasame Street's Lillian Edwards. Other television credits consist of recurring roles and guest spots on Outreach, Law & Order, NYPD Blue and The Jury. In 2004 Ms White was cast opposite Eddie Griffith in HBO's pilot "Pryor Offenses" (The Richard Pryor Story ).

Lillias White the recording artist, has an extensive list of recordings which include cast records and featured vocalist performances. Most recently she recorded Dream Girls : The Concert, Too Hot To Handle (The Gospel version of Handle's Messiah ") and was featured with Tony Bennett on Cy Coleman's most recent record. Lillias White CDs include "From Shubert Alley to Jazz Alley" and " From Brooklyn to Broadway". She regularly appears in concert at The Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, as well as, a guest soloist on the PBS Special, such as, "A Tribute to Ella Fitzgerald" and "In Performance at The White House".
http://www.lilliaswhite.com/

Lillias White performs the Cy Coleman classic 'HEY LOOK ME OVER' from Wildcat. Performing at Channel 9 studio's Sydney Australia for KAK. Lillias White, Matt Carey on Piano, Andrew Massey on Drums and Hugh Fraser on Bass. Promotion for her appearance at the Sydney Opera House on 2, 3, 4, July 2009.