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The 2011 Nightlife Awards were held at The Town Hall on January 31. It is the awards show that promises no acceptance speeches and, instead, where the winners actually perform to express their thanks. It turned out to be a great night of diverse entertainment. Longtime veterans of the craft peppered the evening, as expected, with solid appearances, but it was the new faces and “lesser-knowns” that gave it the salt. Mark McCombs (Outstanding Cabaret Comedy or Characterization) again proved to be at the top of his form, in the character, make-up and dress of an octogenarian, delivering “Have A Nice Day,” the cranky tale about being bombarded with that bland, well-meaning wish from checkout clerks, etc. while having anything BUT a nice day.
The winner of the 2009 MetroStar cabaret competition, held throughout the summer at the Metropolitan Room, Liz Lark Brown (Outstanding Cabaret Vocalist), did her popular audience-pleasing (and judge-pleasing) all-stops-out bit as a woman obsessed and driven mad by attraction. 
It might make you think it's not so bad to be alone today on Valentine’s Day.
Special note should be taken of The Rescignos, (Outstanding Cabaret Duo or Group); their musical comedy routine is what classic Vaudeville would have looked like today, if it hadn’t died. They were polished and funny and, as squabbling twins, have a great hook. They will be appearing next at the Duplex Saturday, February 19, at 9:30pm. Kudos to the folks down at the Duplex for keeping this more intimate cabaret space alive and vibrant through their creative and expansive booking policies.
The Krazy Glue deftly holding this whole mishegas, you-had-to-be-there evening, together was for the returning host, comedian-writer-actor Bruce Vilanch, whose ad-libbing brilliance, combined with his impeccable sense of timing, gave the audience lots of laughs as he weaved and bobbed the whole way through. Some of my favorite moments were his running sight gag continuously noticing the comings and goings of The Town Hall’s hapless stage hand, who became his foil for the evening. As Hollywood royalty’s court jester, as well as being a Broadway star in his own right (Hairsrapy), he brings a strange legitimacy to the whole proceeding and proves, without question, to be the Nightlife Awards' center square.
Even with the unexplained absence of Colin Quinn (Outstanding Comedian In A Major Engagement), there was lots of comedy presented on stage beyond those previously mentioned, including the Harvard Sailing Team (Outstanding Comedy Duo or Group), who proved it’s never a good idea to sign your name, especially when it’s Bernhard, to a self-important email and then send it to a sketch comedy group. Hannibal Buress (Outstanding Comedian) walked the thin line, but made it through the gauntlet that was the audience this night, but, after all, he received an Award -- so he "got to work for free" as his reward.
The program nicely weaved in numerous added guests, some of whom were winners in years past. These included Karen Akers, Charles Busch, Julie Halston, Jim Caruso, Billy Stritch and Nellie McKay, who appeared along with winners 
from this ninth year of awards, such as Christine Ebersole (Outstanding Cabaret Vocalist in a Major Engagement) and Jessica Molaskey, whose other half of Outstanding Duo or Group, John Pizzarelli, was booked in Florida, but she performed with another colleague, the Debut winner, violinist whiz kid Aaron Weinstein, who also did his own segment.
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