Cabaret is all the rage these days, and we’re not talking about the starry Kander and Ebb revival playing on Broadway at the August Wilson Theatre.
For those who love the intimate and slightly over-dramatic stylings of a nightclub venue with showy renditions from the American Songbook, musical theater, and chart-topping hits, there’s nothing more satisfying than a night at a cabaret. What could be more queer than acoustic Sondheim or an evening with Madonna’s backup singers, Niki & Donna, spinning stories and melodies from their years on the road with the pop icon?
Here’s a look at some of our favorite cabaret venues in New York City, what makes them unique, and upcoming can’t-miss shows.
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Café Carlyle
The mothership of all cabaret venues, there’s no other cabaret room in New York City with more prestige and history than Café Carlyle. Opened in 1955 at the famous Carlyle Hotel, the 90-seat performance space features murals by Oscar-winning French artist Marcel Vertès, who drew inspiration from the 19th-century painter Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, known for his depictions of Moulin Rouge.
Depending on the performer (and a hefty ticket price, which includes a three-course dinner), expect a crowd as classy and preserved as the venue, but that’s part of the charm. Café Carlyle is a bucket list destination for artists, which over the years, has included queer icons like Eartha Kitt, Elaine Stritch, Alan Cumming, Isaac Mizrahi, and recent Tony winner Matt Doyle.
Coming soon:
Rufus Wainwright, October 15-19
54 Below
The ghosts of Andy Warhol, Divine, and Truman Capote are in the air at 54 Below, the 140-seat venue on the lower level of the former Studio 54 (now a Broadway theater). In 2023, amid rising production costs, the supper club reinvented itself as a nonprofit to help finance its $10 million annual budget.
The room’s decadent environment, designed by Tony winner John Lee Beatty (restaurant design), Ken Billington (lighting), and Peter Hylenski (sound), doesn’t take itself too seriously, with a broad range of performers, including Patti LuPone, Justin Vivian Bond, Robin de Jesús, and Jonathan Groff.
Coming soon:
Christopher Sieber, August 19-20
Isaac Mizrahi, August 28-31
Nina West, September 19-20
Cheyenne Jackson, September 23-29
The Green Room 42
One of the great things about New York City is that you can stumble upon something fabulous when you least expect it. Case in point: The Green Room 42, located in the budget-friendly YOTEL Times Square, steps from Manhattan’s queerest neighborhood, Hell’s Kitchen.
Perhaps the most informal of the bunch, The Green Room 42 doesn’t require a food and beverage minimum, making the venue more financially accessible while still delivering the goods on a talent roster that’s topped 5,000 since its 2017 opening. Familiar names include Frankie Grande and Stephanie’s Child (the drag trio of Jan Sport, Rosé, and Laguna Bloo)
Coming soon:
The Kinsey Sicks, August 20
At This Performance (Broadway standbys and understudies), August 19, September 23, October 21
Joe’s Pub
What was once the costume shop at the venerable Public Theater transformed into one of downtown’s most popular venues for emerging artists, experimental work, and relaxed gigs by some of Broadway’s best.
Named after the Public Theater’s founder, Joseph Papp, Joe’s Pub now welcomes upwards of 100,000 audience members annually. Bridget Everett (Max’s Somebody Somewhere) is a mainstay, with the stage also playing host to some of our favorite queer artists, including Taylor Mac, Norm Lewis, and Sandra Bernhard.
Coming soon:
Jeff Hiller, August 12-14
Justin Vivian Bond, September 10-14
The Bowery Boys, October 29-31
The Duplex’s rebirth as Ferry’s Landing NYC
Sure, most of the gays may have migrated north from the Village to Chelsea to Hell’s Kitchen, but the Duplex has remained a constant, preceding the Stonewall Inn by more than a decade. Initially opened in 1951 and in its current Cristopher Street location since 1989, The Duplex’s main flow is a show tune mainstay with lively sing-a-longs for the musical theater-obsessed.
The cramped upstairs cabaret theatre felt quintessentially New York with its postage stamp-size stage and stiff drinks. Over the years, the space welcomed top talent from Barbra Streisand to regular Joan Rivers.
A fire in 2022 shuttered the venue, but fear not! Owner Tony DeCicco has rebranded the second-floor space as Ferry’s Landing NYC, opening in October 2024. The newly conceived destination will become an immersive performance space featuring the musical Little House on the Ferry, the cabaret show Fire Island Follies, and the late-night Farandole Dance Party.
Coming soon:
Ferry’s Landing performances begin October 14.
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