Best Cabaret in Fall 2026: Kelli O’Hara, Leslie Odom Jr., Lea Salonga & More
See some of the biggest names performing at cabaret venues in NYC this fall, at a range of budget points
Cabaret venues are usually fairly small, and tickets to the biggest names will sell out early. We've put together a list of shows to look forward to that you'll want to get your tickets to well in advance. See some of the biggest names performing at cabaret venues in NYC this fall, at a range of budget points, including an immersive cemetery performance just in time for Halloween, the original Aaron Burr from Hamilton in a new solo show at Carnegie Hall, a holiday celebration from Broadway legend Kelli O’Hara, and more.
Ariana DeBose at Café Carlyle
Sept. 29 to Oct. 3 @ 8:45 pm
Café Carlyle is thrilled to welcome award-winning actress, singer, and dancer Ariana DeBose for her highly anticipated Café Carlyle debut, September 29–October 3, 2026. Best known for her Academy Award-winning performance as Anita in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story, DeBose has captivated audiences across stage and screen, with Broadway credits including Hamilton and her Tony-nominated role in Summer: The Donna Summer Musical. She also hosted the Tony Awards for three years, earning two Emmy nominations.
Tickets: General Seating $310 per person / Premium Seating $360/ Bar Seating $185. For general and premium seating, there is a food minimum of $95 for two courses. Bar seating has a $50 food/drink minimum.
NEW YORK POPS UNDERGROUND CABARET at 54 Below ft. Deborah Cox
Mon. October 5 @ 6:30 pm
Guests will enjoy a special cabaret performance from Grammy and Tony-nominated singer and actress Deborah Cox. Alumni from The New York Pops’s Kids on Stage program will serve as opening act. During the performance, guests will enjoy a meal with wine pairings.
All proceeds from The New York Pops Underground support our PopsEd music education programs. This is our only fundraiser dedicated solely to PopsEd, and we count on your support to provide life-changing music education experiences to New York City students.
Tickets: Tickets start at $365.
American Songbook Association Sixth Annual Gala - Maltby & Shire: Our Story Goes On at Kaufman Music Center
Mon. October 5 @ 7:30 pm
Cabaret Scenes and the American Songbook Association (ASA) announces its sixth annual gala Maltby & Shire: Our Story Goes On honoring the multi-award-winning songwriting team of Richard Maltby. Jr. and David Shire. Celebrating the team behind the musicals Baby; Big; Starting Here, Starting Now; Closer Than Ever; About Time, and beyond, the evening will feature special guest performances by Loni Ackerman, Liz Callaway, Margery Cohen, Jenn Colella, Judy Collins, Catherine Cox, Gretchen Cryer, Beth Fowler, Judy Kaye, Eddie Korbich, Charlotte Maltby, Sally Mayes, Ethan Paulini, with others to be announced. Deniz Cordell will serve as musical director.
Tickets: Tickets start at $75.
Madeleine Peyroux at Café Carlyle
Oct. 13-17 @ 8:45 pm
Café Carlyle is delighted to welcome acclaimed singer-songwriter Madeleine Peyroux for her Café Carlyle debut, October 13 to 17, 2026. Much like Edith Piaf before her, Peyroux began performing as a teenager on the streets of Paris, where she immersed herself in the city’s Latin Quarter music scene and developed the soulful, genre-defying style that would later define her career.
Tickets: General Seating $180 per person / Premium Seating $230 / Bar Seating $135. For general and premium seating, there is a food minimum of $95 for two courses. Bar seating has a $50 food/drink minimum.
Death of Classical Presents: Royce Vavrek's Lincoln in the Bardo at Trinity Church & Cemetery (Financial District)
October 15 from 6-9 pm
Opening on September 25th with an immersive experience at The Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, followed by an October 15th preview event and cemetery tour at Trinity Church NYC in Lower Manhattan Both events feature stars from the Metropolitan Opera production performing selections from the score, and a conversation with the creators about bringing Saunders’s masterpiece to the operatic stage The new opera, which will receive its world premiere at the Met on October 19, follows a grieving Abraham Lincoln into a ghost-filled realm between life and death, as he mourns his young son while carrying the weight of a nation at war
Tickets: Tickets start at general admission seating on Sides/Partial View Sections of Church
Julie Benko: Broadway Goes to the Movies at Birdland Jazz Club
Mon. October 19 @ 7 pm
Broadway's Julie Benko — fresh off the Tony-winning revival of Ragtime and beloved for her starmaking turn as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl — brings the silver screen to the Birdland stage. Backed by a stellar trio, Julie takes audiences on a musical trip through Hollywood's most beloved film songs, from timeless standards to unexpected surprises. Grab your popcorn (or your cocktail) and settle in for a night where Broadway meets the movies, one unforgettable song at a time.
Tickets: Tickets start at $35.46 including fees. There is a $20 minimum on food or drinks per person.
Patty Smyth at Café Carlyle
Oct. 20-24 @ 8:45 pm
Grammy- and Oscar-nominated singer-songwriter Patty Smyth makes her highly anticipated Café Carlyle debut with a special five-night engagement from October 20 - 24, 2026. Best known as the dynamic voice behind Scandal and for her acclaimed solo career, Smyth rose to prominence in the 1980s with iconic hits including “Goodbye to You” and “The Warrior,” establishing herself as one of rock music’s most powerful and enduring female voices.
Tickets: General Seating $190 per person / Premium Seating $240/ Bar Seating $150. For general and premium seating, there is a food minimum of $95 for two courses. Bar seating has a $50 food/drink minimum.
Death of Classical: Nightfall at The Green-Wood Cemetery (Brooklyn)
October 22 and 23 (rain date October 24) at 7 pm
For two nights only, Green-Wood's winding pathways will lead you deep into unfamiliar corners of the Cemetery, where darkness holds more than you'd expect. See where the shadows dance in a world of spectacle and mystery. This immersive event features a variety of performers scattered through the storied grounds of Brooklyn's famous Gilded Age cemetery, where every viewer walks their own path and no two visitors have exactly the same experience.
Tickets: Pre-sale prices are available through Labor Day. After that, tickets are $70, $56 for members, and $95 for Premium Tickets. There is no member discount for pre-sale or premium tickets.
The New York Pops 007: James Bond Forever at Carnegie Hall
October 23 @ 8 pm
Reineke … Steven Reineke leads this swanky celebration of James Bond. Tony Award winner Lena Hall (Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Kinky Boots) joins in a program of Bond favorites that span 60 years of the iconic film series—including pieces by prolific Bond composers John Barry and David Arnold, and music made famous by Paul McCartney, Gladys Knight, Tina Turner, Duran Duran, Billie Eilish, Adele, and more.
Tickets: Tickets start at $53.
Christine Ebersole with Billy Stritch at 54 Below
October 27 to 31 @ 7 pm
54 Below proudly welcomes back two-time Tony Award® winner Christine Ebersole, joined by her longtime music director Billy Stritch, for a special evening celebrating their 25-year friendship. The show will feature selections from the golden age of Broadway, movie musical favorites and jazz standards —all arranged in their signature style. Ebersole and Stritch first met while starring in the 2001 Broadway revival of 42nd Street, where Christine’s performance as Dorothy Brock earned her first Tony Award®. She received her second five years later for her unforgettable dual portrayal of Big Edie and Little Edie Beale in Grey Gardens. This special performance will include songs from both productions, along with stories and selections from their albums In Your Dreams and Sunday in New York.
Tickets: Tickets start at $47. There is a $25 Food & Beverage Minimum
Lea Salonga at 54 Below
Nov. 29 to Dec. 19 @ 7 pm
Ring in the holidays with one of Broadway’s biggest stars, Tony Award® winner Lea Salonga. Best known for her leading roles in Miss Saigon, Les Misérables, Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends, Once On This Island, and Allegiance, this global artist was bestowed the honor of “Disney Legend” for her signature singing roles in Aladdin and Mulan. Star of the 2023 PBS special ”Christmas with the Tabernacle Choir,” and acclaimed for her 2024 Christmas release “Sounding Joy,” Lea returns to 54 Below with a show for all ages sure to get you in the holiday spirit.
Tickets: Tickets start at $74.50. There is a $25 Food & Beverage Minimum. November 29, December 5, 15 and 19 are already sold out and the rest of the run is going quickly.
All tickets for the performance on Tuesday, December 1 include a tax-deductible $200 donation to benefit 54 Below’s Ticket Subsidy program. Doors will open at 5pm and guests will be greeted with complimentary prosecco. The regular menu will be supplemented with festive specials exclusively available for this special evening.
Kelli O’Hara at Café Carlyle
December 1 to 21 @ 8:45 pm
A Tony Award winner and Emmy, SAG, and Grammy-nominated performer, O’Hara returns with a holiday show that reflects the depth, elegance, and emotional richness that have defined her extraordinary career. Renowned for her captivating presence and crystalline voice, O’Hara has appeared in thirteen Broadway productions, earning eight Tony Award nominations and winning the 2015 Tony Award for her celebrated portrayal of Anna Leonowens in The King and I. Her distinguished stage career also includes acclaimed performances in Days of Wine and Roses, Kiss Me, Kate, The Bridges of Madison County, South Pacific, and The Light in the Piazza, among many others, while her work on screen includes HBO’s The Gilded and the Emmy-nominated series The Accidental Wolf.
Tickets: This is sold out except for bar seating for $250 per person with a $50 food/drink minimum.
Leslie Odom Jr. at Carnegie Hall
December 7 @ 8 pm
Celebrate the magic of the holiday season—and the Carnegie Hall debut—of Tony- and Grammy-winning artist Leslie Odom, Jr., who joins us on his 2026 Christmas Tour following a sold-out run in 2025. This festive concert features beloved holiday classics, heartfelt originals from Odom’s acclaimed Christmas albums, and special performances of songs from Hamilton, which earned Odom a Tony Award for his iconic role as Aaron Burr. With his signature charm, stunning vocals, and a message of peace and unity, Odom brings the spirit of the season to Carnegie Hall in a dazzling show that’s equal parts soulful, uplifting, and unforgettable.
Tickets: Tickets start at $76
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