Best Cabaret in May 2025: Betty Buckley, Elizabeth Gillies, Reeve Carney & More
See some of the biggest names performing at cabaret venues this month - at a range of budget points
By: Rebecca Kaplan May. 01, 2025
See some of the biggest names performing at cabaret venues this month - at a range of budget points. We've put together a list of some of the biggest stars of the stage and screen and the biggest names in jazz, cabaret and Broadway with shows in NYC. Now's your chance to see these stars live, in-person and in an intimate venue. Tickets to these shows are limited and they are likely to sell out, so make sure to check this list when you plan out your month!
Sandra Bernhardt at Café Carlyle
Thurs. May 1 to Sat. May 3 @ 8:45 pm
Legendary performer, actress, singer, and author Sandra Bernhard is making her debut residency at Café Carlyle from April 29 to May 3, 2025. Known for her unparalleled wit and storytelling, Bernhard will perform her usual slew of comedic musings while taking audiences on a heartfelt journey through the music that shaped her life including all the songs you’ve come to expect from her. This American icon and “OG” comedy queen recently dazzled audiences as a guest judge in RuPaul’s Drag Race (MTV) and will soon be seen in both season two of both Survival of the Thickest (Netflix) opposite Michelle Buteau, and Percy Jackson & the Olympians (Disney+). Bernhard’s most notable film credit in Martin Scorsese’s The King of Comedy, opposite Robert De Niro, won her Best Supporting Actress by the National Society of Film Critics. A pioneer of the one-woman show, Bernhard brings a completely unique and raucous mix of cabaret, stand-up, rock-n-roll, and social commentary. Read a Q&A with Bernhardt about this show.
Tickets: There are just a handful of tickets left for this show, starting at $150 for bar seating. For all tickets, there is a $95 two-course menu requirement or a food and beverage minimum of $50 per person for bar seating.
Alex Newell at the 92nd Street Y, New York
Thurs. May 8 @ 7:30 pm
A fan favorite since their breakout role in Glee, in Once on This Island, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, and more, Newell joins 92NY for a solo concert featuring performances of showstoppers including “Independently Owned” (Shucked), “Mama Will Provide” (Once on This Island), and many others, promising a blow-the-roof-off evening of music, inspiration, and fabulousness!
Tickets: The only tickets left for this show are in the orchestra section, which is currently more than half sold out. Remaining tickets start at $57, or $44 for 20 and 30 somethings who join the Collective by 92NY membership.
Elizabeth Gillies at Café Carlyle
Tues. May 6 to Sat. May 10 @ 8:45 pm
Following her standout debut in November last year, Elizabeth “Liz” Gillies returns to Café Carlyle for a run of performances from May 6 to May 10, 2025. Gillies recently starred as “Fallon Carrington” in the popular Netflix series, Dynasty. After making her Broadway debut at just 15 in Jason Robert Brown's musical 13, she later became a household name as Jade West on the hit Nickelodeon series Victorious before starring opposite Denis Leary in the FX comedy series Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll. Gillies is also set to return to the Off-Broadway stage for a limited engagement in Little Shop of Horrors ahead of her residency. Gillies’ performances at Café Carlyle will showcase her deep love for American Standards and generational classics, bringing soulful interpretations of songs by artists like Peggy Lee, Joni Mitchell and many more – ensuring an enchanting evening for all guests.
Tickets: Bar seating is already completely sold out for this run. Remaining tickets start at $245 for general seating with an additional $95 two-course menu requirement per person.
Reeve Carney SINGS THE DIVAS at Green Room 42
Thurs. May 8 @ 7 pm
For this special performance, Reeve Carney, the Grammy-winning singer/songwriter, actor and star of Broadway's Hadestown will take a break from his usual set of original music to perform a cabaret evening of musical theater classics traditionally performed by legendary Broadway divas. A livestream option is available. Reeve recently co-starred in Ridley Scott's hit film House of Gucci, opposite Al Pacino, Lady Gaga, and Adam Driver.
Tickets: In-person tickets start at $41 for side/back seating. There is no food or drink minimum at Green Room 42. To purchase livestream tickets, click here.
THE WIZARD AND I: Liz Callaway SINGS Stephen Schwartz at 54 Below
Weds. May 14 to Sat. May 17 @ 7 pm
Long an interpreter of the songs of Stephen Schwartz, Emmy winner and Tony® and Grammy nominee Liz Callaway turns her attention to the songwriter with her new show, The Wizard and I: Liz Callaway Sings Stephen Schwartz. Featuring songs from an extraordinary career that has spanned nearly 60-years (and in every form of media), as well as a brand-new song, Liz honors Stephen in her signature way, pairing his iconic songs with tales of their lifelong professional relationship and friendship. Featuring Academy Award and Grammy-winning tunes from Wicked, Godspell, Pippin, The Baker’s Wife, and more, The Wizard and I is a personal celebration of the man who made a witch take flight and gave a bird sight.
Tickets: Tickets start at $73.50. There is a $25 Food & Beverage Minimum.
The performance on May 17 will also be livestreamed. For tickets and more information, click here.
Betty Buckley at Joe’s Pub
Thurs. May 15 to Sat. May 17 @ 7 & 9:30 pm
The legendary Tony® Award-winning, stage and screen actress Betty Buckley makes her highly anticipated return to Joe’s Pub for six intimate, must-see performances. This limited engagement offers a rare opportunity to experience one of Broadway’s most revered voices up close with her unforgettable live performance. Hailed as the “Voice of Broadway,” Buckley, a master storyteller, combines her consummate acting skills with an extraordinary ensemble of musicians to create a unique and mesmerizing evening of music.
BroadwayWorld’s Nathan Johnson raved of her Joe’s Pub performance in 2024: “A night of musical brilliance and exceptional artistry. Betty’s iconic voice resonated through the intimate venue…a collage of perfection. Betty Buckley is unparalleled when it comes to song interpretation.”
Tickets: Tickets are $85 for 7 pm performances / $65 for 9:30 pm performances (inclusive of advance phone/web service fee; door price). There is a 2 drink or 1 food item minimum per person.
Cécile McLorin Salvant: OGRESSE at Carnegie Hall
Weds. May 21 @ 7:30 pm
Cécile McLorin Salvant’s most daring and multifaceted creation yet, Ogresse is a musical and theatrical tour-de-force by an incomparable artist. It is a haunting, wryly humorous, and “staggeringly original” (The Wall Street Journal) work that blends jazz, chamber music, opera, art song, and many generations of storytelling traditions into a whole that feels at once ancient and cutting edge. Featuring Salvant’s original libretto, costumes of her own design, visual projections, and an ensemble led by Darcy James Argue, this is a true passion project that continues to evolve with each performance. Take advantage of the opportunity to experience it in the dynamic Zankel Hall.
Tickets: As of right now, there is only one ticket left for this show at $85. Go grab it and see this mesmerizing performer.
Mario Cantone at Café Carlyle
Mon. May 19 and Thurs. May 22 – Sun. May 25 @ 8:45 pm
Celebrated New York stage actor and stand-up comedian Mario Cantone returns to Café Carlyle. Cantone gained critical acclaim with his Tony-nominated one-man show, Laugh Whore, which began at the Cort Theatre on Broadway and was developed into a special on Showtime. His other memorable Broadway shows include starring roles in the Tony Award-winning Assassins by Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman, and in Terrence McNally‘s Love! Valor! Compassion! Additionally, he has featured in The Aristocrats (2005), Surf’s Up (2007), Otherhood (2019), All My Life (2020), and Under the Boardwalk (2023). On television, Cantone is best known as Anthony Marentino on HBO’s Sex and the City, the movie franchise, and the reboot And Just Like That. He also has recurred on the FX show Better Things and has performed his irreverent stand-up comedy at venues including Carnegie Hall and Atlantic City’s Borgata. He has headlined at Gotham Comedy Club and The Comedy Cellar, and most recently became the only stand-up comedy performance at the legendary Café Carlyle. Cantone's other television appearances include Late Night with David Letterman, Wendy Williams, Jimmy Fallon, Oprah, Martha, The Today Show, multiple appearances on ABC’s The View and he is also a favorite on $100,000 Pyramid.
Tickets: Tickets start at $110 for bar seating. For all tickets, there is a $95 two-course menu requirement or a food and beverage minimum of $50 per person for bar seating.
Elizabeth Sullivan'S 95TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION at Carnegie Hall
Thurs. May 22 @ 7 pm
Celebrate poet and composer Elizabeth Sullivan’s 95th birthday, surrounded by her loving family: daughters KT and Stacy, sons Pat and Tim, daughter-in-law Robin, grandson Montana, granddaughter Layla, and “adopted” son Mark Nadler. Elizabeth’s legacy will be honored through a showcase of her poetry and songs. This event reflects her remarkable artistry and creativity, and the profound impact she has had on those around her.
Tickets: Tickets start at $29.
Cat Cohen: WORK IN PROGRESS at Joe’s Pub
Tues. May 27 @ 9:30 pm
Comedian, actress and singer Catherine Cohen, known for her roles on shows like Only Murders in the Building and Girls5eva, and her Netflix comedy special The Twist...? She's Gorgeous, works out her new show.
Tickets: The May 5 performance of this show is completely sold out, and there are only a handful of tickets left for the May 27 performance. Tickets are $36 (inclusive of advance phone/web service fee; door price). There is a 2 drink or 1 food item minimum per person.
Sierra Boggess at 54 Below
Thurs. May 8 to Sat. May 10 & Mon. May 12 @ 7 pm
Olivier Award nominated actress and Broadway favorite Sierra Boggess returns to 54 Below with a new evening of songs and stories. Spend an evening with Sierra as she sings the songs that mean the world to her!
Perhaps best known for her iconic portrayal of Christine Daaé in both the Broadway and London 25th Anniversary productions of The Phantom Of The Opera, Sierra made her Broadway debut as Ariel in Disney’s The Little Mermaid for which she received a Drama Desk nomination. She has since become one of the most in demand actresses turning in memorable Broadway and West End performances in School Of Rock, It Shoulda Been You, Master Class, Les Misérables, Love Never Dies, and Harmony.
Tickets: Tickets start at $79. There is a $25 Food & Beverage Minimum. (The Saturday performance of this show is already almost completely sold out, but there are still a few tickets left you can snag.)
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