Cabaret Roundup: January 5-11- Ann Hampton Callaway, John McWhorter & More
See some of the top cabaret shows and concerts in NYC this week
By: Rebecca Kaplan Jan. 05, 2026
Are you trying to plan your entertainment for the week or looking for a fun show to see this weekend? We have you covered with jazz, cabaret, comedy, and more! NYC has so many incredible events, but here are a few top picks to consider this week including understudies and standbys from current hit Broadway shows, a reconstruction of a rare early Broadway show presented by renouned writer and linguist John McWhorter and more.
At This Performance at the Green Room 42
January 5, 2026 @ 7 pm
Featuring Standbys, Understudies and Alternates from RAGTIME; HELL’s KITCHEN; “OH, MARY!”; THE BAKER’S WIFE; THE BOOK OF MORMON; DON'T VAPE! THE GREASE PARODY and ROMY & MICHELE THE MUSICAL
This critically acclaimed series allows the performers to showcase their versatility and share anecdotes about their experiences. The series was acknowledged in BroadwayWorld's List of "Best Club, Cabaret and Concert for 2021" and has been called "an artistic triumph that all should seek out and see".
Tickets: Remaining tickets start at $29. There is no minimum at the Green Room 42. Livestream tickets are available for $26.57.
Sydney Stephan: Songbirds of the 70s at 54 Below
January 6, 2026 @ 9:30 pm
Songbirds of the 70s is a soaring concert event debuting at the iconic 54 Below, starring world-renowned piano vocalist Sydney Stephan—a globe-trotting performer, musical storyteller, and actor whose career spans stage, screen, and over 50 countries. With a voice as evocative as the era itself, Sydney brings new life to the legendary music of Carole King, Karen Carpenter, Linda Ronstadt, Fleetwood Mac, and more. She’s joined by special guests Eric Byers and Sabina Demidovich, adding harmony and heart to this unforgettable evening. From soulful ballads to soft rock anthems, Songbirds of the 70s is a tribute to the women who gave voice to a generation—and the songs that still echo through time. Don’t miss this electrifying night of music, memory, and melody.
Tickets: Tickets start at $29.50. There is a $25 Food & Beverage Minimum. There are only a few tickets left for this run, for the January 12 performance.
Ann Hampton Callaway: HERE’S TO LIFE at 54 Below
January 9, 2026 @ 7 pm
Don’t miss Here’s to Life, the new, uplifting show by Tony®-nominated singer-songwriter Ann Hampton Callaway. With her award winning trio, Callaway dazzles us with a night of gorgeous songs that celebrate life’s richness, despite our challenges and because of them. She breathes wisdom and passion into Arlen, Porter, Rodgers, and the Bergmans, as well as contemporary writers and her own originals.
Come and see why Christopher Loudon of Jazz Times calls her the “…superbly intelligent, singularly creative pop-jazz stylist who can stand shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Streisand, Ronstadt, Shirley Horn, and Dianne Reeves…”
Tickets: Tickets start at $57. There is a $25 Food & Beverage Minimum.
Fats Waller's Lost Show - EARLY TO BED with John McWhorter At The Triad
January 9 at 7 pm
In 1943, while Oklahoma was playing down the street, a hit musical with songs by Fats Waller ran for a solid year reviews, toured afterward -- and was then instantly forgotten. I have gathered all surviving material from this hot little show -- which was about white people at a bordello! -- for a cabaret performance of the songs. McWhorter is emcee and pianist, and has a sparkling crew of singers to make these songs live again. Revisit a gorgeous and fun score 80 years after its disappearance!
Tickets: Tickets start at $25. There is a 2 drink minimum, per person. Only three tickets remain.
Elizabeth Bougerol / Charles Yang at Joe’s Pub
January 11 @ 6:30 pm
A hunger for a bigger life drove vocalist Elizabeth Bougerol to ditch her midtown cubicle -- and chase the unlikely dream of re-imagining classics by the likes of Billie Holiday, Bessie Smith, Peggy Lee, and Ella Fitzgerald in a 21st-century context. The resulting journey cemented her faith in following appetites. As her "potent and assured" (The New York Times) little big band The Hot Sardines caps a decade of "simply phenomenal" (The Times UK) performances from Montreal to Newport with 70 million Spotify streams, a 2024 Carnegie Hall debut, and their 30th show at Joe's Pub, Elizabeth is celebrating with an all-new evening of songs (and a few stories) about pulling up a chair to the smorgasbord of life: Devouring the good, finding the sweet in the bitter, and learning to savor everything in-between. Featuring The Dulcetones. GRAMMY Award–winning artist and Leonard Bernstein Award recipient Charles Yang - praised by The Boston Globe for “playing classical violin with the charisma of a rock star” - will perform music from his highly anticipated debut album with his band.
Tickets: Tickets are $48. There is a 2 drink or 1 food item minimum per person.
Alicia Olatuja & Christian Sands Duo at Birdland
January 11 @ 7 & 9:30 pm
When St. Louis native vocalist, composer, educator Alicia Olatuja sings, the world listens. Her aural artistry is a wondrous weave of jazz, blues, gospel, classical, pop and Afropop musical genres. Olatuja’s embrace of those sonic stylings have enabled her to work with a wide variety of musicians - from jazz superstars Chris Botti, Christian McBride and Michael Olatuja, to R&B and gospel legends Chaka Khan and BeBe Winans.
Tickets: Tickets start at $35.46 including fees. There is a $20 food/drink minimum per person.
NieR:Orchestra Concert re:12024 [ the end of data ] at Carnegie Hall
January 11, 2026 @ 8 pm
AWR Music Productions and SQUARE ENIX CO. LTD present the Japan-exclusive reimagining of NieR:Orchestra Concert 12024 [ the end of data ]. This multimedia production, conducted by Eric Roth, unites full orchestra and choir with high-definition game projections. It includes an original scenario written by director Yoko Taro and voiced by Yui Ishikawa (2B) and Natsuki Hanae (9S), with English subtitles. Yoko Taro, composer Keiichi Okabe, and producer Yosuke Saito will all be in attendance.
Tickets: Tickets start at $67. (There’s a matinee performance but it’s sold out except for accessible seats)
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