Best Cabaret in August 2025: Isaac Mizrahi, Penn & Teller, Samantha Pauly & More
See some of the biggest names performing at cabaret venues this month - at a range of budget points
By: Rebecca Kaplan Aug. 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!
Beth Leavel Sings Sondheim at 54 Below
Fri. August 1 to Sun. August 3 @ 7 pm
Tony Award® winner Beth Leavel is back to light up the stage at 54 Below with a brand new show celebrating the great Stephen Sondheim!
Beth just finished a triumphant run in Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends on Broadway. You know Beth and her show-stopping belt from such beloved Broadway hits as The Prom and The Drowsy Chaperone. After several sold out 54 Below engagements, Beth is delighted, terrified, and thrilled to now bring Sondheim’s brilliance to 54 Below. Let the storytelling begin.
Leavel is a powerful singer and masterful interpreter of Sondheim's work, with the deft comedic skill and emotional depth needed to nail his songs. Read BWW writer Ricky Pope’s review of the show here.
Tickets: Tickets start at $84.50. There is a $25 Food & Beverage Minimum.
Julie Benko: MY FANNY VALENTINE at Birdland
Mon. August 4 @ 7 pm
Step into the golden age of American song as Broadway sensation Julie Benko (Funny Girl, Harmony) returns to Birdland for a one-night-only celebration of the timeless music of Richard Rodgers. With new arrangements by pianist Jason Yeager, Benko brings fresh interpretations to beloved songs from Rodgers’ legendary partnerships with Lorenz Hart, Oscar Hammerstein II, and beyond. Don’t miss this unforgettable evening of sophisticated swing, heartfelt storytelling, and musical artistry at its finest—“a lovely night” indeed!
Benko is a masterful jazz singer and true comedic talent with a phenomenal band helmed by her husband. Read a review of her annual Mardi Gras show here.
Tickets: Tickets are $45.76 with a $20 minimum on food or drinks per person.
Dez Duron at Bryant Park
Fri. August 8 @ 7 pm
Singer-songwriter Dez Duron brings his signature blend of classic crooner charm and modern pop sensibility to the park stage. After appearing on NBC’s The Voice and making his Broadway debut in Maybe Happy Ending, Duron captivates audiences with his smooth vocals, effortless charisma, and magnetic presence. Whether delivering a timeless standard or offering a heartfelt original, Duron’s performance promises a night of soulful storytelling and timeless melodies.
Tickets: Free show. Seating is first-come, first-serve.
Isaac Mizrahi SURVIVES DEMOCRACY at 54 Below
Weds. August 6 to Sat. August 9 @ 7 pm
Entertainer, fashion designer and producer Isaac Mizrahi brings his six-piece jazz band with music ranging from Billie Eilish to Cole Porter, leaving the audience with a cultural whiplash. Subjects ranging from social media to politics and a good deal of insider tea, The New York Times applauds Mizrahi’s performances noting, “he qualifies as a founding father of genre that fuses performance, art, music and stand-up comedy.”
Isaac Mizrahi has worked extensively in the entertainment industry as a performer, host, writer, designer and producer for over 30 years. With an annual residency at Cafe Carlyle in New York City, Isaac has taken his cabaret performances across the country and this past year made his Broadway debut in Chicago, starring as Amos Hart.
Tickets: Tickets start at $84. There is a $25 Food & Beverage Minimum.
Nicole Henry: SUMMER’S SOUL at Birdland Jazz Club
Mon. August 11 @ 7 pm
Celebrating freedom, adventure, passion and enchantment, Nicole returns to Birdland with “Summer’s Soul.” From classic jazz to classic soul, and a sprinkling of everything in between, Nicole Henry will perform material including “A Lot of Living to Do,” “You Taught My Heart to Sing,” and more.
Henry has also enjoyed four national TOP 10 cds in the U.S., Japan and the U.K. and has headlined stages in 20 countries throughout her career, garnering worldwide rave reviews by Japan Times, El Pais, DownBeat, Essence and more. Among her numerous accolades, Henry received the Soul Train Award for “Best Traditional Jazz Performance," “Best New Jazz Artist” by HMV Japan, and “Best Solo Musician” by the Miami New Times.
Tickets: Tickets start at $45.76. There is a $20 minimum on food or drinks per person
Youngmi Mayer: HAIRY BUTTHOLE at Joe's Pub
Weds. August 13 @ 7 pm & Thurs. August 14 @ 9:30 pm
Hairy Butthole is a one-person show featuring Youngmi Mayer, one of the comics featured on Vulture's list of “Comedians You Should and Will Know” in 2024, based on the Korean saying "If you laugh while crying, hair will grow out of your butthole." The show follows highlights of her life based loosely on her memoir, I'm Laughing Because I'm Crying. It is a sad comedy show designed to make the audience laugh and cry at the same time.
This performance is part of the Joe’s Pub Vanguard Residency curated by Margaret Cho.
Tickets: Tickets are $30 (inclusive of advance phone/web service fee; door price). There is a 2 drink or 1 food item minimum, per person, during every show at Joe's Pub.
Samantha Pauly at Joe's Pub
Mon. August 18 & Tues. August 19 @ 9:30 pm
Best known for originating the role of Katherine Howard in Broadway’s smash hit SIX the Musical, Jordan Baker in The Great Gatsby, and her captivating performance as Eva Perón in Jamie Lloyd’s critically acclaimed revival of Evita on London’s West End, Samantha Pauly has carefully crafted an evening that reflects the last few years of her life. Join this Grammy nominee and Drama Desk Award winner as she revisits some career highlights, Broadway classics, pop/rock favorites, and all the fun stuff in between.
Tickets: Tickets are $48 (inclusive of advance phone/web service fee; door price). There is a 2 drink or 1 food item minimum, per person, during every show at Joe's Pub. There are just a small handful amount of tickets left for each performance.
Penn & Teller at Radio City Music Hall with Special After Party at 54 Below
Thurs. August 21 (show @ 8 pm)
You’ve seen Penn & Teller on TV with their acclaimed shows “Fool Us” and “Bullshit!,” in movies, on and off Broadway, and at their 20 year residency at the Rio Hotel in Las Vegas. BUT, did you know that this Obie Award winning, Olivier-nominated pair first hit it big in 1985 in the 247-seat Westside Arts Theatre, produced by none other than our founders––Richard Frankel, Tom Viertel, Steve Baruch, and Marc Routh––in their very first undertaking as partners?
Now, 40 years after Penn & Teller’s first New York performance, and 50 years into their career, they’re playing Radio City Music Hall as part of their worldwide 50th Anniversary tour and 54 Below is sponsoring a Gala Benefit visit to Radio City to celebrate the occasion.
Come experience what they’re all about and where it all began in a fabulous night out with the 54 Below family. Your purchase includes:
- A prime orchestra seat at Radio City Music Hall
- Tickets to the Official After Party with Penn & Teller themselves (in all their magical charm)
- A full open bar
- Passed hors d’oeuvres
- Festive buffet as only 54 Below can provide
Tickets: Tickets for the Radio City Music Hall show plus 54 Below after party are $500.
Jenn Colella: Big Dyke Energy at The Laurie Beechman
Sun. August 31 @ 7 pm
She’s got pipes, punchlines, and a whole lotta pride. In Big Dyke Energy, Jenn Colella brings the house down with 70 minutes of music, mischief, and unapologetically queer storytelling.
From Broadway beltathons to tender queer ballads, from middle school crushes on gym teachers to modern dating disasters, this solo show is part concert, part confessional, and all heart.
Expect powerhouse vocals, high femme realness, and some extremely gay agenda items. Whether you’re a theater kid, a baby gay, a proud elder dyke—or just here for the vibes—this is your invitation to laugh, cry, sing along, and feel seen.
Because Pride is year-round, and this dyke came to sing, play and slay.
Tickets: Tickets start at $65. There is a $25 food & beverage minimum
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