Cabaret Roundup: August 25-31, 2025- Jenn Colella, Broadway Sings Taylor Swift & More
Some of our top picks for live cabaret shows and events to see in NYC this week
By: Rebecca Kaplan Aug. 25, 2025
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 free outdoor summer concerts, Broadway stars singing Taylor Swift hits, and solo shows by emerging artists.
Sean Harkness: JUST ME at Don’t Tell Mama
Mon. August 25 @ 7 pm
An evening of solos, songs and stories in the intimate Brick Room setting at Don’t Tell Mama. BroadwayWorld’s Stephen Mosher said that musician Harkness “shines brighter than the sun” in this show. “This is a man worth knowing and an artist worth hearing.”
Tickets: There is a $20 cover charge and a $20 Minimum (must include 2 drinks) per person. DTM is cash only.
NaTasha Yvette Williams: Soulful Summer Nights, feat. Kayla Davion! at 54 Below
Tues. August 26 @ 7 pm
Step into a hot summer night filled with music, memories and magic as Tony Award® nominee and Wicked‘s current Madame Morrible NaTasha Yvette Williams (Some Like It Hot, Chicken and Biscuits, Waitress) lends her velvety voice in a distinct blend of jazz, showtimes, and gospel for a show that is sure to warm your heart and melt any troubles away. This special evening is a nostalgic joyride full of laughter, love and light! Every note will paint a scene creating an intimate electrifying night that is sure to not only entertain you but leave with your soul a little fuller!
Tickets: Tickets start at $51.50. There is a $25 Food & Beverage Minimum. There is currently a limited amount of subsidized seating for $18 with no minimum. 54 Below encourages you to take advantage of this lower priced ticket if their other ticket prices are prohibitive for your personal circumstance.
Kate Kortum: Wild Woman at Dizzy’s Club (Jazz at Lincoln Center)
Tues. August 26 @ 7 pm
Kate Kortum takes the stage at Dizzy’s Club to celebrate the release of her sophomore album, Wild Woman, out August 15. This special live set offers a first listen to brand-new music in an intimate and unforgettable setting.
Tickets: Tickets start at $35, with student tickets available at $25. There is a $21 food/drink minimum.
Ken Peplowski: Bird With Strings ft. Special Guest Eric Marienthal at Birdland Jazz Club
Tues. August 26 to Sat. August 30 @ 7 & 9:30 pm
Cleveland native tenor saxophonist and clarinetist Ken Peplowski, "...arguably the greatest living jazz clarinetist," (BBC) presents "Bird With Strings" a birthday celebration of Bird's best loved album - Charlie Parker with Strings, originally released in 1950. For this special engagement at Birdland the ensemble will perform the recorded arrangements as well as newly discovered and unheard arrangements commissioned by Charlie Parker from his favorite arrangers: Gerry Mulligan, John Carisi, George Russell, John Lewis, Mercer Ellington, Ed Herzog, Neal Hefti, from their recent release on Arbors Records: "Unheard Bird."
Tickets: Tickets start at $40.61 including fees. There is a $20 minimum on food or drinks per person
Morgan Freeman’S SYMPHONIC BLUES EXPERIENCE (SummerStage) in Central Park
Weds. August 27 from 8 to 10 pm
Free show; details available here.
Symphonic Blues is a journey through the soul-stirring history of the Delta Blues. One of the earliest-known styles of the genre, Delta Blues originated in the Mississippi Delta. Symphonic Blues merges the raw emotion of this music with the expressive depth of an orchestra. Founded and narrated by legendary actor Morgan Freeman, the show features performances by veterans of orchestras as well as the Delta Blues, coming together in a genre-bending, multimedia project that brings the story of this music to life. Born from the Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale, Mississippi—recognized as one of the top blues clubs in the world– Symphonic Blues traces the origins of the Delta Blues along the Mississippi River to its profound influence on global music and culture.
Tickets: Free. Seating is first come, first served.
Broadway Sings Taylor Swift at The Cutting Room
Thurs. August 28 @ 5 & 8 pm
Broadway Sings Taylor Swift is part of a unique concert series in which Broadway singers and a full, 14-piece orchestra come together to perform the hits of Taylor Swift. Get ready for an unforgettable high-energy musical experience featuring the best vocalists NYC has to offer!
Read a rave review of a previous performance by BWW’s Alex Del Cueto
Tickets: Tickets start at $40. There is a $25 food/drink minimum per person
My Body, My Cabaret at The Green Room 42
Thurs. August 28 @ 9:30 pm
Join us for My Body, My Cabaret–an evening of music, community, and advocacy in support of the New York Abortion Access Fund (NYAAF). This one-night-only event will feature performances by young women and LGBTQ+ artists, using musical theater to explore themes of power, justice, and the right to make decisions about our own bodies, lives, and futures. From anthems of defiance to ballads of resilience, these songs take on new urgency in the hands of a generation refusing to stay silent amidst growing attacks on our bodily autonomy.
The night will also showcase advocates on the frontlines of the movement for reproductive justice to share how we can get organized to fight for abortion access for all. Profits from the night will benefit the New York Abortion Access Fund to support people accessing abortion care in New York. Learn more here: https://www.nyaaf.org/
Tickets: Tickets start at $26.57. There is no minimum at the Green Room 42.
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.
Tickets: Tickets start at $65. There is a $25 food & beverage minimum
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