Cabaret Roundup: October 20-26- Jackie Cox, Cabaret Convention & More
Some of our top picks for live cabaret shows and events to see in NYC this week
By: Rebecca Kaplan Oct. 20, 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 jazz, drag star Jackie Cox, Halloween-themed shows and more.
Seussical 25th Anniversary Reunion Concert, feat. Andrew Keenan-Bolger, Ann Harada, & more at 54 Below
October 20 @ 7 & 9:30 pm
Members of the original Broadway cast, joined by members from the Off-Broadway and national touring companies, will once again be reuniting for ONE NIGHT ONLY so you may experience this beloved musical from the legendary team of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty about courage, acceptance, friendship and love.
Tickets: Remaining tickets start at $62.50. There is a $25 Food & Beverage Minimum. The 7 pm performance will also be livestreamed.
True Crime Frankenstein: In Concert, feat. Paula Pell, Bonnie Milligan, & more at 54 Below
October 21 @ 9:30 pm
When young pop sensation William Frankenstein is murdered, the family’s nanny is blamed. However, local high school loner Mary Sheldon knows there’s more to the story. Armed with a microphone and her own ambitions, she launches an investigative podcast to expose one Victor Frankenstein’s secrets, unraveling a tale of dark science, monsters and an alarming amount of preventable murder. The deeper she digs, the more she realizes she’s not only telling this story — she’s in it. Featuring a book by Matt cox (Puffs) and music & lyrics by Eli Bolin (Original Cast Album: Co-op), the new glam-rock tinged musical comedy True Crime Frankenstein (or the Modern, Modern Prometheus) makes its NYC debut in a starry, raucous concert that explores the eternal question: what makes a monster and what makes a man?
Tickets: Tickets start at $35. There is a $25 Food & Beverage Minimum.
The 2025 Cabaret Convention at Jazz at Lincoln Center
October 21 to 23 @ 6 pm
Now in its 36th year, the New York Cabaret Convention — presented by the Mabel Mercer Foundation — is the longest-running event of its kind. More than a showcase, it’s a glittering celebration of the Great American Songbook, where cabaret’s brightest stars and rising voices of the future bring timeless music to life. This year’s programming includes star-studded tributes to Cy Coleman (October 21), Jule Styne (October 22) and variety songs (October 23). Visit JALC’s website for individual lineups and more information.
Tickets: Tickets start at $25 for balcony seats.
Jackie Cox at The Laurie Beechman
October 22 @ 7 pm
Beloved RuPaul’s Drag Race superstar Jackie Cox has clocked back into Lady Bunny Memorial hospital, but this time something’s gone terribly, hilariously wrong. After accidentally taking the wrong "medication", sweet Nurse Jackie has transformed into her most sinister self—an unlicensed doctor of drag gone mad. Now armed with a cauldron of cursed prescriptions and a flair for the diabolical, Jackie begins conjuring a parade of twisted experiments straight from her spooky imagination—think the Bride of Frankenstein reanimated with Broadway belts, pop divas possessed by disco spirits, and a graveyard of ghoulishly campy surprises. Through monstrous musical numbers, wickedly funny storytelling, and hands-on “treatments”, Jackie delivers a night of horror and hilarity that will leave you in stitches—literally.
Tickets: Tickets start at $25. There is a $25 food & beverage minimum.
Dreams Don’t Come True in Pennsylvania at Chelsea Table + Stage
Weds. October 22 @ 7 pm
New York's next Power Couple, Dan and Chrissy Pardo, celebrate the artists, songs, and stories from their native Greater Philly area to ask "are you willing to leave a place you love to pursue a dream that may not come true?" After performing together in multiple musical projects, including John Mulaney and the Sack Lunch Bunch (for Netflix), the weekly artists-in-residence at the famed Hotel Edison are excited to bring back their sold-out debut to Chelsea Table and Stage! Under the skillful direction of MAC and Bistro Award Winner James Beaman, Chrissy and Dan will not only dazzle you with powerful vocals and athletic piano chops; they will imbue you with a sense of a pride, humor, and nostalgia for a place that doesn't often get a second look—even after winning the damn Super Bowl!
Tickets: Remaining tickets start at $39.19. There is a $25 Food & Beverage minimum per person. There are also livestream tickets available for $23.18.
Mike LeDonne Birthday Celebration: The Heavy Hitters at Dizzy’s Club
October 24 @ 7 & 9 pm
Formed by Eric Alexander and Mike LeDonne in 2023, The Heavy Hitters is an all-star sextet bringing together some of today’s most dynamic jazz musicians. With two albums already released, including a brand-new live recording on CD and double vinyl, this hard-swinging band delivers powerful, straight-ahead jazz with serious fire.
Tickets: Tickets are $50 ($25 for students). There is a minimum food and/or beverage purchase of $25 per person.
Phillip Officer Salutes Mabel Mercer: You Fascinate Me So, feat. KT Sullivan at 54 Below
October 24 @ 9:30 pm
No understanding of the American popular song is complete without the knowledge of the legendary Mabel Mercer and her influence on lyric interpretation. Her perfect diction and honest approach to lyrics attracted many of America’s rising singers to emulate her style: Frank Sinatra, Lena Horne, Tony Bennett, Bobby Short, Peggy Lee, and Nat King Cole. What they learned from Mercer transformed American culture. Tin Pan Alley was expanding its trunk of tunesmiths to include Broadway’s brightest composing stars: Cole Porter, George & Ira Gershwin, Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein, Cy Coleman & Carolyn Leigh. The chic supper clubs and smokey saloons were a perfect playground for the intimate art of cabaret. Phillip Officer has always had the ability to make one feel that he’s singing a particular song only to you. That is the magic of Phillip Officer — a wizard of musical words. Now, he brings his hit Mabel Mercer show, You Fascinate Me So, to 54 Below!
Tickets: Tickets start at $35. 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 these tickets if their other tickets are cost prohibitive for your circumstances.
House of Screams: S&M Halloween at Joe's Pub
Fri. October 24 @ 9:30 pm
A haunted evening of seduction and suspense. House of Screams is a seated Halloween variety show where fear flirts with fantasy and every act teases the edge of pleasure and pain. Expect chills, thrills, and provocative performances you’ve never seen before. Costumes encouraged. Secrets kept.
Tickets: Tickets are $60 (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.
Carole J. Bufford: Daring Dames of the Silver Screen at Birdland Jazz Club
October 24 to 26 @ 7 & 9:30 pm
From femme fatales and sultry sirens to plucky ingénues and leading ladies, Bufford will celebrate the women who put their indelible stamp on the face of American Cinema. With exciting, fresh takes on these Hollywood hits, expect an evening of powerhouse vocals and fascinating stories from the cabaret star lauded by The New York Times as "the real thing!" and the Wall Street Journal as the new "last of the red hot mamas!" Featuring songs made famous by Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Judy Garland, Lena Horne, Barbra Streisand, Liza Minnelli, Rita Hayworth, Lauren Bacall, Julie Andrews, and more!
Tickets: Tickets start at $35.46 including fees. There is a $20 minimum on food or drinks per person
Marta Sanders & Leanne Borghesi: THE SHOW BROADS LIVIN' OUT LOUD at Don’t Tell Mama
Oct. 25 @ 1 pm & Oct. 26 @ 4 pm
The SHOWBROADS! are a theatrically comedic, musical nightclub act starring the Legendary: Marta Sanders (Broadway’s Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, MAC Lifetime Achievement Award) and “big-boned comedienne” Leanne Borghesi (2022 MAC Award Borghesi’s Back, MOOD SWINGS). Borghesi and Sanders, both award winning powerhouse singers, unite once again after their sold-out engagements at Birdland Jazz Club with their unique nightclub style.
Tickets: Tickets are $25 with a $20 food/drink minimum (cash only).
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