Cabaret Roundup: September 29-October 5, 2025- Maria Bamford, Tony Danza & More
Some of our top picks for live cabaret shows and events to see in NYC this week
By: Rebecca Kaplan Sep. 29, 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 Tony Danza, comedian Maria Bamford, and plenty of jazz.
Tony Danza: Sinatra & Stories at Café Carlyle
October 1 & 2 @ 8:45 pm
Following a sold-out three-week residency last fall, and a sold out run this past June, Danza is back by popular demand with his show that pays homage to the music of the legendary Frank Sinatra, whom Danza had a personal relationship with. In this special engagement, Danza, accompanied by his four-piece band, will bring his trademark wit, charm, storytelling, and a touch of soft shoe and ukulele performances to a selection of Sinatra’s timeless classics.
Read a review of the show here.
Tickets: Remaining tickets start at $195. There is a $95 two-course menu requirement for all guests. The Thursday performance is almost sold out, so if you want to see this, get your tickets now.
Youngmi Mayer: HAIRY BUTTHOLE at Joe's Pub
September 30 & October 1 @ 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.
Tickets: Tickets are $30. There is a 2 drink or 1 food item minimum, per person
Ephraim Sykes: Blessins’ ‘n’ Lessons, feat. Adrienne Warren at 54 Below
October 2, 3, 7 & 12 @ 7 pm
Tony Award® nominee Ephraim Sykes (Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations, Our Town, Hairspray Live!) makes his 54 Below debut in Blessins’ ‘n’ Lessons, a look into his life, loves, and lessons told through the music that carried him throughout his journey thus far. You’ll hear music ranging from Broadway, like Ain’t Too Proud and Hamilton, to hits from artists such as Kendrick Lamar, Frank Ocean, and Donny Hathaway. With dance still being his first language and playing the saxophone, drums and piano being his first love, Ephraim seeks to bare his soul and tell his story in the only way he knows how – music. Featuring special guest appearances from friends and family, this will be a one of a kind show you will not want to miss! Music direction by Manny Houston (Illinoise).
Tickets: Tickets start at $62.50. There is a $25 Food & Beverage Minimum.
Artemisia LeFay: Wasted Girl at 54 Below
October 3 @ 9:30 pm
Artemisia LeFay, rising star of cabaret with her critically acclaimed shows Ghosts of Weimar Past and Phantoms of the Cabaret makes her highly anticipated 54 Below debut with her newest show Wasted Girl. Spend an enchanting evening with chanteuse LeFay, an authentic song interpreter of the Golden Age Weimar Era. She will captivate you with her own vintage-inspired original songs. Wasted Girl was hailed by BroadwayWorld as one of NYC’s Best Cabaret Shows of 2024. Read a review of it here.
Tickets: Tickets start at $29.50. There is a $25 Food & Beverage Minimum. There’s currently a limited amount of subsidized seating for $18 with no minimum; 54 encourages you to take advantage of this lower priced ticket if their other ticket prices are prohibitive for your personal circumstance.
Maria Bamford at The Bell House
October 4 @ 10 pm
Maria Bamford is a stand-up comedian, actor, and New York Times Bestselling Author with her memoir “Sure, I'll Join Your Cult.” See her at the Bell House. Don’t know who Bamford is? See a teaser where she warns you not to see her show.
Tickets: Tickets are $43.80. She’s playing four shows, but tickets are sold out to all but one performance – 10/4 at 10 pm.
Champian Fulton & Klas Lindquist Present The Nonet at Birdland
October 5 @ 5:30 pm
Jazz luminaries Champian Fulton and Klas Lindquist are set to captivate Birdland Jazz Club with their exhilarating nine-piece nonet, debuting every Sunday in October 2025. Fresh off their critically lauded duo album At Home (Turtle Bay Records, May 2025), hailed as “a conversation of high art” by GRAMMY-winning historian Ricky Riccardi, Fulton and Lindquist are elevating their artistry to new heights. Their Nonet, featuring Fulton’s soulful piano and vocals alongside Lindquist’s masterful saxophone and clarinet, delivers a spirited blend of reimagined jazz standards and original compositions. Expect big-band grandeur infused with the intimacy of a late-night jam session—a sound that brims with energy and allure.
Tickets: Tickets start at $30. There is a $20 minimum food and/or beverage purchase per person.
Songbook Sundays: Tonight, Bernstein at Dizzy’s Club
October 5 @ 5 & 7:30 pm
Broadway meets the swing of Dizzy’s in a high-spirited salute to Leonard Bernstein. From On the Town to West Side Story , enjoy unforgettable hits like Somewhere, New York, New York, Lucky to Be Me, and more, all reimagined in jazz style. Tony Award winner Karen Ziemba and Broadway favorite Sydney James Harcourt join an all-star band led by Tedd Firth, with American Songbook expert Deborah Grace Winer hosting this lively autumn celebration.
Tickets: Tickets are $55 ($25 for students). There is a minimum food and/or beverage purchase of $25 per person.
Kim David Smith: Comme Une Folle (Torch Songs for Tough Times Because Gay) at Joe's Pub
October 5 @ 8:30 pm
Described by Broadway World as the "David Bowie of cabaret," "slyly subversive" by The Wall Street Journal, and labeled the "male Marlene Dietrich" by The New York Times, Australian cabaret artist Kim David Smith returns to Joe's Pub with "Comme Une Folle -- torch songs for tough times because gay." Queer mega-muses collide in a conjuring of torch-singing, bruise-hearted ladies and their loungy lamentations; Marlene, Minnelli, and Minogue meet Eartha, Piaf, Judy, and more, in jazzy, Julie London-esque rearrangements.
Tickets: Tickets are $30. There is a 2 drink or 1 food item minimum, per person
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