Cabaret Theater Reviews: Best Shows & Critic Recommendations

Review: The Darling Of TikTok Mixes Magic Cocktails With Quips & Sips in INDULGENCE WITH LUCY DARLING at The Triad
by Bobby Patrick - April 18, 2025

With facial expressions and reactions reminiscent of another redheaded Lucy we all love, the darling Darling keeps her audience in the palm of her sleight of hand....

Review: Jeff Harnar's CONFESSIONS OF A NEW YORKER at 54 Below Is a Joyous Ride
by Rebecca Kaplan - April 20, 2025

New York City cabaret fixture Jeff Harnar turns his attention to songwriters from the city that never sleeps at his latest show, Confessions of a New Yorker. He’ll be back at Birdland on 6/9 honoring another great NYC songwriter, Cole Porter...

Review: Reeve Carney is the Real Thing at The Green Room 42
by Ricky Pope - April 16, 2025

Carney's voice itself is a musical instrument, alive with an entire palette of colors. His versatility is bewildering. Both as a vocalist and a guitar player he achieves feats of virtuosity that are a little bit like magic....

Review: Carolyn Montgomery Packs 54 Below With girlSINGER
by Stephen Mosher - April 12, 2025

While her musical cabaret is, ostensibly, a Rosemary Clooney show, the honoree of the evening is actually Carolyn Montgomery, herself....

Review: Sue Matsuki & Gregory Toroian's Heartfelt RESERVATIONS FOR TWO at Don't Tell Mama
by Analisa Bell - April 09, 2025

In Reservations for Two, veteran chanteuse Sue Matsuki and musical director/pianist Gregory Toroian celebrate an extraordinary 31-year artistic partnership with a performance brimming with polish, playfulness, and mutual respect....

Review: JAZZ WITH JESSICA, JOHN, AND BRYAN Delights Crowd at The Green Room 42
by Chloe Yang - April 06, 2025

Enchanting cabaret duo John Carden and Jessica Hill celebrate friendship and the Great American Songbook at The Green Room 42, delivering soulful classics and Broadway hits with infectious charm and stellar accompaniment....

Review: Julie Benko's A STAR IS BORN at Café Carlyle Is Bright With Love & Jazz
by Rebecca Kaplan - April 03, 2025

The Funny Girl star plays nightly through 4/5, honoring her newborn daughter with stories of motherhood and clever jazz spins on classics. Joined by her husband on piano and a killer band, it's a night of tender love and showstopping music...

Review: AN EVENING WITH CÉCILE MCLORIN SALVANT at Carnegie Hall Is Transfixing
by Rebecca Kaplan - April 02, 2025

The audience at Carnegie Hall on 3/27 quite literally could not get enough of Cécile McLorin Salvant. The acclaimed jazz singer closed out the venue’s 2024-25 Originals Series with a knockout concert, backed by some of the foremost jazz musicians....

Review: THE LEADING LADY CLUB CONCERT Is a Female-Focused Blast at 54 Below
by Rob Lester - April 01, 2025

THE LEADING LADY CONCERT at 54 Below on March 22 featured lots of talent and more than just bravura belting--with some surprises. An annual concert for Women's History Month is strong and stylish....

Review: Guy Mintus Thrills in RHAPSODY IN BLUE & WHITE at Stephen Wise Free Synagogue
by Ricky Pope - March 31, 2025

Guy Mintus performs with the confident swagger of a rock star.  His love of sharing his art is irresistibly infectious and comes with an always implied “Wait until you hear this.' His inventions are clever, heartfelt, and 100% his own....

Review: Felix Hagan Takes 54 Below with Raw Talent & Boundless Joy
by Chloe Yang - March 30, 2025

Felix Hagan captivates at 54 Below with a solo show accompanying himself on piano, showcasing resilient optimism and musical virtuosity, while his co-written 'Operation Mincemeat' brings British wartime absurdity to Broadway's John Golden Theatre....

Review: Natalie Joy Johnson Brings the Madness of March to The Green Room 42
by Sharon Ellman - March 29, 2025

April may be only around the corner, but March Madness was in full swing last evening at The Green Room 42 with the very talented Maryland native Natalie Joy Johnson. What a night, what a performer, what a great time!...

Review: MOVIN' RIGHT ALONG Captures the Spirit of Jim Henson at The Green Room 42
by Ricky Pope - March 27, 2025

MOVIN' RIGHT ALONG showcases four very gifted young people with a love for Henson’s creations. That love is obvious in the show they have created. It is an hour of great fun....

Review: Charles Busch's MY LEADING LADIES Lights Up 54 Below
by Nathan Johnson - March 22, 2025

What makes Charles such a mesmerizing performer isn’t just that he sings a song—it’s that he lives it. He doesn’t simply interpret the lyrics; he becomes them. With every number, he slips into a new skin, taking us along for the ride....

Review: Cyrille Aimée & The Guitar Heroes Captivate at Birdland
by Rob Lester - March 21, 2025

With two sets a night through Saturday 3/22, Cyrille Aimée and her Guitar Heroes may be your jazz heroes this week with their strong show at Birdland....

Review: JENN COLELLA Back In The Basement With Broadway At 54 Below
by Stephen Mosher - March 19, 2025

Whether on Broadway or in the cabaret, Jenn Colella is one of our best. This week at 54 Below it's Broadway AND cabaret....

Review: The New York Pops Celebrate 100 YEARS OF EPIC FILM SCORES at Carnegie Hall
by Rebecca Kaplan - March 17, 2025

On Friday March 14, 2025, the New York Pops closed out their 2024-25 season at Carnegie Hall with 100 Years of Epic Film Scores, a celebration of music from the past century of movies, with a focus on pieces with historic significance....

Review: Legendary Dionne Warwick Returns to her Hits at Westbury Music Fair
by Rob Lester - March 17, 2025

Dionne Warwick reigned at New York's Westbury Music Fair. Fans shouted that they loved her, and she returned the love with her love songs and smiles. The show was a love-fest of nostalgia with good songs, fans and family...

Review: Norbert Leo Butz's GIRLS, GIRLS, GIRLS Is Art, Art, Art at 54 Below
by Stephen Mosher - March 12, 2025

Catch GIRLS, GIRLS, GIRLS during its last two nights in the basement!...

Review: STEVE SCHALCHLIN AND FRIENDS Shines at Don't Tell Mama
by Lydia. Rose - March 13, 2025

The singer-songwriter stopped by the Midtown cabaret bar on March 7th to play some of what he's written recently, with a cast of special guests and an impressively varied selection of songs....

Review: Bleier and Pendleton's OLD FRIENDS Such Good Fun at Pangea
by Stephen Mosher - March 11, 2025

Barbara Bleier and Austin Pendleton, along with special guests Gretchen Cryer and Richard Maltby Jr., play a return engagement of the engaging musical cabaret OLD FRIENDS....

Review: JUDY COLLINS & FRIENDS: 85 YEARS OF PROTEST & MUSIC Stuns at The Town Hall
by Andrew Poretz - March 12, 2025

Legendary singer, songwriter, musician and social activist Judy Collins celebrated 85 years on planet earth along with International Women’s Day at The Town Hall on March 8 with a concert, many musical friends, and a full house....

Review: Ella Mae Dixon Casts a Spell in Her Debut at 54 Below
by Grace Jordan - March 11, 2025

Jazz scats, vibrato, heartfelt dramatic interpretations, comedic delivery and crystalline clarity: Ella Mae Dixon's 54 Below debut on 3/7 was a ringing success....

Review: Ashley Brown Was The Consummate Professional In MY FUNNY VALENTINE at The Green Room 42
by Analisa Bell - March 10, 2025

With Ryan Silverman bowing out due to illness, Brown had less than a day to come up with a solo show. But she proved the consummate professional by delivering a delightful set!...

Review: Maggie Kneip's STUCK IN A MOMENT Was A Masterclass in Storytelling at Don't Tell Mama
by Analisa Bell - March 10, 2025

Maggie Kneip has a story to tell—and on Wednesday night, March 5, at Don’t Tell Mama, she told it with a grace, vulnerability, and raw honesty. Kneip’s masterful storytelling made for a captivating evening....