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Cabaret is part of New York City’s cultural DNA. There’s nothing quite like sharing a small room with a singer at a nightclub; when it works, it feels like a private party. But it can be hard to figure out which singers to see, and many of the best shows cost arms and legs. But this week, you’re in luck! Several shows on the immediate horizon feature multiple singers, including some of our very favorites. Group shows are a terrific way to get a taste of what’s our there, and these shows are surprisingly affordable.
We recommend, of course, that you bookmark our Cabaret page, which is constantly updated to keep you up on the best shows in town. But for now, here are five that will be well worth your time. Act fast, though: These rooms are small, so there are few tickets left to any of them.
Jenn Harris: Offer Only (Sunday, May 15)
Harris is one of the city’s funniest people, and at the Duplex this Sunday she’ll be joined by an all-star lineup of actors and singers, including Cole Escola, Erin Markey, Molly Pope, Natalie Joy Johnson and Jeff Hiller. They’ll be revisiting auditions that didn’t get them the parts they wanted. Tickets are an absurdly low $10.
Broadway Sings Whitney Houston (Sunday, May 15)
The Houston edition of the popular Broadway Sings series sold out weeks in advance in April, so they’re bringing it back for an encore. Hit after diva hit for $30, sung by folks like Amber Iman (Shuffle Along), Joaquina Kalukango (The Color Purple), Lilli Cooper (Spring Awakening) and 2016 Tony nominee Saycon Sengbloh (Eclipsed)
Dearly Beloved: A Concert Tribute to Purple Rain (Monday, May 16)
If you like your Broadway tributes a little rockier, here’s another return engagement: a reprise of 2014’s hit salute to Prince’s Purple Rain, as transformed through the talents of Tony winner Lena Hall (Hedwig and the Angry Inch), two-time Tony nominee Robin De Jesus (In the Heights) and current Broadway ensembler E. Clayton Cornelious. The cost? $30, part of which goes to charity.
This Is Your Night: James Gavin (Tuesday, May 17)
A wide range of top-tier chanteuses salute musical biographer James Gavin in this eclectic evening. Performers include the peerless English singer Barb Jungr, East Village icon Penny Arcade, cabaret legend Baby Jane Dexter, edgy alt-cabaret artist Tammy Faye Starlite and the blessedly ubiquitous Molly Pope. For $20, this is another unbelievable deal.
The Meeting* with Justin Sayre (Sunday, May 22)
The latest edition of Justin Sayer’s brilliant queer variety show at Joe’s Pub includes a tribute to Prince (by singers Michael Cavadias, Bridget Barkan and Tony DeSare) as well as Sayre’s signature comedic monologues and aesthetic judgments. The show is still miraculously priced at a mere $20. No gay New Yorker should pass up the bargain.