Cabaret in America does not belong to one city, one style of music or one kind of stage.

It can mean a singer and pianist performing within arm’s reach of the audience.

It can mean an elegant supper club built around the Great American Songbook.

It can mean burlesque, comedy, drag, circus, dance and live music sharing the same bill.

It can mean a tightly directed theatrical production with dinner, original music and elaborate visual design.

And increasingly, it can mean an immersive experience where the distinction between performer, room and audience starts to disappear.

That variety is part of what makes modern American cabaret difficult to define and interesting to follow.

Cabaret is less a single genre than a performance format built around intimacy, personality and direct connection between artist and audience.

New to the form? Start with What Is Cabaret? for a deeper look at the format, history and modern cabaret experience. What Is Cabaret?

And if the terms cabaret and burlesque are already starting to blur together, read Cabaret vs. Burlesque: What’s the Difference? Cabaret vs. Burlesque

What Is American Cabaret?

American cabaret inherited the intimacy and variety of earlier European cabaret traditions, but it did not develop into one standardized form.

Instead, it absorbed influences from American nightlife, vaudeville, jazz, Broadway, supper clubs, piano bars, burlesque, drag, comedy and popular music.

That is why two venues can both legitimately describe themselves as cabaret while presenting very different evenings.

One room may center on a vocalist interpreting songs with a pianist.

Another may offer dinner and a polished theatrical revue.

Another may mix singing, comedy, burlesque, circus and audience interaction.

The common thread is usually not the exact discipline.

It is proximity.

Cabaret places unusually strong emphasis on the relationship between performer, material, room and audience.

The performer is rarely pretending the audience is not there.

The room matters.

The personality of the artist matters.

And the experience often feels less anonymous than a conventional theater performance.

Cabaret Is a Format, Not Just a Type of Music

American cabaret is strongly associated with vocal performance and the Great American Songbook, but defining the entire form that way misses much of what is happening now.

Modern cabaret can incorporate:

• vocal performance
• jazz
• Broadway and musical theater
• original songs
• comedy
• storytelling
• burlesque
• drag
• dance
• circus arts
• magic
• spoken word
• multimedia
• immersive performance
• audience interaction

Some cabaret is elegant and restrained.

Some is political.

Some is ridiculous.

Some is glamorous.

Some is deliberately intimate.

Some is highly produced spectacle.

The flexibility is not a weakness in the definition.

It is part of the tradition.

For the larger historical relationship between burlesque, vaudeville and modern performance culture, explore Burlesque History: Origins, Evolution & Modern Glamour. Explore Burlesque History

Where Can You Find Cabaret in America?

There is no single American cabaret capital that represents the entire form.

Different cities developed different traditions.

Some have dedicated cabaret venues.

Some support strong communities of independent singers and musicians.

Some blur cabaret with burlesque, jazz, dinner theater, drag or immersive entertainment.

The cities below are not intended as a ranking.

They are useful examples of how differently cabaret can live in American nightlife and performance culture.

New York City: The Deepest Cabaret Infrastructure

New York remains one of the clearest places to understand the traditional American cabaret ecosystem.

Its cabaret culture intersects with Broadway, jazz, popular song, comedy, piano bars and independent vocal performance.

One of its most visible contemporary institutions is 54 Below, a nonprofit cabaret venue whose stated mission is to preserve and expand the art of cabaret while creating opportunities for emerging and established performers. Its intimate room presents multiple performances on many nights and remains closely connected to Broadway and New York’s vocal-performance community.

Want to see what a contemporary New York cabaret calendar looks like? Explore current performances at 54 Below.Explore 54 Below

New York also has something many cities do not: formal industry infrastructure around the art form.

The Manhattan Association of Cabarets, founded in 1983, represents a network that includes performers, musicians, directors, composers, club owners, booking managers, journalists and other members of the live-entertainment field. Its mission is to advance both the art and business of live entertainment.

For a deeper look at that professional ecosystem, explore the Manhattan Association of Cabarets. Manhattan Association of Cabarets

New York demonstrates one major branch of American cabaret especially well:

the intimate artist-led room.

The personality and interpretation of the performer are often the event.

Chicago: Cabaret, Burlesque and Variety in Conversation

Chicago’s cabaret culture exists inside a particularly broad live-performance ecosystem.

Musical cabaret, jazz, burlesque, comedy, drag, theater, immersive entertainment and variety performance regularly overlap without becoming identical.

The city also has an established professional cabaret organization.

Founded in 1998, Chicago Cabaret Professionals is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the art of cabaret through performance, education, workshops, professional development and audience building. Its membership includes performers, composers, producers, directors, presenters, venues and other participants in the field.

Interested in the singing and musical side of Chicago cabaret? Explore Chicago Cabaret Professionals and its current shows, performers and resources. Chicago Cabaret Professionals

Chicago is also useful for understanding why cabaret and burlesque are related without being the same thing.

A cabaret bill might contain burlesque.

A burlesque production may use a cabaret structure.

But cabaret can just as naturally center vocalists, comedy, musicians or other variety performers.

If Chicago is the city you are actually trying to explore, start with the Chicago Burlesque Guide for shows, classes, performers and live-performance culture. Chicago Burlesque Guide

For current nightlife research, explore the guide to burlesque, cabaret and variety shows in Chicago. Best Burlesque Shows in Chicago

Indianapolis: Cabaret as a Dedicated Performing Art

Cabaret is not limited to New York, Chicago or coastal nightlife markets.

Indianapolis offers an especially useful counterexample.

The Cabaret is an Indianapolis arts organization specifically dedicated to cabaret performance, presenting professional shows while also supporting education and artist development. The organization describes cabaret as a form that bridges theater and individual vocal performance while emphasizing intentional connection with the audience.

Its existence matters because it demonstrates that American cabaret is not merely a side room inside a larger theater culture.

In some cities, cabaret itself can be the institution.

Want to see how a dedicated Midwest cabaret venue programs the form? Explore The Cabaret in Indianapolis. The Cabaret Indianapolis

Interested in the larger regional entertainment landscape? Explore the Midwest Entertainment Guide for performers, cities and live experiences across the region. Midwest Entertainment Guide

Seattle: Cabaret as Original Theatrical Spectacle

Seattle offers another version of contemporary American cabaret.

At Can Can Culinary Cabaret in Pike Place Market, cabaret operates as original dinner theater.

Its productions combine disciplines including dance, burlesque, acrobatics, vocals, comedy, original music, costumes, scenic design and multimedia rather than limiting the form to a singer at a microphone. The company describes itself as a cabaret dinner-theatre experience and has been producing original shows since 2005.

That model illustrates a very different branch of American cabaret:

the fully produced cabaret world.

Here, the room, food, costumes, choreography, music and visual environment are all part of the experience.

Want to see what that model looks like today? Explore Can Can Culinary Cabaret’s current productions. Can Can Culinary Cabaret

This is also where the boundary between cabaret, burlesque and immersive entertainment becomes especially interesting.

For a deeper look at that evolution, read Experiential Nightlife Chicago: Why People Want More Than Bars.Explore Experiential Nightlife

Los Angeles: Cabaret, Jazz and the Supper-Club Continuum

Los Angeles illustrates another recurring feature of American cabaret culture: the overlap between cabaret, jazz and supper-club performance.

Catalina Jazz Club in Hollywood currently presents live music and vocalists in a dinner-and-show setting, with programming that includes jazz, Great American Songbook repertoire, Broadway-associated performers and artists identified within the cabaret community. Its 2026 calendar demonstrates how contemporary cabaret can coexist with jazz rather than occupying a completely separate venue category.

Want to explore that side of Los Angeles nightlife? See the current Catalina Jazz Club performance calendar.Catalina Jazz Club

This is a useful reminder:

A city can have significant cabaret activity without every room putting the word cabaret in its name.

Cabaret often lives inside jazz clubs, theaters, supper clubs, piano bars, restaurants and independent performance series.

What About San Francisco, Palm Springs, Boston and Other Cabaret Markets?

American cabaret extends well beyond the cities highlighted here.

Cabaret-focused media continues to document performances and venues in markets including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Boston and others. Cabaret Scenes, the magazine of the nonprofit American Songbook Association, has built an extensive archive of cabaret reviews, artist profiles and venue information since 1995.

Rather than pretending one article can maintain an exhaustive list of every active venue in America, this guide treats cabaret as a living ecosystem.

For current reviews, performers and venues beyond the cities covered here, continue exploring American cabaret through Cabaret Scenes. Cabaret Scenes

What Makes a City a Cabaret City?

A city does not need a giant theater district to support cabaret.

In fact, the form often thrives precisely because it can happen at smaller scale.

Healthy cabaret ecosystems may include:

• dedicated cabaret venues
• independent producers
• piano bars
• jazz rooms
• supper clubs
• small theaters
• burlesque venues
• drag rooms
• open mics
• singer showcases
• cabaret associations
• performer workshops
• recurring variety shows
• restaurants with live performance
• artist-created one-person shows

This matters because searching only for “cabaret club” can miss much of the actual scene.

Sometimes the most interesting cabaret in a city happens inside a room that primarily identifies as something else.

Traditional Cabaret and Modern Cabaret

There is no reason to choose one as more authentic.

Traditional cabaret often emphasizes:

• intimacy
• vocal interpretation
• storytelling
• piano or small musical accompaniment
• carefully selected repertoire
• the relationship between performer and audience

Modern cabaret may preserve all of those qualities while introducing:

• burlesque
• drag
• circus
• multimedia
• immersive theater
• original music
• electronic music
• choreographed dance
• elaborate visual production
• audience participation

The surface changes.

The central idea often does not:

the room creates a relationship between artist and audience that would feel different in a large conventional theater.

Is Burlesque Cabaret?

Sometimes.

Burlesque can appear within cabaret, but burlesque is not simply another word for cabaret.

Burlesque is its own theatrical tradition, with histories involving parody, satire, glamour, striptease, dance, character and variety entertainment.

Cabaret describes a broader format or mode of presentation.

A cabaret might contain:

a singer, followed by a comedian, followed by a burlesque performer, followed by a magician.

The burlesque act is burlesque.

The larger evening may be cabaret.

For the complete distinction, read Cabaret vs. Burlesque: What’s the Difference? Cabaret vs. Burlesque

And if burlesque itself is the question, start with What Is Burlesque? What Is Burlesque?

Cabaret vs. Dinner Theater

These can overlap too.

Dinner theater usually means a theatrical production presented alongside a meal.

Cabaret often places more emphasis on direct performer-audience relationship, flexible variety programming or artist-driven material.

But contemporary venues can combine both.

Seattle’s Can Can is a clear example of cabaret functioning simultaneously as dinner entertainment and a produced theatrical environment.

The useful question is not:

Which label is technically correct?

It is:

What kind of experience is the audience actually buying?

Cabaret vs. a Burlesque Show

Someone searching for a burlesque show is generally expecting burlesque to be central to the evening.

Someone attending a cabaret may encounter burlesque, but they may instead see singers, comedians, musicians, drag performers, circus artists or several forms in succession.

If you are trying to choose an actual night out rather than research terminology, explore notable burlesque shows around the world and see how differently contemporary productions use cabaret, spectacle and variety. Explore 10 of the Best Burlesque Shows Worldwide

How to Choose a Cabaret Show

Start with the experience you want.

If You Want Intimate Vocal Performance

Look for artist-led cabaret, supper clubs, piano rooms and venues where the performer and material are the primary focus.

If You Want Glamour and Visual Spectacle

Look for cabaret productions incorporating dance, burlesque, costume, circus or theatrical staging.

If You Want Dinner and a Show

Look for supper clubs and culinary cabaret where food and performance are deliberately part of the same experience.

If You Want Something Interactive

Look toward immersive cabaret, variety entertainment and productions that treat the entire room rather than only the stage as the performance environment.

If You Want Burlesque Specifically

Do not rely on the word cabaret.

Read the show’s description and confirm that burlesque is actually part of the programming.

If You Want a Particular Performer

Follow the artist.

Cabaret remains unusually performer-driven, and many artists appear in several venues rather than belonging to one permanent show.

What Should You Expect at a Cabaret Show?

There is no universal dress code or audience format.

Some rooms feel elegant.

Some feel theatrical.

Some feel like nightclubs.

Some feel like intimate concerts.

Some are seated dinners.

Others are drinks-only.

Some encourage audience interaction.

Others ask audiences to listen closely.

Before going, check:

• start time
• doors time
• age restrictions
• food or beverage requirements
• seating arrangements
• whether dinner is part of the ticket
• whether photography is permitted
• accessibility
• run time
• the actual style of the show

The word cabaret tells you something about the relationship between performer and room.

It does not tell you everything about the evening.

Where Are American Cabaret and Burlesque Going Next?

Live performance is increasingly borrowing from multiple traditions at once.

Cabaret can become immersive theater.

Burlesque can become narrative performance.

Dinner entertainment can become theatrical world-building.

Brands and private events can commission experiences that once would have existed only in theaters.

Artists increasingly move between stage performance, nightlife, digital media, teaching, hosting and creative direction.

The result is not necessarily the disappearance of traditional cabaret.

It may be the opposite.

As entertainment becomes increasingly mediated through screens, the intimacy of live performance becomes more distinctive.

For more on where these forms may be heading, read The Future of Burlesque: What Does the Art Form Become Next? The Future of Burlesque

Interested in the Performers Behind Cabaret?

Cabaret is built by people, not categories.

Singers, dancers, burlesque artists, drag performers, musicians, circus artists, magicians, hosts and other variety performers move between venues and formats.

If your interest has shifted from Where can I see cabaret? to Who actually performs this work?, explore the Burlesque & Variety Arts Directory. Burlesque & Variety Arts Directory

The directory is designed for discovery rather than endorsement, with performers organized by discipline and market as the resource grows.

Want to Learn Cabaret or Burlesque Performance?

Sometimes seeing an intimate live performance creates another question:

Could I do this?

Red Hot Annie teaches burlesque and performance work in Chicago, including movement, stage presence, musicality, storytelling and audience connection.

If you are curious from the performer’s side of the footlights, explore beginner-friendly burlesque and performance classes with Red Hot Annie. Chicago Burlesque Classes with Red Hot Annie

For individual attention, explore private burlesque lessons and one-on-one coaching with Red Hot Annie. Private Burlesque Lessons

Want Cabaret at Your Own Event?

At some point, research becomes production.

Perhaps you are not looking for a ticket.

You are planning:

• a corporate gala
• private dinner
• wedding
• milestone birthday
• brand activation
• fundraiser
• hospitality event
• themed party
• immersive experience

In that case, the useful question changes from:

Where can I see cabaret?

to:

What combination of performers would create this feeling in my room?

Before booking, read the guide to hiring burlesque performers, cabaret artists and private-event entertainment.Hire Burlesque Performers Guide

If you already want someone to cast and coordinate the entertainment, explore professional burlesque and cabaret performers through Vaudezilla. Hire Burlesque & Cabaret Performers through Vaudezilla

When Cabaret Becomes a Complete Production

Hiring one performer and producing an entire cabaret experience are different jobs.

A produced experience may involve:

• casting
• creative direction
• hosting
• multiple acts
• live music
• custom choreography
• costuming
• scripted transitions
• guest interaction
• technical planning
• rehearsal
• entertainment timed around dinner or speeches
• a finale designed for the event

At that point, the event itself becomes the show.

If the question is no longer “Which act should I book?” but “What should happen in this room?”, explore Vaudezilla’s custom entertainment productions. Vaudezilla Custom Productions

For larger corporate or private-event planning, explore Vaudezilla’s broader entertainment and creative-production services. Vaudezilla Event Entertainment Services

Want Red Hot Annie Specifically?

If your interest is in Red Hot Annie herself rather than a general cast, the path is different.

Her work spans featured burlesque performance, cabaret, immersive hosting, teaching and creative direction.

Explore Red Hot Annie’s featured performances, hosting and curated cabaret experiences. Hire Red Hot Annie

If you are developing a brand experience or trying to determine what the entertainment should become creatively, explore Red Hot Annie’s creative-direction and brand-experience work. Red Hot Annie Creative Direction & Brand Experiences

Continue Exploring Cabaret in America

There is no useful way to freeze American cabaret into one permanent list.

Venues open and close.

Artists move.

New producers emerge.

Rooms change programming.

Traditions cross-pollinate.

That is precisely why cabaret remains alive.

For ongoing national coverage, reviews and venue research, explore Cabaret Scenes and its archive of American cabaret. Cabaret Scenes

For performer and specialty discovery, explore the Burlesque & Variety Arts Directory. Burlesque & Variety Arts Directory

For Chicago specifically, explore the Chicago Burlesque Guide. Chicago Burlesque Guide

For cabaret’s relationship to burlesque, read Cabaret vs. Burlesque. Cabaret vs. Burlesque

And if your research has become an actual event brief, hire professional cabaret and burlesque entertainment through Vaudezilla. Hire Professional Cabaret & Burlesque Entertainment

Frequently Asked Questions About Cabaret in America

Are there still cabaret shows in America?

Yes. Cabaret remains active in dedicated venues, supper clubs, jazz rooms, theaters, burlesque venues and independent performance series across the United States. The form varies significantly by city.

What cities are known for cabaret in the United States?

New York has one of the most developed traditional cabaret infrastructures. Chicago supports an established professional cabaret community alongside burlesque, jazz and variety performance. Dedicated and hybrid cabaret models can also be found in cities including Indianapolis, Seattle, Los Angeles and other U.S. markets.

What is the difference between cabaret and a nightclub?

A nightclub describes a type of venue or nightlife environment. Cabaret describes a performance format. Cabaret can happen inside a nightclub, theater, restaurant, supper club, hotel, piano bar or dedicated cabaret venue.

Is cabaret the same as burlesque?

No. Burlesque is a distinct theatrical tradition. Cabaret is a broader performance format that may include burlesque along with singers, musicians, comedians, drag performers, circus artists and other variety acts.

Is cabaret always musical?

No. Music is deeply associated with cabaret, particularly vocal cabaret, but the form can also incorporate comedy, storytelling, burlesque, drag, dance, circus and other live-performance disciplines.

What is modern cabaret?

Modern cabaret retains the intimacy and performer-audience connection associated with traditional cabaret while potentially incorporating contemporary music, burlesque, drag, multimedia, immersive performance, circus, dance and theatrical production.

Where can I find current cabaret shows?

Start with dedicated cabaret venues, local cabaret organizations, official venue calendars and cabaret-focused publications. Cabaret Scenes maintains national reviews and venue resources, while regional organizations such as the Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Chicago Cabaret Professionals provide additional local context.

Can I hire cabaret performers for a private event?

Yes. Cabaret-style private entertainment may include singers, burlesque performers, dancers, hosts, musicians, circus artists and other variety entertainers. The appropriate format depends on the room, audience and event.

Can cabaret work for corporate events?

Yes, when casting and material are appropriate to the audience. Corporate cabaret may emphasize music, dance, glamour, hosting, visual spectacle or theatrical variety rather than relying on a nightclub-style format.

Is dinner normally included at cabaret shows?

Sometimes. Some cabaret venues operate as supper clubs or dinner theaters, while others offer drinks, optional food or no meal service at all. Check the individual venue before attending.

Where should a beginner start with cabaret?

Start by seeing several different versions of the form. An intimate vocal cabaret, a variety or burlesque cabaret and a fully produced dinner-cabaret experience can feel radically different while all belonging to the same larger tradition.

Where to Go Next

Want the definition?

Start with What Is Cabaret? What Is Cabaret?

Trying to understand the difference from burlesque?

Read Cabaret vs. Burlesque. Cabaret vs. Burlesque

Looking for performers?

Explore the Burlesque & Variety Arts Directory. Explore the Performer Directory

Looking for shows?

Explore notable burlesque and cabaret experiences around the world. 10 Best Burlesque Shows Worldwide

Want to learn?

Explore classes and performance training with Red Hot Annie. Red Hot Annie Classes

Want Annie herself?

Explore Red Hot Annie’s performance and curated cabaret work. Hire Red Hot Annie

Planning an event?

Learn how to hire burlesque and cabaret performers. Hire Burlesque Performers Guide

Ready to turn the idea into a professionally produced experience?

Explore cabaret performers and custom entertainment through Vaudezilla. Vaudezilla Cabaret & Burlesque Entertainment