Feature: 11 of the Best Cabaret Tribute Shows of 2024
Here are some of the best tribute concerts from the past year, as chosen by the BroadwayWorld Cabaret team
By: Rebecca Kaplan Jan. 01, 2025
Cabaret is such a varied art form with so many different styles and types. One popular sub-genre is the tribute show, where a single artist or company dives into the work of a specific singer, songwriter, or show. Some go for historic context, personal connection, the joy of diving deep into the catalogue of songs that rarely get performed live because they’re too specific to be removed from their original context and placed in the middle of a regular concert, or a combination of all of the above.
Here are some of the 11 best tribute concerts in New York City from the past year, as chosen by the BroadwayWorld Cabaret team.
2/6 – More Mostly Marlene at Joe's Pub
Bistro Award-winning singer Kim David Smith was utterly mesmerizing at MORE MOSTLY MARLENE. He exquisitely wove old and new together in this concert, capturing the essence of that famed star of stage and screen, Marlene Dietrich, and the period she represented.
Read the full review here and mark your calendars for the album debut show this year.
2/9 – NY Pops: Rhapsody in Blue at Carnegie Hall
The New York Pops and guest artist Montego Glover paid tribute to George Gershwin on the occasion of the near 100-year anniversary of “Rhapsody in Blue.” Guest artists Montego Glover (Into the Woods) and pianist Lee Musiker, are so talented. Put them together with the New York Pops, an immaculate 78-piece orchestra, and you're bound to have an unforgettable night.
2/26 – Grand Hotel 35th anniversary at 54 Below
The intimate cabaret space at 54 Below was transformed into Berlin’s Grand Hotel for the exuberant kick-off performance of GRAND HOTEL: THE 35TH ANNIVERSARY ORIGINAL BROADWAY CAST REUNION CONCERT. Original cast members reunited for a star-studded immersive concert reading of the show.
3/5 – Broadway Bound: The Musicals That Never Came to Broadway, Vol. 6 at 54 Below
Full of enthusiasm and terrific tantalizing terse tidbits, narrator sidekicks Robert W. Schneider and Charles Kirsch (“Backstage Babble”) co-hosted an evening devoted to the history of failed Broadway projects that never made it to the stage, including the participation of those who, back in the day, were actually involved with these musicals that never quite had their day.
Read Rob Lester’s full review here.
3/25: Karen Mason: Just in Styne at Birdland
Karen Mason was transcendent in JUST IN STYNE: KAREN SINGS JULE at Birdland Jazz Club. The versatile singer rocked the house with a gorgeous selection of Jule Styne classics. Mason took us on a mini history of Styne’s songs, with a sampling of his 1940s World War II songs meant to keep spirits up at home, his Hollywood era, and of course, his durable work in musical theater
4/29 Backstage Babble—Songs from Broadway Flops at 54 Below
BACKSTAGE BABBLE CELEBRATES Joe Allen RESTAURANT proved that you can have a successful cabaret night centered on Broadway shows that were financial flops. To dismiss shows with short runs is short-sighted. They have their ardent devotees. There were some real gems honored at the April 29th evening
Read Rob Lester’s full review here.
4/30 – To Life: A Celebration of Sheldon Harnick’s Legacy on His 100th Birthday at 54 Below
This show provided in-depth look at Sheldon Harnick’s legacy with a star-studded cast. Broadway historian Deborah Grace Winer hosted, providing context about Harnick’s life and the origins of the featured shows and guided us gracefully from song to song, show to show, era to era.
5/5 – Klea Blackhurst: One of the Girls at Chelsea Table +Stage
The ebullience of Klea Blackhurst – who beams peppy, perky, percolating positive energy — a truly perfect match for the optimism that runs through the happy Jerry Herman melodies and lyrics in this tribute show.
Read Rob Lester’s full review here.
10/29 – MasterVoices: Strike Up the Band at Carnegie Hall
The lush one-night-only production revived and revised a Gershwin/Kaufman show. MasterVoices did an outstanding job of mounting a nearly 100-year-old work and making it feel fresh and vibrant, both a museum piece but also current.
11/1 - Goldie Dver: What A Man! at Don't Tell Mama
Tribute shows are a tried-and-true part of the cabaret artform. What makes a tribute show just as it should be is a personal connection to the honoree. What did the artist mean to the performer? What effect did the composer have on the actor? What mark did the performer leave on the life of the person at the microphone? With her Anthony Newley tribute show, Goldie Dver touches hearts by opening hers, as well as her book of memories.
Read Stephen Mosher’s full review here.
11/10 – Lianne Marie Dobbs: The Windmills of My Mind...For Dusty Springfield
Stephen Mosher, who photographed this show but did not review it, said “If I HAD been reviewing this show, I would have written that it was one of the best cabaret shows I have seen, EVER. Full stop.”
Read Ricky Pope’s full review and see Stephen Mosher’s photos here
Header image: Goldie Dver (credit: Conor Weiss)
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