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Chicago Cabaret Week 2026

The purpose of the annual Chicago Cabaret Week is to:

  • Put Cabaret on the Chicago cultural map
  • Put Chicago on the world map as a cabaret capital
  • Strengthen the bonds between and among venues, artists and audiences

To our general public, Welcome! Chicago Cabaret Week will take place May 8 to 17, 2026. Ticket info for the Featured Shows and More is now posted at chicagocabaretweek.org (hosted by the Choose Chicago website). If you have further questions, take a look at the Answers for Fans guide.

Artist & Show Submission Form (closed) Venue Submission Form ChicagoCabaretWeek.Org Answers for Fans T-Shirts & Donations

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

New Venues are invited!

  • Come back in November 2026 to join the 2027 Cabaret Week.
  • You pick the performers! The vetted Show Menu will be up by early January. When you sign up, you can select preferred dates and times. And, beginning in January, you can select Cabaret Week performances from the Official Show Menu of vetted shows. You can also recommend cabaret acts you prefer to book.
  • Every event must offer a ticket at $30 or less for general admission, but venues have flexibility in offering VIP seats, drink/food minimums, and other ticketing/seating options.
  • Official venues are promoted in the 10K run of brochures, postcard mailing to 3,500 cabaret fans, posters, the website at Choose Chicago, press releases, radio promotions and word-of-mouth.

Promotion Toolkit for Cabaret Week Artists and Producers

  • The festival is being promoted in partnership with Choose Chicago; our media sponsor WDCB, and the coordinators, but it is important that ALL artists and venues do their own promotion as well. 
  • Use OFFICIAL graphics/artwork —NEW PHOTOS ARE COMING March 2026
  • Share this message with your cast and crew
  • Distribute the BROCHURE/CALENDAR at venue and shows, restaurants and libraries, music schools, etc. Pick up from Albany Park or request delivery by mid April.
  • Share and link to the WEBSITE ChicagoCabaretWeek.org
  • OFFICIAL HASHTAGS:  #CabaretWeek2025 #ChicagoCabaret #ChooseChicago 
  • FOLLOW on FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/chgocabaretweek  
    TAG on Facebook : @ChgoCabaretWeek TAG your venue/artist
  • MENTION CHICAGO CABARET WEEK in your posts and emails and websites: Include the CCW logo and the phrase: “See the full schedule at ChicagoCabaretWeek.org” 
  • VIDEO CLIPS —Send a series of photos, or a short clip of you or your show  — in a vertical format —   to Charles Kouri via text: 312-310-9390.  Videos may be from a performance, a rehearsal or a spoken promo for the show. We will add show information and CCW messaging to the posted clip. Here’s an example — https://www.facebook.com/chgocabaretweek/videos/1746377519611492
  • AT YOUR SHOW —Please THANK the Chicago Cabaret Week Donors, Choose Chicago, Sponsors, Volunteers, and Coordinators. 
  • AMBASSADORS – One Ambassador will attend each Featured show to help out, greet your fans, promote the Week. Please reserve two comps ticket. We will inform you who will be attending.
  • MEDIA & SPONSOR COMPS – Media sponsors may request 2 comp tickets. We will contact you individually with specific requests.
  • T-shirts and brochures: Contact coordinators@chicagocabaretweek.org or call to request yours. We will deliver!

GET YOUR T-SHIRTS —We are ordering official T-Shirts (CCW logo on the front). CLICK HERE to order yours now.

The quick list calendar of 2026 featured performances:

  • MAY 8: Francesca Amari —Different Drum: The Music of Linda Ronstadt
  • MAY 10: Sonia Oyola & Robert Solone —Love Songs for You
  • MAY 10: Zoe Soteres —Does This Song Make Me Look Dramatic: A New One-Woman Show
  • MAY 11: Chicago Cabaret Professionals A Musical Mondays performance of Tony Bennett at 100
  • MAY 12: Girls Like Us —It’s My Party
  • MAY 12: The Beaus —Mashups and More
  • MAY 13: Hilary Ann Feldman —The Life & Laughs of Carol Burnett
  • MAY 13: A 24WORDS production—The Day Before Remember When – a musical Equal Rights journeyMAY 14: Peppermint Patties Love You (Hate You) Mean It
  • MAY 14: Anne Burnell & Mark Burnell —Cry Me a River – The Music of Julie London
  • MAY 14: Elisa Carlson — Piano Bar
  • MAY 15: Lou Ella Rose and SamaSama Project— The Great Filipino Songbook
  • MAY 16: Ava Logan —Jazz Zing!
  • MAY 17: Ruth Fuerst — Quirky (Quirky songs by quirky songwriters sung by a quirky singer)
  • MAY 17: Muse Thorne — Pure Magic
  • MORE GREAT SHOWS:
    Swingin’ Sisters: Suite !
    I’m M$ B’Havin and the $exagenarian$ —Not Your Typical Mama … Memories of a Life Well Lived

The 2026 event schedule
CABARET WEEK FEATURED CONCERTS

See all details per show at https://chicagocabaretweek.org

Friday, May 8, 2026 Francis Amari — Different Drum: The Music of Linda Ronstadt
The Checkout
Linda Ronstadt is one of the biggest names in pop/rock music history, earning 12 Grammys & selling 100 million+ albums. Her iconic voice helped shape music of the 1970s/1980s, & she’s celebrated for her versatility & diverse range of musical styles. Now, lauded cabaret singer Francesca Amari pays tribute to this music icon — and it will knock your socks off. Amari creates a special evening of song and storytelling about the life of music icon Linda Ronstadt, including treasured selections from her vast catalogue of music and from Ronstadt’s autobiography,  “Simple Dreams.

Sunday, May 10, 2026  Sonia Oyola & Robert Solone — Love Songs for You
Le Piano
Sonia Oyola and Bob Solone are ex
cited to share more of their favorite love songs and duets in English/Spanish. Their shows always feature an eclectic, heartwarming lineup that soothes the soul and uplifts the spirit.

Sunday May 10, 2026 Zoé Soteres — Does this song make me look dramatic?A New One-Woman Show The Labyrinth Club
After being named Chicago Cabaret Professional’s 2025 Best New Chicago Cabaret Vocalist, Zoé Soteres is proud to present her first one-woman cabaret, partnering with Kyle William Stephens as her accompanist and music director! Through jazz, musical theatre, and R&B, Zoé and her musician and vocalist friends explore life in Chicago, the drama of post-grad life, and the lively jazz, cabaret, and theatre scene here in the city.

Monday, May 11, 2026 Chicago Cabaret Professionals presents Musical Mondays – Tony Bennett at 100 The Rhapsody Theater
Join us as we celebrate the 100th birthday of the one and only Tony Bennett! This Chicago Cabaret Week show highlights his incredible musical legacy, featuring iconic songs from the Great American Songbook that were a canvas for Tony Bennett’s unique style and sound. A group of talented singers from Chicago Cabaret Professionals will perform his hits as well as some lesser-known gems, honoring this renowned artist who was one of the last vocal titans of his generation.

Tuesday, May 12, 2026 Girls Like Us — It’s My Party: Celebrating the Girls and the Groups of the 1960s PianoForte Chicago
When we talk about music of the 1960s, most people think of Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and the Rolling Stones — but that’s really only part of the story. In a tiny window of about eight years, popular music changed forever with the birth of Bubblegum Pop. Suddenly, the airwaves were jumping with the sound of women – actually, girls – teenage girls and their teenage problems. With charm, skill and humor, Laura, Beckie and Marianne bring you the sparkling harmonies, lyrics of happiness and heartbreak of first love, origin stories and unforgettable sounds of Dusty Springfield, Tina Turner, The Mamas and the Papas, and other icons of the ’60s. Don’t miss this party!

Tuesday, May 12, 2026 The Beaus — Mashups and More
Stars & Garters
Prepare to be captivated by the harmonious melodies and infectious energy of The Beaus, Chicago’s favorite MAN-band. Their tight harmonies resonate through the room, enveloping every listener in a symphony of rich, resonant tones, with selections spanning pop, Broadway, standards, and parody songs. But it’s not just their musical prowess that sets The Beaus apart — it’s their ability to engage the audience and create an inclusive, welcoming environment that truly makes the evening unforgettable.

Wednesday, May 13, 2026 Hilary Ann Feldman — The Life & Laughs of Carol Burnett
Borelli’s Pizzeria
The world has loved Carol Burnett for over fifty years. Her fearless character acting and self-effacing personality made her Lucille Ball’s successor as the Queen of Comedy. Carol did it all — sing, dance, act, make you laugh, break your heart. But it was the laughs that led her from poverty to stardom. Take a stroll into that famous little circle of light as Hilary Ann Feldman guides you through Carol Burnett’s life and laughs.

Wednesday, May 13, 2026 A 24WORDS Production — The Day Before Remember When: An Equal Rights Journey
BugHouse Theater
Vibrant, funny, and inspirational, The Day Before Remember When is a cabaret about a 300-year odyssey to achieve Equality. With 15 original songs based on popular musical styles from the 1700s to the 1970s: Classical, Ragtime, Swing, Folk, Country, Soul, R&B, Power-Pop, and Glam. For the audience, this show is filled with revelations with an uplifting message about how equality can be achieved.

Thursday, May 14, 2026 Anne Burnell — Cry Me a River: The Music of Julie London
Gateway Theater Copernicus Center
Julie London was an American singer, film and TV actress, and pinup model whose career spanned five decades. She released over 30 albums of pop and jazz standards, including her signature song, Cry Me a River. Billboard named Julie the most popular female vocalist for 1955, 1956, and 1957. Chicago vocalist Anne Burnell pays tribute to this iconic singer.

Thursday, May 14, 2026 The Peppermint Patties — Love You (Hate You) Mean It
Hey Nonny
The Peppermint Patties are a vocal quartet specializing in close-harmony cabaret performances. Love You (Hate You) Mean It is a journey through the highs, lows, and lessons of love, friendship, family, and everything in between. The group placed 3rd in the 2025 Chicago Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival — with a unique style and sound that blends their professional opera training with jazz, musical theater, and comedy.

Thursday, May 14, 2026 Elisa Carlson — Piano Bar
The Redhead Piano Bar
Elisa Carlson is an accomplished singer/multi-instrumentalist who performs as a piano bar entertainer in Chicago and around the world. She specializes in high-energy, request-driven, sing-along entertainment. Elisa starred in the indie film Duelers (streaming on Prime, Apple TV+, and Tubi), which features a cast of real-life piano bar entertainers. Her theater credits include performances at Writers Theatre, Porchlight Music Theatre, Court Theatre, and Paramount Theatre.

Friday, May 15, 2026  Lou Ella Rose and Friends — The Great Filipino Songbook  
Epiphany Center for the Arts
The Great Filipino Songbook beckons you into the Golden Age of Filipino song, where tender kundimans and stirring melodies shaped a people’s identity. Reimagined by Lou Ella Rose and SamaSama Project, these rediscovered gems illuminate a truly American history of migration, resilience, and cultural exchange. Featuring guest artists Patricia Mosley, Tirzah Joy, Sonia Oyola, and R. Darryl Thomas, this performance brings vibrant arrangements and rarely heard stories that resonate with all of us today.

Saturday, May 16, 2026 Ava Logan — Jazz Zing!
Haven Entertainment Center
Take a journey with me down a musical memory lane! The landscape is wide with music from Jazz to Latin to Blues and more, as I, along with Chicago’s finest musicians, pay homage to some of the vocalists, instrumentalists and composers whose artistry we celebrate when we perform this special music! We will bring you an unforgettable experience!

Sunday, May 17, 2026 Ruth Fuerst — Quirky (Quirky songs by quirky songwriters sung by a quirky singer)
The Fulton Street Collective
Since when do irreverence and genuine warmth go together? Since “Quirky”! Come hear a mix of offbeat, funny, honest and uplifting songs about love, longing and life, by talented but lesser-known songwriters, including Ruth’s own dad. Reviewers describe Ruth as “a warm communicator” with “spot on comedy timing.” Audience members say “Quirky” is “enthralling and delightful, a much-needed antidote in today’s world.” With wonderful music director Beckie Menzie, “this show is a joy.”

Sunday, May 17, 2026 Muse — Pure Magic
Newport Theater
Muse is a unique cabaret and burlesque experience with a focus on live music. Join Boobs Radley, Thorne, and Whimsy Stiff-Richards with a cast of some of Chicago’s favorite artists and special guests from Colorado Springs, Dex Darkly and Selene Obscené! Enjoy a night of spectacle and “pure magic”! Muse is a live music experience that incorporates drag, burlesque, clowning and other art forms to explore universal themes. Each act features live instrumentation and/or vocals.

MORE GREAT SHOWS

  • May 14, 2026 7:30 pm The Swingin’ Sisters: Suite! The “Swingin’ Sisters! When Carolyn Broquet, Tirzah Joy and Barbara Smith join voices then the magic happens. Their repertoire from the Boswell Sisters, and the Andrews Sisters to the Beatles will delight you and boost your mood to a happy place.
    The CheckOut
  • May 16, 2026 9:30 pm Not Your Typical Mama … Memories of a Life Well Lived
    A mature Diva, I’m M$ B’Havin is built on a young woman’s frame; however, is not your typical Mama! She’ll give you the Blues, with a little bit of Burlesque, Comedy, Jazz, R&B, and a whole lot of sass!
    I’m M$ B’Havin; RicJaz, lead guitar; Dave Service, bass; Paul McAdams, rhythm guitar; and Sam Rodriguez, drummer
    Stars & Garters

MEDIA COVERAGE 2025

CCW 2025 press release 1Download

A gallery of images for 2025

Chicago Cabaret Week is coordinated by :

  • Anne Burnell, Managing Director 
  • Claudia Hommel, Working in Concert
  • Hilary Feldman, Acts Of Kindness Cabaret 
  • Marty Balogh, Chicago Cabaret Professionals
  • Kyle Hustedt, The Cabaret Project
  • With PR assistance by Charles Kouri and administrative assistance by Katie Rub