“Leave your troubles outside,” commands the Master of Ceremonies in the Broadway hit “Cabaret.” “In here, life is beautiful.”
Though the word cabaret dates from the 1600s, meaning a small room or tavern, the theatrical concept originated in the late 1800s in Paris, with the famous venues of Le Chat Noir and Moulin Rouge.
Cabaret can be both a place, like a nightclub, and a style of performance, with songs, dancing, and variety acts linked by witty and sometimes racy banter. Instead of plunking into lines of theater seating, audiences are usually seated in small groups at tables, with drinks served, making for a casual, intimate setting…