Trans Voices Cabaret is heading back to Manhattan later this month, bringing its blend of music, comedy, and performance to Caveat on the Lower East Side. The showcase, which gives transgender and nonbinary musical theater performers a stage of their own, takes place on September 19 at the 21A Clinton Street venue, with the evening set to begin at 4pm.
The cabaret was created in 2017 by Donnie Cianciotto, a trans actor and producer who emcees the show, according to Time Out. Its very first showcase was staged on November 25, 2017, at The Duplex Cabaret Theatre in Greenwich Village, a longtime launchpad for emerging New York cabaret acts, per BroadwayWorld. Cianciotto has described the mission behind the ongoing project bluntly: “It's more important than ever to focus on trans joy and creativity. Trans joy is resistance,” he said, according to Time Out.
This month's lineup features performers Jalen Jones, X Hernandez, Natalia Ramos, Jett Roberts, Roachee Babee, Rylynn Davis, Ernest Allen, and Sam Campos, with musical direction from Farrah Rotman, per the outlet's report. IBDB identifies the production's Broadhurst Theatre run as April 7 through August 8, 2026.
Nearly Nine Years of Building a Talent Pipeline
Nearly Nine Years of Building a Talent Pipeline Since its founding in 2017, Trans Voices Cabaret has showcased transgender and nonbinary entertainers, according to BroadwayWorld's reporting on the show's return to Caveat.
Cianciotto himself carries substantial industry credentials outside the cabaret. He made his off-Broadway debut in 2016 in “Southern Comfort” at The Public Theater and is the subject of the Emmy award-winning documentary short “DONNIE,” which was in production to be re-released as a feature, per BroadwayWorld's profile of the producer.
A History of Advocacy Beyond the Stage
The cabaret's mission has extended into direct fundraising work. In April 2022, Cianciotto and cast members produced “You Are Loved” at The Green Room 42, a benefit concert raising money for the Transgender Education Network of Texas and the ACLU of Texas, according to the same BroadwayWorld profile. That event was organized in response to state legislative efforts restricting transgender rights in Texas.
Why Dedicated Spaces Still Matter
A History of Advocacy Beyond the Stage The persistence of showcases like this one reflects a wider industry gap. At the same time, transgender representation on Broadway has reached notable milestones in recent years — Peppermint became the first Black trans woman to originate a principal Broadway role in 2018, and L Morgan Lee became the first openly trans actor nominated for a Tony Award in 2022, for her role in the musical “A Strange Loop,” according to the Straz Center.
Audience data suggests demand for this kind of programming runs deep in New York theater crowds. Broadway audience surveys also examine audience demographics.
Where to Catch the Show
Where to Catch the Show Caveat, the venue hosting this month's performance, is located at 21A Clinton Street on the Lower East Side, according to The Vendry. In-person tickets for Trans Voices Cabaret range from $15 to $25, and a livestream option is also available for $15, per Time Out's report. The Lower East Side venue's calendar around the same stretch includes other programming.
