In its 10th year, the Orlando Cabaret Festival returns to Mad Cow Theatre, bringing two weeks of jazz, Broadway, and popular standards to Downtown Orlando!

Top 5 went to the festival a couple of years ago, but in this year’s festival, the organizers have shifted to a local focus: entertainers who live and work in Central Florida.  You may roll your eyes, but with performers who have worked On- and Off-Broadway, at Carnegie Hall, toured nationally and internationally, and who have attended some of the most prestigious schools in the nation, the lineup is sure to impress.  Not bad for little ol’ Orlando!

This year’s festival features four revues, each with a different theme.

The 10th Annual Orlando Cabaret Festival runs through April 14, 2012

It Was A Very Good Year: 1962 explores current events and pop culture of 1962 through the popular music of the era.
An Animated Night of Cabaret reminds us why some of our favorite movies are musicals, with songs from The Little Mermaid, Toy Story 2, An American Tail, and even Team America: World Police.
A Gay Night For Singing  explores the contributions of Gay and Lesbian individuals to the American Musical Theatre.
And the Tony Goes To… delves into the history of the Tony Awards, and features songs from the most memorable musicals that have graced Broadway.

With all these shows, it may be difficult to decide which you want to see… don’t worry, the festival is designed so you can see two or three cabarets in a single evening – or run out and grab a quick bite or cocktail in between shows.

Top Five Tips for attending the Orlando Cabaret Festival

Lunch is now the most entertaining meal of the day

The Orlando Cabaret Festival features lunchtime performances – for those who work or visit Downtown during the day – where you can see a cabaret and either bring your lunch or order one from the Virgin Olive Market.  These shows are a little shorter (and have a lower ticket price) so you can make it back to your office within an hour if you’re nearby.

A Modern Day Speakeasy

Well, not an actual speakeasy.  When you call the Mad Cow Box Office, ask which performances are in Club Moo.  Mad Cow’s smaller theatre transforms into an intimate cabaret room with private candlelit tables and soulful singing, you may just forget what decade you’re in!

A Family Affair

With a special performance of An Animated Night of Cabaret on Mothers’ Day, the Festival invites patrons of all ages to join the audience.  A great way to get your little one involved in the arts, and a special treat for a special Mom!  All other cabarets welcome children 8 and older. All other performances of An Animated Night of Cabaret welcome children 5 and older.

Get the Inside Scoop

Make sure you’re following Mad Cow Theatre and the Cabaret Festival on Facebook.  They are both known to post last-minute specials, background on the performers and fun facts about the cabarets.

Thank you for Bringing a Friend

Let’s face it – everything is better with friends, new and old.  It doesn’t matter if you’re planning a Girls Night Out, the perfect date or trying to impress a client, this is a unique entertainment offering that you can’t get anywhere else in Central Florida… memories are made on nights like this.

The 10th Annual Orlando Cabaret Festival features more than 25 performances, and runs through April 14 at Mad Cow Theatre in Downtown Orlando.  For more information and to make reservations, visit the Mad Cow Theatre website or call the Box Office at 407.297.8788.