Ars Nova

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"The last time I was on a New York stage, I was straight," head Sex and the City writer Michael Patrick King once told the audience at this unassuming 99-seat black box. What attracted King—and has drawn Liza Minnelli, Rufus Wainwright, Roseanne Barr, Tony Kushner, David Cross, Christine Ebersole, Avenue Q’s human stars, Kiki & Herb’s Justin Bond and Kenny Mellman, writers from The Daily Show, and dozens of other celebrities from all walks of life since the club opened in 2002—is an informality and diversity you won’t find at your Don’t Tell Mamas. "Traditional cabaret performers tend to do more experimental things here," says one of the owner-producers, Jon Steingart. "Maybe they’re in a Broadway show, but because it’s such a relaxed space, they’ll get up here and do some song that influenced them in their childhood." Sure, they've added a full bar now, but nibbling on a chocolate bar as you sip red wine from a plastic cup purchased at the snack bar seems better suited to the mood anyway.

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Best of New York Awards

• Best Cabaret (2004)