cabaret

thumb|Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, [[At the Moulin Rouge, The Dance, 1890]] Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, casino, hotel, restaurant, or nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or drinking, does not typically dance but usually sits at tables. Performances are usually introduced by a master of ceremonies (M.C.). The entertainment, as performed by an ensemble of actors and according to its European origins, is often (but not always) oriented towards adult audiences and of a clearly underground nature. In the United States, striptease, burlesque, drag shows, or a solo vocalist with a pianist, as well as the venues which offer this entertainment, are often advertised as cabarets.

==Etymology== The term originally came from Picard language or Walloon language words camberete or cambret for a small room (12th century). The first written use of the word kaberet is found in a document from 1275 in Tournai. The term was used from the 13th century in Middle Dutch to mean an inexpensive inn or restaurant (caberet, cabret).