In its first version (2001-2003), directed by Ana Carneiro, the “Cabaré” was structured as a show based on the narrative forms of revue theater, presenting, in a humorous and critical way, three moments of the historic neighborhood of Lapa: The first from 1900 to 1920 (the Lapa of João do Rio), the second from 1920 to 1940, the peak and the beginning of the decline of the bohemian neighborhood, and its resurgence as a cultural hub from the 1990s.
Other versions were made later, one of them in 2003, directed by Licko Turle. Like the other shows by the group, Cabaré is constantly updated and remounted, with the removal and inclusion of the texts that compose it and constitute its various versions. The current version, titled A ópera das Malandras – In Concert, is directed collectively by Máximo Cutrim, Nando Rodrigues, Renata Bronze, Evandro Castro, Carol Eller, and Amnah Asad, with supervision by Amir Haddad.