Cabaret Announces Early Closing, As Billy Porter is Forced to Withdraw as Emcee

The immersive Broadway revival of Cabaret will end its run on September 21 at the August Wilson Theatre, four weeks earlier than the previously announced closing date of October 19. In addition, Tony Award winner Billy Porter has been forced to withdraw from the role of Emcee for the remainder of performances. At the time of closing, Cabaret will have played 18 preview and 592 regular performances.

Producer Adam Speers said, “It is with a heavy heart that we have made the painful decision to end our Broadway run on September 21. On behalf of all the producers, we’re so honored to have been able to bring this version of John Kander, Fred Ebb and Joe Masteroff’s important masterpiece, Cabaret, to New York and to have opened the doors to our own Kit Kat Club for the year and a half we have been here.

According to the production, Porter is recovering from a serious case of sepsis. “His doctors are confident that he will make a full recovery but have advised him to maintain a restful schedule these next couple of weeks,” according to the statement. Emcee alternates Marty Lauter and David Merino will play the role for the final two weeks of the run, with a performance schedule to be announced on the Cabaret social media channels.

Olivier Award nominee Marisha Wallace, who first played Sally Bowles opposite Porter in the still-running West End production, continues in the role. Additionally, the cast features Calvin Leon Smith as Clifford Bradshaw, 2024 Tony Award nominee Steven Skybell as Herr Schultz, Ellen Harvey as Fraulein Schneider, Henry Gottfried as Ernst Ludwig and Michelle Aravena as Fritzie/Kost.

With a score by John Kander and Fred Ebb and a book by Joe Masteroff, Cabaret is based on the play by John Van Druten and stories by Christopher Isherwood. It features the songs "Willkommen," "Don’t Tell Mama," "Mein Herr," "Maybe This Time," "Money" and the iconic title number. For this production, guests are invited to explore the Kit Kat Club and meet its seductive denizens before curtain time.

Cabaret is directed by Rebecca Frecknall, while scenic and costume designer Tom Scutt oversaw the August Wilson's transformation into the Kit Kat Club, earning a Tony Award for his work. The production, which collected a total of nine 2024 Tony nominations including Best Revival of a Musical, also features choreography by Julia Cheng, lighting design by Isabella Byrd, sound design by Nick Lidster and music supervision by Jennifer Whyte. Angus MacRae composed the original music for the Prologue.