Today, producers Adam Speers for ATG Productions, Underbelly, Gavin Kalin Productions, Hunter Arnold, Smith & Brant Theatricals, and Wessex Grove announced that Emmy Award®, GRAMMY Award®, and three-time Tony Award® winner Billy Porter and two-time Olivier Award® nominee Marisha Wallace will star as ‘Emcee’ and ‘Sally Bowles’ in the Tony Award-winning Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club at the August Wilson Theatre (245 West 52nd Street), beginning performances on Tuesday, July 22 for the production’s final 13 weeks through Sunday, October 19. Fresh off their electrifying run in London, Porter and Wallace bring their showstopping chemistry to the Broadway production’s grand finale – an unmissable climax to this acclaimed, decorated, and unforgettable revival.
Tickets for their run in the acclaimed musical are available now at www.kitkat.club.
“I can think of no better way to celebrate this production’s incredible run on Broadway than by welcoming Billy and Marisha into the company for our final thirteen weeks,” said director Rebecca Frecknall. “They brought down the house every night on the West End, and I cannot wait for Broadway audiences to experience the electricity they generate together.”
“Having the chance to present this masterwork to audiences at this moment in history has been the honor of a lifetime. We are so proud of what Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club has achieved on Broadway – artistically, culturally, and with audiences,” said Adam Speers on behalf of the producers. “We’ve been unbelievably lucky to have had such an incredible string of cast members lend their talents to this run, and Billy and Marisha are the ideal stars to lead us into this final stretch.”
Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club’s 14-month run on Broadway has coincided with a wave of domestic and global events—including the rise of authoritarian forces both abroad and here at home—that have only underscored the musical’s enduring power as both entertainment and warning. As Joel Grey, who originated the role of the ‘Emcee’ on Broadway in 1966 and went on to star in the beloved film of Cabaret, wrote in a Guest Essay in The New York Times, the show remains “a portrayal of a decadent society willfully ignorant of its own demise.” “We have seen this show before,” Grey warned, “. . . and we know how it ends.” In this protracted moment of extremism, propaganda, and political violence, the story crafted by Joe Masteroff, John Kander, and Fred Ebb 60 years ago has taken on profound urgency. “History is giving us another chance to confront the forces that Cabaret warned us about,” Grey wrote. “The question is: Will we listen this time, or will we keep laughing until the music stops?”
The Broadway production of Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club began previews on Monday, April 1, 2024, and quickly became Broadway’s “hottest ticket” (Washington Post). Critics called the production “an unforgettable and jaw-dropping experience” (Entertainment Weekly), and “a ravishing, gut-punching, timely revival” (Variety). It went on to become the most nominated revival of the 2023-2024 season, receiving a total of 21 nominations among the major award organizations, including 9 Tony Award nominations and honored with Best Revival nominations by the Outer Critics Circle Awards, Drama Desk Awards, and Drama League Awards. The London production, now in its fourth smash year, won a record-breaking seven Olivier Awards and is now tied for the most for any musical revival in Olivier history.
Cabaret currently stars trailblazing country music star Orville Peck as ‘Emcee’ and two-time Tony Award® nominee and GRAMMY Award® winner Eva Noblezada as ‘Sally Bowles’ who will play their final performances in the production on Sunday, July 20.
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.’
The second year company of Cabaret also features Gabi Campo as ‘Frenchie,’ Jada Simone Clark as ‘Helga,’ Colin Cunliffe as ‘Hans,’ Marty Lauter as ‘Victor,’ David Merino as ‘Lulu,’ Julian Ramos as ‘Bobby,’ MiMi Scardulla as ‘Texas,’ Paige Smallwood as ‘Rosie,’ and Price Waldman as ‘Herman/Max.’ Swings for the production are Maya Bowles, Pedro Garza, Christian Kidd, Corinne Munsch, Chloé Nadon-Enriquez, and Karl Skyler Urban.
The Prologue Company, the dancers and musicians that welcome audiences to the club, feature dancers Sun Kim, Deja McNair-Kyles, and swing Ida Saki. The musicians of the Prologue are Brian Russell Carey (piano & bass), Francesca Dawis (violin), Keiji Ishiguri (dedicated substitute), Déa Thatcher (accordion), and Michael Winograd (clarinet).
Experience this groundbreaking musical like never before. The denizens of the Kit Kat Club have created a decadent sanctuary inside Broadway’s August Wilson Theatre, where artists and performers, misfits and outsiders rule the night. Step inside their world. This is Berlin. Relax. Loosen up. Be yourself.
Cabaret, one of the most revered and successful musicals of all time, has music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and a book by Joe Masteroff based on the play by John Van Druten and stories by Christopher Isherwood. The show features the songs “Willkommen,” “Don’t Tell Mama,” “Mein Herr,” “Maybe This Time,” “Money,” and the iconic title number.
Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club on Broadway is directed by Olivier Award winner and 2024 Drama Desk Award nominee Rebecca Frecknall with club, scenic, and costume design by Tony Award winner, Evening Standard Award winner, and Olivier Award nominee Tom Scutt, and choreography by 2024 Chita Rivera Award nominee and Olivier Award nominee Julia Cheng.
The creative team for Broadway includes Jennifer Whyte (Music Supervision); Meghann Zervoulis Bate (Music Direction); 2024 Tony Award nominee, Drama Desk Award winner, OBIE Award winner, and Olivier Award nominee Isabella Byrd (Lighting Design); 2024 Tony Award nominee, Drama Desk Award winner, and Olivier Award winner Nick Lidster (Sound Design); Sam Cox (Hair & Wig Design); Guy Common (Makeup Design); Jordan Fein (Prologue Director & Cabaret Associate Director); Danny Sharron (US Associate Director); Kayla Lomas-Kirton (UK Associate Choreographer); Ilia Jessica Castro (US Associate Choreographer); Angus MacRae (Prologue Composer & Prologue Music Director); Bernard Telsey, CSA & Kristian Charbonier, CSA (Casting Directors); and Thomas Recktenwald(Production Stage Manager). 101 Productions, Ltd. serves as the US General Manager for Cabaret.