‘Cabaret’ on Broadway Set to Close Early as Billy Porter Withdraws From Show

Broadway‘s Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club has announced an early closing date – Sunday, September 21 – as star Billy Porter withdraws from the production due to what producers say is a “serious case of sepsis.”

via: THR

Porter, who plays the Emcee, is currently recovering from a “serious case of sepsis,” according to the production. The production said doctors are confident he will “make a full recovery,” but that he has been advised to rest.

The Broadway production will now end its run at the August Wilson Theater on Sept. 21, rather than the originally announced date of Oct. 19. Porter and Marisha Wallace, as Sally Bowles, started in their roles on July 22 after playing the roles on London’s West End.

The news comes as the production has also been seeing its grosses slump in the past several weeks, with capacity falling to just below 70 percent in the past several weeks and grosses hovering around $500,000 for the show, which has a high running cost.

“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,” said producer Adam Speers.

“Billy was an extraordinary ‘Emcee’ bringing his signature passion and remarkable talent. We wish Billy a speedy recovery and I look forward to working with him again in the very near future. I personally invite audiences to return to the Kit Kat Club one last time to see the incandescent Marisha Wallace as ‘Sally Bowles,’ alongside the remarkably talented Marty and David, two actors who have been giving soul-stirring performances as ‘Emcee’ since we first opened last April,” Speers added.

Marty Lauter and David Merino, the production’s two alternates for ‘Emcee,’ will share the role for the upcoming final performances.

Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club opened in April 2024 with Eddie Redmayne and Gayle Rankin in the lead roles.