Photo by Jay Brooks

 Billy Porter and Marisha Wallace to Star in Final Weeks of Cabaret on Broadway

The acclaimed revival of Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club will welcome Emmy, Grammy, and three-time Tony Award winner Billy Porter and two-time Olivier Award nominee Marisha Wallace for its final 13 weeks on Broadway, producers announced Tuesday.

Porter will take on the role of the Emcee, with Wallace as Sally Bowles, beginning Tuesday, July 22, at the August Wilson Theatre. The pair previously led the West End production to critical acclaim and will reprise their roles in what producers are calling a “grand finale” to the musical’s celebrated run, which ends Sunday, October 19.

“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,” 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.”

A cultural landmark since its April 2024 opening, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club has earned 21 major nominations, including nine Tony Award nods, and has been hailed for its immersive staging and chilling resonance with current events. Based on Joe Masteroff’s book, with music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb, the revival has been lauded for its bold reexamination of a society teetering on the brink.

“Having the chance to present this masterwork to audiences at this moment in history has been the honor of a lifetime,” said Adam Speers on behalf of the producers. “Billy and Marisha are the ideal stars to lead us into this final stretch.”

Billy Porter, an African American artist whose work spans Broadway, television, film, and activism, made history with his Emmy-winning portrayal of Pray Tell in FX’s Pose, becoming the first openly gay African American man to win in a lead acting category. He won a Tony Award, a Drama Desk Award, and a Grammy for originating the role of Lola in Kinky Boots, and a second Tony in 2022 as a producer of A Strange Loop. In 2024, he was honored with the Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award for his decades-long advocacy on behalf of LGBTQ+ communities.

Porter recently starred as the Emcee in London’s Cabaret, and his upcoming London directorial debut will mark yet another milestone in his multifaceted career. His recent screen credits include Our Son opposite Luke Evans, 80 for Brady with Jane Fonda and Rita Moreno, and Amazon’s Cinderella. He directed the coming-of-age film Anything’s Possible and an episode of Fox’s Accused, and is currently co-writing and slated to star in a biopic about James Baldwin. Porter also runs his own production company, Incognegro, and published his memoir Unprotected in 2021.

Marisha Wallace, an African American vocalist and actress known for her powerhouse voice and emotional depth, was most recently seen as Miss Adelaide in the West End revival of Guys and Dolls, earning her second Olivier Award nomination. Her turn as Sally Bowles in the London production of Cabaret drew rave reviews, with critics calling it a defining performance. She previously starred as Ado Annie in Oklahoma! at the Young Vic, Effie White in Dreamgirls, and Motormouth Maybelle in Hairspray. She also originated the role of Becky in Waitress on the West End.

Offstage, Wallace has performed for members of the British royal family, released her own live concert album Marisha Wallace: Live in London, and appeared on Celebrity Big Brother UK, where she became a fan favorite for her warmth and candor.

The current Broadway leads—Orville Peck as the Emcee and Eva Noblezada as Sally Bowles—will give their final performances on July 20. The cast also features Calvin Leon Smith, Steven Skybell, Ellen Harvey, Henry Gottfried, and Michelle Aravena.

Directed by Rebecca Frecknall with design by Tom Scutt and choreography by Julia Cheng, the Broadway production transforms the August Wilson Theatre into a sultry, immersive club. Critics have described it as “jaw-dropping” (Entertainment Weekly) and “a ravishing, gut-punching, timely revival” (Variety).

Tickets for the final performances featuring Porter and Wallace are available at www.kitkat.club.