Producers of the Broadway revival "Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club" said the production will end its run four weeks early after lead actor Billy Porter developed "a serious case of sepsis" and must withdraw to recover.
The show, which had been scheduled to close Oct. 19, will now make its final bow at the August Wilson Theater on Sept. 21, producers said in an Instagram statement shared Sunday. Porter, 55, has been advised by his doctors to maintain a restful schedule, and the producers said they expect him to make a full recovery.
Marty Lauter and David Merino will replace Porter in the role of the Emcee for the final two weeks of performances, producers confirmed. Adam Speers of ATG Productions praised Porter’s work in the revival and wished him a speedy recovery, saying, "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." Speers also invited audiences to return to see Marisha Wallace as Sally Bowles alongside Lauter and Merino.
The producers cited medical guidance in announcing Porter’s withdrawal. According to the Mayo Clinic, sepsis is a serious condition in which the body's response to an infection injures its own tissues and organs and can lead to organ failure if not promptly treated.
The revival began its Broadway run in April 2024 and opened with performances by Eddie Redmayne and Gayle Rankin in the lead roles. The current staging stars Porter and Marisha Wallace and is set in a reimagined Kit Kat Klub that follows nightlife in Berlin during the rise of the Nazi party. The original Broadway production of "Cabaret" opened in 1966 and a well-known 1972 film adaptation starred Liza Minnelli and Michael York.
The Hollywood Reporter has reported that the production had recently seen a decline in box office receipts, with capacity falling to just under 70 percent in recent weeks and grosses around $500,000. Producers did not link the early closing directly to the box office figures in their statement; they attributed the schedule change to Porter's health and medical advice.
Porter spoke in July to People about his connection to the material, saying he was "really great to be doing this" and calling the show important in the current moment. "Art has the power to heal, art has the power to transform," he said, adding that his work is both a calling and a form of activism.
The production’s announcement did not include details about refunds or exchanges for tickets beyond the change in the closing date. Representatives for Porter did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The producers said they looked forward to Porter’s return to the stage when he is medically cleared to resume performing.
