Billy Porter has left the Kit Kat Club early. The actor will discontinue the role of the Emcee in the Broadway production of Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club following a diagnosis with sepsis. The production will now terminate its run on Sept. 19 instead of its planned Oct. 19 finale.
“Due to a serious case of sepsis, Billy Porter must also withdraw from the production,” the play shared in a statement on Sunday. “His doctors are confident that he will make a full recovery but have advised him to maintain a restful schedule.”
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Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club, a revival of John Kander, Fred Ebb, and Joe Masteroff’s beloved musical, opened on Broadway in April 2024 after debuting in London. It launched with Eddie Redmayne and Gayle Rankin in the lead roles. Following their September 2024 departure, Adam Lambert and Auli’i Cravalho, and then Orville Peck and Eva Noblezada took over the leads.
Porter stepped into the role of the Emcee in July, with Marisha Wallace as Sally Bowles. The actors were expected to lead the production’s final 13 weeks. Due to Porter’s illness, Marty Lauter and David Merino will play the Emcee for the remaining two weeks. Wallace will continue to play Bowles.
“It is with a heavy heart that we have made the painful decision to end our Broadway run,” producer Adam Speers said in a statement. “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.”
Speers added, “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.”
Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club has earned headlines during its Broadway run thanks to the eclectic approaches of its lead actors. Redmayne caused a fervor online after his in-character performance at the Tony Awards last year, resulting in many calling his approach to the role “creepy.” Earlier this year, Peck took off his signature mask to play the Emcee.
“The mask is part of my expression personally as an artist and a very big personal part of me,” Peck said. “But I’m here to play this role and to bring respect and integrity and hopefully a good performance to it. It’s not about me. I’m not trying to make it the Orville Peck show.”
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