The currently running revival of “Cabaret” has announced a new pair of leading players. Adam Lambert will step into the role of the Emcee on Sept. 16, replacing Eddie Redmayne, while Auliʻi Cravalho will succeed Gayle Rankin as Sally Bowles on the same day. The pair is scheduled to appear through March 30, 2025. Redmayne and Rankin, both of whom received 2024 Tony Award nominations for their performances, will exit the production on Sept. 14.
Both Lambert and Cravalho will play seven of the eight performances each week. Ticket buyers are encouraged to visit kitkatclub.com for the latest performance schedule.
Lambert was the runner-up for the eighth season of “American Idol.” He received a 2011 Grammy Award nomination for best Male Vocal Pop Performance “Whataya Want From Me,” a single from his 2009 debut album “For Your Entertainment.” Lambert performed in the ensemble and understudied Fiyero in both the Los Angeles and touring productions of “Wicked.” Most recently, Lambert has been touring as the frontman of rock band Queen. “Cabaret” will mark his Main Stem debut.
Cravalho will also make her Broadway debut in “Cabaret.” She made her acting debut providing the voice of the titular character in the 2016 animated film “Moana,” and subsequently was featured in the 2018 NBC series “Rise.” In 2019, she starred as Ariel in ABC’s “The Little Mermaid Live!,” and in 2023 played Betty Schaefer in the Kennedy Center’s mounting of “Sunset Boulevard.” She was featured in the film version of the “Mean Girls” musical as Janis.
“Cabaret” features a Tony-winning score by John Kander and Fred Ebb, and a book by Joe Masteroff based on both John Van Druten’s play “I Am A Camera” and stories by Christopher Isherwood. The musical follows the community centered around the hedonistic Kit Kat Club in 1930s Germany, and their response to the rise of the Third Reich.
Rebecca Frecknall directs the production, which began previews on April 1 and opened on April 21. “Cabaret” received nine Tony nominations, including a nod for Best Revival of a Musical. Scenic designer Tom Scutt took home a trophy for his scenic design, which included an interior transformation of the August Wilson Theatre.
Beyond Redmayne and Rankin, the current principal company of “Cabaret” includes Bebe Neuwirth as Fraulein Schneider, Steven Skybell as Herr Schultz, Ato Blankson-Wood as Clifford Bradshaw, Natascia Díaz as Fritzie/Kost and Henry Gottfried as Ernst Ludwig. Casting is by Bernard Telsey and Kristian Charbonier.
“Cabaret” is produced by Ambassador Theatre Group Productions, Underbelly, Gavin Kalin Productions, Hunter Arnold, Smith & Brant Theatricals and Wessex Grove.
