“Cabaret” has announced that Calvin Leon Smith will join the revival in the role of Clifford Bradshaw beginning on Sept. 16 at the August Wilson Theatre. Smith succeeds original cast member Ato Blankson-Wood, who will depart the production on Sept. 14. Smith will join on the same date when the previously announced Adam Lambert and Auliʻi Cravalho will take over as the Emcee and Sally Bowles, respectively.
Smith made his Broadway debut playing Larry in the 2023 Best Play Tony Award nominee “Fat Ham.” On-screen, he appeared in the Amazon Prime limited series “The Underground Railroad,” HBO’s “The Deuce” and in the final season of HBO’s “High Maintenance.”
“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 1930s Germany-set musical follows the development of the relationship between American writer Clifford Bradshaw and Kit Kat Club performer Sally Bowles amid the rise of the Third Reich.
The Rebecca Frecknall-directed production, which began previews on April 1 and opened on April 21, received nine 2024 Tony nominations. The production received a Best Revivalnod, while Tom Scutt won for his scenic design, which includes a transformation of the interior of the August Wilson Theatre.
Beyond Blankson-Wood, the current principal company of “Cabaret” includes Eddie Redmayne as the Emcee, Gayle Rankin as Sally Bowles, Bebe Neuwirth as Fraulein Schneider, Steven Skybell as Herr Schultz, 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.
