Guide to 'Cabaret' on Broadway, starring Adam Lambert and Auli'i Cravalho

The latest Tony and Olivier Award-winning revival of the classic Kander and Ebb musical uniquely immerses audiences in the world of Berlin's Kit Kat Club.

Wilkommen. Bienvenue. Welcome. Life is a cabaret, old chum, and that's especially true when there's a production of Cabaret on Broadway. Following a multi-award-winning London premiere in 2021, director Rebecca Frecknall's revival of the classic Kander and Ebb musical made the move to New York in 2024, with Adam Lambert and Auli'i Cravalho now starring in the lead roles.

Besides the star power (Eddie Redmayne and Gayle Rankin first led the Broadway revival), this Cabaret is a draw because it's more than a show — it's an experience. Broadway's August Wilson Theatre has been completely renovated and transformed into the Weimar-era Kit Kat Club, a once-escapist place that's gradually overtaken by rising Nazism and fascism.

Audiences get to eat, drink, and be up close and personal with the performers. Why not come to the cabaret? Before you go, learn more about the show's history, iconic songs, logistical information, and more.

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What is Cabaret about?

Cabaret takes place in and around the Kit Kat Club in 1930s Berlin, Germany. The nightclub is a seedy, hedonistic place run by the otherworldly Emcee. When American writer Cliff Bradshaw arrives in Berlin to write a novel, he finds inspiration in the Kit Kat Club and the people he meets there — but he also witnesses the gradual rise of Nazism and how it slowly becomes inescapable, even in the club.

Where is Cabaret playing?

Cabaret plays at the August Wilson Theatre, which has been transformed for this production into "The Kit Kat Club at the August Wilson Theatre." Located at 245 W. 52nd St. between Broadway and Eighth Avenue, the venue opened in 1925 as the Guild Theatre. It got its current name in 2005, when playwright August Wilson died, becoming the first Broadway theatre named for a Black person.

Recent major shows at the August Wilson include Slave Play, Funny Girl, Mean Girls, and Jersey Boys.

How long is Cabaret?

Cabaret runs 2 hours and 45 minutes, including a 15-minute intermission. This is a typical length for a Broadway musical.

What days is Cabaret playing?

Cabaret plays eight performances a week at the Kit Kat Club at the August Wilson Theatre, typically with two performances each on Wednesday and Saturday and no performance on Sunday. For the complete performance schedule and show times, please visit the Cabaret page.

When did Cabaret premiere?

Cabaret premiered at Boston's Shubert Theatre in October 1966 and on Broadway in November of that year. A hit that received critical acclaim and eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Cabaret has since spawned four Broadway revivals, six major London productions, and countless more around the world.

The current Broadway revival of Cabaret premiered in November 2021 in London's West End under the direction of Rebecca Frecknall. Her production transferred to Broadway in April 2024, with Eddie Redmayne reprising his Olivier Award-winning performance from London as the Emcee.

Who wrote Cabaret?

Cabaret features a script by Joe Masteroff, adapted from John Van Druten's 1951 play I Am a Camera, itself based on Christopher Isherwood's semi-autobiographical 1939 novel Goodbye to Berlin.

The score is by legendary theatre songwriting duo John Kander (music) and Fred Ebb (lyrics). Their other best-known musicals include Chicago, Kiss of the Spider Woman, and The Scottsboro Boys. They also penned the title song for the 1977 movie "New York, New York," originally performed by Liza Minnelli and later made famous by Frank Sinatra.

Cabaret characters

Cabaret's main players include performers and guests at the Kit Kat Club. Learn more about the major characters below.

• The Emcee: A mysterious, flamboyant figure who introduces, and often leads, the performances at the Kit Kat Club.
• Sally Bowles: A blissfully ignorant British singer who headlines at the Kit Kat Club. She begins a friendship-turned-romance with Cliff.
• Clifford Bradshaw: An American writer who comes to Berlin to work on his novel. He ends up getting swept up in the hedonistic, wild world of the Kit Kat Club.
• Fraulein Schneider: An older woman who runs the boarding house where Cliff is staying. She is in love with Herr Schultz.
• Herr Schultz: A Jewish fruit seller who returns Schneider's affections, but the rise of Nazism throws their relationship in jeopardy.
• Ernst Ludwig: A German smuggler who befriends Cliff when he arrives in Berlin.
• Fraulein Kost: A prostitute who lives in Schneider's boarding house.

Who is in the cast of Cabaret on Broadway?

Adam Lambert and Auli'i Cravalho currently make their Broadway debuts as the Emcee and Sally Bowles, respectively, in Cabaret. Lambert is best known as the runner-up on season 8 of American Idol and for touring with Queen as the lead vocalist. Cravalho rose to fame for voicing the title character in Disney's Moana and has since appeared in films like the 2024 Mean Girls movie musical.

The main Cabaret cast also includes 2024 Tony nominees Bebe Neuwirth as Fraulein Schneider and Steven Skybell as Herr Schultz, Calvin Leon Smith as Cliff Bradshaw, Henry Gottfried as Ernst Ludwig, and Natascia Diaz as Fraulein Kost/Fritzie.

Cabaret songs

Many of the songs in Cabaret are performed within the Kit Kat Club, and they comment on the action happening in the show. Nearly every major iteration of Cabaret on stage and screen has added or removed songs; for example, the now-iconic tunes "Mein Herr" and "Maybe This Time" were written for the film, not the original Broadway production. Below is the song list for the current Broadway revival.

Act 1

• “Wilkommen”
• "Welcome to Berlin"
• “So What”
• "Don't Tell Mama"
• "Mein Herr"
• “Perfectly Marvellous”
• "Two Ladies”
• "It Couldn't Please Me More"
• “Tomorrow Belongs to Me”
• "Maybe This Time"
• "Money"
• "Married"
• "Tomorrow Belongs to Me" (Reprise)

Act 2

• "Entr'acte"
• “Kick Line”
• "If You Could See Her"
• "What Would You Do?"
• "I Don't Care Much"
• "Cabaret"
• “Willkommen" (Reprise)

Major productions of Cabaret

• 1951: John Van Druten's non-musical play I Am a Camera premiered. This play was the source material for the Cabaret musical.
• 1966 Broadway premiere: After a brief pre-Broadway world premiere in Boston, Cabaret debuted in New York. The show won eight Tony Awards the following year.
• 1967 national tour: Cabaret's first national tour ran from December 1967 to July 1969, and a second tour begins in August 1969. Revival productions later toured in 1987, 1999, and 2016.
• 1968 London premiere: Cabaret debuted in London's West End under the direction of Harold Prince, who staged the show on Broadway. It ran for 336 performances.
• 1986 West End revival: The first major revival of the show was at the Strand (now Novello) Theatre in London's West End.
• 1987 Broadway revival: Prince and choreographer Ron Field reunited for Cabaret's first Broadway revival, and Joel Grey reprised his performance as the Emcee. This production introduced the song "I Don't Care Much."
• 1993 London revival: Sam Mendes directed his landmark revival at London's Donmar Warehouse, with Alan Cumming starring as the Emcee. Cumming's sexualized and overtly queer Emcee made his portrayal iconic, and Mendes made other staging changes. "Mein Herr," a song from the Cabaret film, first appeared on stage in this production.
• 1998 Broadway revival: Mendes's revival transferred to Broadway, with Rob Marshall co-directing and choreographing. Playing 2,377 performances, the four-time Tony-winning production remains the third-longest-running revival in Broadway history. The song "Maybe This Time" was added for this production, and "Sitting Pretty" was removed.
• 2014 Broadway revival: Mendes, Ashford, and Cumming returned for this production, which also featured Michelle Williams in her Broadway debut as Sally Bowles. Emma Stone replaced her later in the run and received critical acclaim for her performance.
• 2021 West End revival: Rebecca Frecknall's semi-immersive revival of Cabaret, performed "at the Kit Kat Club," debuted in London's West End in November. The production became the most award-winning revival in Olivier Awards history and was the first production to win awards in all four eligible acting categories.
• 2024 Broadway revival: Frecknall's production transferred to Broadway in April, with Redmayne reprising his Olivier-winning performance as the Emcee. As in London, the production is semi-immersive, with the August Wilson Theatre being wholly renovated to resemble a nightclub.

Onscreen adaptations of Cabaret

The 1972 Cabaret film, directed by Bob Fosse, is perhaps one of the most famous movie musicals of all time. It earned eight Oscars out of its 10 nominations, including Best Director for Fosse; Best Actor for Joel Grey, reprising his Broadway role as the Emcee; and Best Actress for Liza Minnelli in her star-making portrayal of Sally Bowles.

The film departs from the musical in many significant ways, such as removing Fraulein Schneider and Herr Schultz and instead including characters from Cabaret's source material, the play I Am a Camera. Famously, the songs "Mein Herr," "Maybe This Time," and "Money" first appeared in the movie, and they're now included in most stage revivals of Cabaret.

Celebrities who have performed in Cabaret

Cabaret is such a widely performed, iconic musical that its celebrity stars are nearly too many to name. The latest famous faces to appear in the show on Broadway are American Idol's Adam Lambert as the Emcee and Moana's Auli'i Cravalho as Sally Bowles.

Discover more celebrities who have appeared in Cabaret's three main roles.

• The Emcee: Joel Grey, who won a Tony and Oscar for originating the role, and Alan Cumming, who appeared in multiple revivals, are synonymous with the Emcee. Other actors who've played the role include Eddie Redmayne, Michael C. Hall, Norbert Leo Butz, Raúl Esparza, John Stamos, Neil Patrick Harris, and Jake Shears.
• Sally Bowles: Liza Minnelli made this role iconic with her Oscar-winning performance. Other Sally actresses include Jill Haworth, Judi Dench, Natasha Richardson, Michelle Williams, Jessie Buckley, Gayle Rankin, Susan Egan, Lea Thompson, Brooke Shields, Molly Ringwald, Debbie Gibson, Emma Stone, and Cara Delevingne.
• Clifford Bradshaw: Bert Convy originated this role, and Cliff has since been played by Kevin Colson, Peter Land, Gregg Edelman, Adam Godley, John Benjamin Hickey, and Boyd Gaines.

What awards has Cabaret won?

Cabaret's many productions on Broadway, in London's West End, and beyond have earned nominations and wins for dozens of awards over the years. Below is a sampling of Cabaret's biggest wins on stage and screen.

• 1967 Tony Awards: The original Broadway production won eight of its 11 nominations, including Best Musical, Best Featured Actor for Joel Grey, and Best Direction for Harold Prince.
• 1973 Academy Awards: The Cabaret film won eight of its 10 Oscar nominations, including Best Director (Bob Fosse), Best Actress (Liza Minnelli), and Best Actor (Grey).
• 1998 Tony Awards: The Sam Mendes-directed 1997 production won Best Revival of a Musical and acting awards for Alan Cumming, Natasha Richardson, and Ron Rifkin.
• 2021 Olivier Awards: Cabaret won seven Oliviers out of its 11 nominations in 2021. The production won Best Musical Revival, and Eddie Redmayne, Jessie Buckley, Liza Sadovy, and Elliot Levy won acting awards. Rebecca Frecknall won for Best Director.
• 2024 Tony Awards: The 2024 Broadway revival of Cabaret won Best Scenic Design of a Musical, and its eight additional nominations included Best Musical Revival and acting awards for Redmayne, Gayle Rankin, Bebe Neuwirth, and Steven Skybell.

Fun facts about Cabaret

Cabaret is a semi-immersive experience, with the action starting the minute you step into the venue. Learn more about what to expect from this revival, plus additional fun facts from Cabaret history.

• Cabaret takes place in the round, with the audience seated on all sides of a circular stage in the center of the theatre. The August Wilson Theatre was completely renovated from its traditional proscenium layout to make this possible.
• Upon entering the Kit Kat Club through a side entrance, all audience members are offered a free shot of cherry schnapps. Those who sit at the theatre's cabaret tables also receive additional food and drinks with their ticket purchase.
• Before the show starts in the main theatre, audiences experience the "prologue" in the theatre's lower lounge, with a separate cast of actors playing instruments, dancing, and interacting with theatregoers. Audiences can arrive up to 90 minutes before showtime to watch the prologue.
• Set and costume designer Tom Scutt wanted to make the experience feel "labyrinthine" and "maze-like," he told New York Theatre Guide, such that people almost "lose their bearings" and feel like they're in a whole new world while inside the theatre.
• Due to its references to sexuality, Nazism, abortion, and anti-Semitism, the Cabaret film was the first movie musical to ever receive an X rating. The rating was later changed to PG.
• The character of the Emcee is a representation of the changing atmosphere of the Kit Kat Club and Berlin at large, morphing from zany and carefree to menacing as Nazism takes over.

How to get Cabaret tickets

What good is sitting alone in your room? Come hear the music play! This Cabaret is unlike any other, so take your seat for this unique production by getting tickets on New York Theatre Guide.

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