Video: Billy Porter Says He is Returning to a 'Better' Broadway in CABARET

Billy Porter is now playing the Emcee in Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club and, ahead of opening night, the Tony-winner stopped by TODAY to share his thoughts on joining the production.

Having previously played the character in the West End production, Porter says stepping into the role "is like getting a bike... I looked at the script a little bit and got in the studio and said, 'Let's just do it!' and my mind kinda came back. It's still there!"

This is Porter's first time on a Broadway stage since Kinky Boots in 2015, and the performer says he is returning to a Broadway that better celebrates diversity, even if there is room for improvement. "I do feel like it's different and I do feel like it's better....We have a long way to go, as always. Me playing the Emcee wasn't possible 30 years ago...so things have changed."

In the interview, Porter also discussed joining The Hunger Games franchise in the upcoming prequel installment, where he will star alongside Glenn Close. "I am thrilled. It's my first franchise, and I'm playing Glenn Close's husband. What could be better?" The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping will be released in theaters on November 20, 2026, and also stars Ralph Fiennes, Elle Fanning, Maya Hawke, and Kieran Culkin. 

Porter, along with two-time Olivier Award nominee Marisha Wallace, stars in the Tony Award-winning Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club at the August Wilson Theatre, having begun performances on Tuesday, July 22, for the production’s final 13 weeks through Sunday, October 19. See photos from their run in London HERE! 

Additionally, the cast features Calvin Leon Smith as ‘Clifford Bradshaw,’ 2024 Tony Award nominee Steven Skybell as ‘Herr Schultz;’ Ellen Harvey as ‘Fraulein Schneider,’ Henry Gottfried as ‘Ernst Ludwig,’ and Michelle Aravena as ‘Fritzie/Kost.’

The second year company of Cabaret also features Gabi Campo as ‘Frenchie,’ Jada Simone Clark as ‘Helga,’ Colin Cunliffe as ‘Hans,’ Marty Lauter as ‘Victor,’ David Merino as ‘Lulu,’ Julian Ramos as ‘Bobby,’ MiMi Scardulla as ‘Texas,’ Paige Smallwood as ‘Rosie,’ and Price Waldman as ‘Herman/Max.’ Swings for the production are Maya Bowles, Pedro Garza, Christian Kidd, Corinne Munsch, Chloé Nadon-Enriquez, and Karl Skyler Urban.

The Prologue Company, the dancers and musicians that welcome audiences to the club, feature dancers Sun Kim, Deja McNair-Kyles, and swing Ida Saki. The musicians of the Prologue are Brian Russell Carey (piano & bass), Francesca Dawis (violin), Keiji Ishiguri (dedicated substitute), Déa Thatcher (accordion), and Michael Winograd (clarinet).

Experience this groundbreaking musical like never before. The denizens of the Kit Kat Club have created a decadent sanctuary Inside Broadway’s August Wilson Theatre, where artists and performers, misfits and outsiders rule the night. Step inside their world. This is Berlin. Relax. Loosen up. Be yourself.

Cabaret, one of the most revered and successful musicals of all time, has music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and a book by Joe Masteroff based on the play by John Van Druten and stories by Christopher Isherwood. The show features the songs “Willkommen,” “Don’t Tell Mama,” “Mein Herr,” “Maybe This Time,” “Money,” and the iconic title number.

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