“Immersive” and “environmental” are the hot buzzwords on Broadway these days, nowhere more evident at Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club. The August Wilson Theatre has been gutted and transformed into the tawdry nightclub of Weimar Berlin, the site of John Kander and Fred Ebb’s landmark musical, which has grown edgier and more topical over the years.
While their Chicago is longer running, Cabaret remains Kander and Ebb’s masterwork. This production, directed by Rebecca Frecknall, originated in London, where it was acclaimed and showered with awards. Less well received when it transferred to Broadway, it now has a major boost from cast replacements Adam Lambert (of Queen, American Idol) as The Emcee and Auli’i Cravalho (of Moana) as Sally Bowles. Both are making their Broadway debuts, but you would never know it from their scorching performances.