The Mean Girls star will be joining the Kit Kat Club in the iconic production
BY YASMIN VINCE, IMAGE BY PARAMOUNT
Head to the Kit Kat Club and say “Willkommen” to Auli’i Cravalho – the Moana star is set to make her Broadway debut as Sally Bowles in Cabaret.
Auli’i is the first replacement for Sally since the show got a Broadway revival. The role has so far been played by Gayle Rankin, who was nominated for Best Actress at the Tony’s for her performance in Cabaret.
In September, Auli’i will take over as the fun-loving dancer, joined by Adam Lambert as the Emcee. The show has featured several queer actors in its West End production, including Jake Shears, Layton Williams, Self Esteem and Cara Delevingne.
This is hardly surprising, as the musical itself is incredibly queer. Though it was a stage production first, revivals of the show have largely been influenced by the 1972 film of the same name, starring Liza Minnelli. The film was listed as one of the most important films for queer cinema, owing to its depictions of bisexuality. It has also been credited for turning Liza Minnelli into a gay icon.
Many stage productions put on since the film have highlighted the horrific way the Nazis treated the LGBTQIA community. They have also regularly cast queer performers in lead roles, most famously, Alan Cumming.
Auli’i, who is openly bisexual, will be the third queer woman to appear in Cabaret since it was revived on the West End in 2021. She has played a few queer characters before, most notably Janis ‘Imi’ike in the movie musical version of Mean Girls released earlier this year.
She and Adam Lambert will be in Cabaret at the August Wilson Theatre from 16 September to 30 March 2025.
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