The increasingly complex Billy Porter “Cabaret” controversy, explained

He has the ego of Tyler Perry, the talent of Pitbull, the fashion sense of Jada, and the media savvy of Mo'Nique.

How does he keep getting cast in shit?

[quote]increasingly complex Billy Porter “Cabaret” controversy

There’s nothing “complex” about it. He’s fucking crazy.

That article went all round the houses failing to explain what it was complaining about

Liza just called and said she wants Billy to return her bottom eyelashes.

Is he supposed to look ridiculous? If so, mission accomplished! Bravo! 👏

Black people were not sent to concentration camps. The Germans saw them as inferior, and didn’t stop their abuse in POW camps, but they were not rounded up and put in trains to Poland.

There is so much wrongheaded about this revival,. It opened with an explicitly Aryan emcee who was responsible for turning the rest of the cast into fascists. Now, without changing anything but the actors, the emcee is now a tragic refugee from America? October 19 can’t come soon enough - and thankfully, this will be out out of its misery much sooner.

I am halfway through his memoir 'Unprotected' on audible and feel utterly disoriented by the heaving drama of it all and endless "I came to slay not to play BITCHES" moments when describing auditions.

The drastic drop in ticket sales is pretty embarrassing. Can't wait to see Billy ruin La Cage next!!!!

r6, he's wearing the same getup as Redmayne and Lambert. If I were directing Porter I'd have him go full colorblind casting and be a fascist demon too.

The problem was bringing it to Broadway to begin with. With so much backlash against over-the-cliff wokeness, one would think the American producers would try to avoid making everything about it about black people. It’s not about casting Porter or black cast members, it’s that so many black entertainers are constantly barking and bitching about their perceived victimhood. People are worn out from it. Nobody asked for this iconic story to be hijacked by the American black experience. Not everything is about black people. Not every struggle or marginalized group is about black people. Nor is everything about the “queer” experience”. Porter is as embarrassing as he looks .

[quote] My version is that my character is American, he fled the Jim Crow South to go to Europe, thinking that he would be safe,” Porter explained during a talk show appearance promoting the play, “only to find himself being taken off to the concentration camps.”

How about just going north with everyone else? If not, perhaps England? Were there many Blacks in the Jim Crow south who spoke German? Making this particular oppression about Black identity is just misguided if not offensive. Why can’t he just play the character without injecting his race into it?

Stunt casting has become a major negative. From the Snow White movie to Gypsy and Cabaret, when the focus shifts from the plot line to the race of a featured actor, the production is problematic. In the case of Billy Porter he’s his own worst enemy by saying idiotic things and not respecting his character. His race would not have mattered if he played the emcee with the proper historical prospective. Oh, and maybe learn the lyrics to Wilkommen.

I’m surprised that the BO has taken such a noticeable dive since Porter took over; it’s not as if Orville Peck is a significantly better-known celebrity.

Orville Peck has fans, as does Eva Noblezada. Are there any Billy Porter fans? At all?

I am the opposite of a Billy Porter fan. I was thinking of seeing Cabaret with anyone else. Not now.

He was pretty much stating he can't play a character, but has to just play everything as himself.

This Cabaret is for shit! Each and every cast is apparently told to YELL their songs. it’s u bearable! Even Orville Peck yells. Jesus.

* unbearable.

[quote]colorblind casting

A ridiculous phrase and notion. Colorblind casting as we have seen, is nothing of the kind.

Cabaret is about a nightclub performer named Sally Bowles. The Emcee was NEVER "a genderqueer character"!

The Emcee character is a supporting one and should be played slyly, yet off to the side, it doesn't need to be strangled to death, then shoved down our throats. It really only ever was a pretty good musical to begin with.

Billy Porter has been high from sniffing his own farts for a decade, this is just where it brought him. There is not ONE WORD or note in Cabaret about the American black experience. To say otherwise is insanity. His comments are hilariously dumb, or at least wildly self-involved. Probably both.

Typical "It's all about ME!" energy from Billy.

The truth is, this is the end of Cabaret’s shaky run. It’s lost money ever since midway through the original cast—and that cast had a movie star in it, which Bway audiences always love.

No one is going to make it a hit now, let alone Billy Porter. Plus, white audiences just don’t go to see black casts.

Saturday night has most of the floor seats available and an empty mezzanine. Top ticket price is $232, which is probably the lowest top price on Broadway since 2020.

Here's the key takeaway from the article:

[quote]“My version is that my character is American, he fled the Jim Crow South to go to Europe, thinking that he would be safe,” Porter explained during a talk show appearance promoting the play, “only to find himself being taken off to the concentration camps.”

[quote]But that take—while well-intentioned and thought out on Porter’s part—drew especially harsh criticism from viewers, especially after a poorly-worded comment he made during a press interview started circulating online.

[quote][bold]“With what’s going on in the world right now,” he said in the clip, “Black people have replaced the Jews.”[/bold]

Queerty is working overtime trying to get Billy Porter off the hook, failing hilariously, of course.

you got to respect Porter for giving it his all for a dying show

R26. No, we don’t

My favorite quote from a Billy Porter interview--I cannot remember where I saw it, but I remember the wording:

"I will be as EXTRA as I need to be!"

That just about sums him up exactly.

[quote] I’m surprised that the BO has taken such a noticeable dive since Porter took over; it’s not as if Orville Peck is a significantly better-known celebrity.

Orville has a better singing voice and a better and younger body.

white audiences just don’t go to see black casts

Yeah, that must be it.

[quote]The increasingly complex Billy Porter “Cabaret” controversy, explained

The not very complex Billy Porter “Cabaret” controversy, explained away.

FIFY

Who would pay money to see this shit?

Audiences aren't ready for the ME of ME!

r33

[quote] OP. the show was good..It has been off the air for 4 years. Do you live under a rock?

Oh, dear.

I saw Porter when he was starting to make it in NY theatre. He was fantastic as Sylvester-like character in Radiant Baby.

As he started to become a bigger name, he took on a new character—the wearing of dresses, being loud.

At least so many know who he is—which is half the battle in entertainment

r35, r36