Controversial Laughter During “Cabaret” Performance on Broadway
In a recent Broadway performance of “Cabaret,” audiences were caught laughing at an antisemitic lyric, prompting lead actor Adam Lambert to admonish a spectator. The lyric in question comes during the song “If You Could See Her,” where Lambert’s character, the emcee, serenades a gorilla, concluding with the line, “If you could see her through my eyes, she wouldn’t look Jewish at all.”
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One attendee reported witnessing Lambert, while remaining in character, sternly addressing a laughing audience member, stating, “No. This is not comedy. Pay attention.”
David Rigano, a podcaster present at the show, shared his observations on Instagram, noting the reaction was not one of shock or discomfort but of actual amusement at the idea of a “Jewish gorilla.”
Several audience members shared their reactions online. One stated, “I was at this performance and was so beyond glad [Lambert] said what he said. It was horrific that he had paused and the audience began to laugh harder and harder. Scary.” Another added, “I was there too. It really was hard to hear [people] laugh for so long at that line. Adam did a great job.”
An additional commenter noted their experience at a different showing, saying, “When that scene happened my friend and I turned to one another and were in shock. Me being Jewish, was in awe by the laughter and just said to my friend ‘that’s not funny, people shouldn’t be laughing.’ We are thankful that [Lambert] didn’t break character and expressed how it’s not a joke nor something to laugh at.”
Lambert later addressed the incident on social media, expressing his commitment to the show’s message, “I really consider it a privilege to be working with such a gifted cast and creative team on a show that has so much to say about what is happening RIGHT NOW.”
He further elaborated on his hopes for audience impact: “It’s been relevant since it premiered in the late 60’s and I HOPE audiences walk away THINKING and feeling empathy towards how marginalized groups can be scapegoated as political strategy… That’s my hope and motivation every show; to pull you into an irresistible community and then make you miss us as we are stolen from you. Maybe just maybe we can change some minds.”
According to Page Six, this isn’t the first instance of inappropriate laughter during the show, which is set against the backdrop of rising fascism in Weimar-era Germany at the seedy Kit Kat Club. The publication noted that Lambert had previously had to give “death stares” to audience members reacting inappropriately.
A source recounted to Page Six in November that Lambert “paused and had to ‘stare down’ audience members who laughed at the [line].”
Joel Grey, who originally starred in “Cabaret,” commented on this disturbing trend in a New York Times essay, noting a significant shift in audience reactions over the years. Initially, the line provoked shock and rejection, but now it seems to elicit laughter, which could be interpreted in various troubling ways.
Grey pondered, “My initial assessment, when word first reached me about this unusual reaction, was that these must be the triumphant laughs of the complicit, suddenly drunk on power and unafraid to let their bigotry be known. Now I find myself considering other hypotheses. Are these the hollow, uneasy laughs of an audience that has retreated into the comfort of irony and detachment? Are these vocalized signals of acceptance? Audible white flags of surrender to the state of things? A collective shrug of indifference?”
He concluded, “I honestly don’t know which of these versions I find most ominous, but all of them should serve as a glaring reminder of how dangerously easy it is to accept bigotry when we are emotionally exhausted and politically overwhelmed.”
The representative for the show confirmed this troubling audience behavior, stating, “It is a chilling lyric, not a funny lyric. This is a new development.”
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Ellis McDowell is a trend analyst with a sharp eye for spotting the next big thing in entertainment. With years of experience in digital media and trend forecasting, Nora tracks the movements of influencers, viral content, and entertainment trends. Her insights help shape the stories that captivate our audience.
