The Broadway revival of Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club is facing new turbulence as producers have been hit with a lawsuit from an investor claiming financial misconduct.
James Lorenzo Walker, Jr., an Atlanta-based entertainment lawyer, filed suit in New York Supreme Court last week, alleging that despite the show grossing more than $90 million since its April 2024 opening, he has not received any return on his $50,000 investment. The complaint accuses producers of engaging in “a deliberate scheme intended to strip him and other investors of their investments,” and of denying access to partnership records.
Walker’s filing suggests the case reflects a broader trend in theatrical financing, where investors are lured into multi-layered structures that obscure revenues and “facilitate self-dealing among insiders and their affiliate entities.” He is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, attorneys’ fees, and a full accounting of production finances.
Producers, led by ATG Entertainment — which also owns the August Wilson Theatre, refurbished at a cost of $24 million to house the immersive “Kit Kat Club” environment — strongly denied the allegations. In a statement, they insisted the lawsuit has “no merit,” adding that the show “has not been in a position fiscally to make any distribution to investors” despite its early box office success. They also noted that lead producers have been waiving their fees and royalties for more than a year.
The legal dispute comes at a grim moment for Cabaret. The production, which opened to acclaim and hot-ticket demand with original stars Eddie Redmayne and Gayle Rankin, will now close a month early on September 21. The announcement followed news that Billy Porter, who had joined the cast earlier this year, was forced to step away due to a serious bout of sepsis.
Box office numbers have plunged in recent months, with grosses falling from $1.2 million in July to just $380,052 last week — far short of the show’s reported $1 million-plus weekly running costs. Roughly a third of the theater’s seats went unsold in its final weeks.
The revival, directed by Rebecca Frecknall, remains a hit in London’s West End, where it is entering its fourth year. Reeve Carney and Eva Noblezada will step into the lead roles in London later this month.
