Beginning May 4, Broadway's Cabaret will have four new leads: Laurence Luckinbill, Carole Shelley, Victoria Clark and Michael Stuhlbarg.
Tony-winner and long time cast member, Ron Rifkin, leaves May 2, to be replaced by Luckinbill, recently Off-Broadway in Clarence Darrow Tonight!. Rifkin has played his Tony-winning role Herr Schutz, since the revival's Broadway debut in March 1998. He was originally announced for the cast of the then Broadway-bound, Proposals by Neil Simon. His other Broadway roles include A Month In The Country and Broken Glass, though his break-through roles were Off-Broadway in the Baitz dramas The Substance Of Fire and Three Hotels.
Luckinbill's legit credits include The Boys In The Band and A Man For All Seasons. He received an Outer Critics Circle Award for his performance in The Memory Bank and was nominated for a Tony for Shadow Box.
Replacing Blair Brown as Fraulein Schneider will be Carole Shelley, a Tony winner for The Elephant Man and a nominee for Stepping Out and Absurd Person Singular. Other credits include Show Boat, The Miser, Noises Off, Hay Fever, The Norman Conquests, Odd Couple, Loot.
Playing Fraulein Kost is Victoria Clark, who appeared, memorably, as the busybody, social-climbing passenger in Titanic. Other credits include A Grand Night For Singing and How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. Michael Stuhlbarg, of Off-Broadway's A Dybbuk, Timon of Athens and Old Wicked Songs, will play Ernst, the charming Nazi-sympathizer.
Another Cabaret Tony-winner, Alan Cumming will play his final performance as the Emcee of Broadway's Cabaret June 6. No official replacement has been announced for his role either, though production spokesperson Erin Dunn denied rumors that Lea DeLaria had been considered for the part.
Cumming, who had taken numerous leaves of absence to appear in Julie Taymor's film adaptation of Titus Andronicus, will be leaving Cabaret for good to begin work on another film -- the sequel to 1994's live-action "Flintstones," dubbed "Viva Rock Vegas." Cumming will play The Great Gazoo, the green martian who doles out advice to Fred and Barney. Though the initial live-action "Flintstones" film starred John Goodman, Rick Moranis, Elizabeth Perkins and Rosie O'Donnell, none of them will reprise their roles in "Rock Vegas."
Other film credits for Cumming include: "Goldeneye," "Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion," "Emma," and "Circle of Friends." The Scottish actor originated the emcee role for director Sam Mendes' "environmental" setting when the production premiered at England's Donmar Warehouse.
For tickets and information on Cabaret at Studio 54 call (212) 239- 6200.
-- By David Lefkowitz and Sean McGrath
