'This Is Not Comedy': Adam Lambert Stops 'Cabaret' Show To Call Out Audience Member Who Laughed At Antisemitic Line
Actor Adam Lambert stopped his performance in Broadway's "Cabaret" to reprimand an audience member for laughing at an antisemitic line in one of his songs.
Lambert, who plays the Emcee in the revival, broke the fourth wall in a recent performance after a theatergoer laughed over his line, "If you could see her through my eyes, she wouldn't look Jewish at all" during the song If You Could See Her.
"No," Lambert said to the laughing patron without breaking his character. "This is not comedy. Pay attention."
Podcaster David Rigano shared the incident in an open letter posted on Instagram. Rigano noted that the audience member genuinely found the antisemitic line "Jewish Gorilla" funny.
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How Did Lambert Respond?
After Rigano's post went viral, the crooner responded on social media, saying he hoped viewers of Cabaret would "walk away thinking and feeling empathy" towards marginalized groups, per Yahoo Entertainment.
This is the first time Lambert has verbally reprimanded an audience member for laughing at the lyric. He has, however, paused and stared down offenders in previous shows, a source told Page Six.
Lambert is currently starring alongside "Moana" star Auli'i Cravalho, who plays Sally Bowles. They made their debuts on Sept. 16, 2024, taking over the roles of Eddie Redmayne and Gayle Rankin.
The pair will continue their limited engagement through March 30, 2025. They will be replaced by Orville Peck and Eva Noblezada beginning March 31, as Variety reported.
