Billy Porter: "Blacks Have Replaced The Jews" — Page 2

MichelleCraig said: "I also think Billy Porter has been, unsuccessfully, trying to stretch his deserved 15 minutes into a career. One deservedly earned career moment doesnot a legend make. Hopefully, Porter will come into a unique, individual role he can make his own again. CABARET, and everything surrounding it, was not Porter’s opportunity for this.
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Do you mean his Kinky Boots fame? He’s had a very respectable career since the late 90s at the very least. Kinky Boots may have been the pinnacle of it, but he was career-successful even before that. I don’t really like his voice now, and his brand is fatiguing, but on the It’s Only Life album from the early 2000s he’s at his best.

We caught this in duo in London. Ms. Wallace is an absolutely fantastic Sally. Billy fell flat in the role and vocally. After this ridiculous statement, the production should immediately replace him with a bigger/better name. Someone with a better performance record who isn't offensive. Calvin Leon Smith should also be replaced. His acting in the role is overwrought and unbelievably amateur in dramatic moments. Omari Douglas & Daniel Bowerbank, Cliff actors on the West End, were both believable and handled the role beautifully. Go out with a bang Cabaret. They have the Sally. They need a MC and Cliff on par.

Updated On: 7/22/25 at 02:41 AM

Jesus f*cking Christ, Billy.

No, the blacks have not replaced the Jews at this moment in time. Maybe if that was said around George Floyd’s murder & the Black Lives Matter movement, that sentence could have made some sense. You know who’s being rounded up and shipped to camps? Latinos in America. That is the only demographic that would make a sentence like that work today.

Which even then, it doesn’t. There is a very obvious and widely documented rise in antisemitism that peaked just last year, so how are the Jews being “replaced” exactly?

Let’s not forget his bone-headed behind participated in a letter supporting Israel, and then tried to backtrack saying “I don’t know enough about it to say anything, it’s not my hill to die on, I don’t want to be part of that conversation”, complaining about people commenting Free Palestine on his Instagram, and then being blatantly ignorant about the conflict in general as well as James Baldwin’s stance on the matter…while also writing and starring in a biopic on the man. God help us all with that one. He’s always been full of himself and a bit ignorant, but it’s worse.

The only explanation for such behavior was brought up in divorce court, and why his ex didn’t trust Porter around their dog. The brain is fried, darling.

Updated On: 7/22/25 at 03:07 AM

CoffeeBreak said: "Calvin Leon Smith should also be replaced. His acting in the role is overwrought and unbelievably amateur in dramatic moments.”

Maybe you saw him on an off night, but I HIGHLY disagree. Ato Blankson-Wood was basically a set piece that had no real chemistry with Gayle Rankin (who was truly on dramatic overdrive to the point where she was just crashing out the entire show with no arc).

Each time I saw Calvin, he was able to bring that necessary awkwardness of a repressed queer man who is growing more cognizant of the country changing around him - and the frustration that those he cares about are choosing blissful ignorance. I believe he cared about whoever was playing Sally (Auli’i, Eva, and Gabi Campo).

He’s currently out for an extended period recovering from shingles-induced facial paralysis that has affected his ability to perform, so if you feel so strongly, Pedro Garza is on for him this week at least. (Although Calvin & Garza are playing from the same hand).

Billy is (and has been for a long time) the Emperor without clothes. He also seems to think he is much more knowledgeable than he is - his production of The Life waded into territory that just showed how superficial his understanding was.

This production of Cabaret is soooo misguided in the same way. Every actor playing Cliff is black which is a bizarre choice and makes no sense.

Erasing Jews has been a trend going back to the Fiddler production starring non-Jews, to the museum of Broadway, to the Academy of Motion Pictures in LA.

Ermengard,

Assuming you are correct, unless you were in the room I’m not sure how you know how decisions were made. And I can also think of several reasons why Jews may opt to not highight the Jewish experience. Jackie Hoffman used to do a bit out her experience with the Fiddler production. I contacted The Museum of Broadway this and didn’t get a response and of course there was a major backlash to the museum in LA. I am “keeping it real”.

Your Cabaret example misses the entire point. In this production Cliff is always and consciously cast with a black actor (or, your example — which seems to be an exception that proves the rule — a person of color which doesn’t counter my point).

DaveyG said: "But fame gave him the delusion that he’s some kind of intellectual force."

Can be said about 90% of famous (and infamous) people.

DaveyG said: "gibsons2 said: "DaveyG said: "But fame gave him the delusion that he’s some kind of intellectual force."

Can be said about 90% of famous (and infamous) people."

Point taken, but Billy Porter has taken it to a new level."

Not a dig at you at all. Unchecked narcissism and delusion in celebs is a fascinating thing to observe.

UWS10023 said: "I wonder if he will be able to do La Cage at City Center?"

No reason why not. Haven’t you heard? Black people have replaced the French.

When has he even been rehearsing/in the city? There hasn't been a gay pool party in Rehoboth this month he's missed yet, lol.

The final put-in for them was on Friday - Pedro told us at the SD on Saturday.

Tonight is the big night, so I wonder how it’s going to go over with the masses. It looks about 70% sold

Eh...I can't stand Billy Porter but I'm willing to let this go as just a flaky interview stream of consciousness rather than a truly thought-out idea.