Orville Peck will make his Broadway debut later this month, and he’ll be doing it without his signature tasseled mask. The country singer is starring in Cabaret as the Emcee, and he’ll be showing his full face in public for the first time to do it.
Earlier this year, it was announced that Peck would be replacing Adam Lambert in the cast of Rebecca Frecknall’s Broadway revival of Cabaret, with Peck recently revealing that he’ll be unmasking to play the role of the Emcee when he begins his run with the show on March 31.
“The mask is part of my expression personally as an artist and a very big personal part of me,” he told the New York Times. “But I’m here to play this role and to bring respect and integrity and hopefully a good performance to it. It’s not about me. I’m not trying to make it the Orville Peck show.”
When it comes to deciding to take off his mask for the role, Peck explained: “I wouldn’t have necessarily done this for just anything, but this is probably my favorite musical of all time.” Tye 1966 Kander and Ebb musical follows a group of hedonistic characters at a Berlin nightclub during the time that Nazis began their rise to power.
Orville Peck Began wearing a more revealing mask in 2024
Notably, Peck began using a more revealing mask last year, trading in his tasseled face-covering for one that removed the dangling fabric and only hid his upper face. NME reports that, at the time, he said the change “was a little nerve-wracking” and made him feel “a little naked,” but that the move necessary for him to “evolve” as an artist and entertainer.
Previously Peck spoke with NME about his artistry and commented on how he presents a “heightened version” of himself through his on-stage person, adding, “So it’s really sincere on one hand and on [the other] hand it’s larger-than-life, but it’s nice that those things can live side-by-side.”
The singer also addressed how past attempts to “unmask” impacted his artistic expression and led to criticism that was based in homophobia rather than sincere and earnest critique. “Traversing this industry as a gay country musician I already endure daily hate, bullying, aggression and people actively trying to discredit what I do,” Peck said. “All I ask is that people respect my work (and more importantly) my fans enough to maintain this crucial part of my expression as an artist.”
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