Gay country singer Orville Peck is set to make his highly anticipated Broadway debut as the Emcee in Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club, replacing Adam Lambert in the role. Two-time Tony nominee Eva Noblezada will join him as Sally Bowles, taking over from Auliʻi Cravalho. Lambert and Cravalho are scheduled to perform their final shows on March 29, before handing over the reins to Peck and Noblezada.
Peck’s rise to fame began with the release of his debut album, Pony, in 2019, where his mysterious masked persona became his signature feature. While rumours swirl about whether he’ll wear his iconic mask for the role of the Emcee, Peck has teased, “People will have to buy a ticket to find out.”
Prior to becoming a chart-topping sensation, the South African-born singer attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in 2014 and appeared in Peter Pan Goes Wrong at London’s Apollo Theatre in 2016.
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Rebecca Frecknall’s Tony-nominated production of Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club, which opened in April to critical acclaim, brought Eddie Redmayne and Gayle Rankin to Broadway, reprising their West End roles. The production is an evolution of Kander and Ebb’s beloved 1966 classic, blending bold theatricality with dark social commentary.
Cabaret finds its origins in Christopher Isherwood’s 1939 novel, Goodbye to Berlin, a semi-autobiographical account of his time in the German capital during the 1930s. The story unfolds against the backdrop of the Nazis’ rise to power, focusing on the eccentric misfits of Berlin’s cabaret scene.
Isherwood’s original novel was based on the author’s search for the city’s vibrant gay scene, and Orville Peck’s involvement in the Cabaret revival brings a fresh, distinctively queer energy to a show that has captivated audiences for decades. Known as an LGBTQ+ advocate, Peck was recently honoured with the Vito Russo Award at the GLAAD Media Awards.
Fans of the enigmatic performer are eager to see how he will redefine this iconic role. Whether masked or unmasked, his is sure to shine on Broadway’s most daring stage.
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