When the country singer landed a role in the splashy “Cabaret” revival, one question loomed large: Would he make his Broadway debut in a mask?
Let’s start with the big question: the mask? It’s coming off.
For years, Orville Peck has made a name for himself by keeping his face obscured, presenting a mysterious persona marked by his signature fringed mask. But when it was announced that the country singer-turned-Broadway star would be playing the Emcee in Cabaret — a role that’s as iconic as Liza Minnelli’s eyebrow game — speculation ran rampant: would Peck step onto the stage in a full-on theatrical mask, or would he bare it all? Spoiler alert: He’s going for the bare option.
In a recent interview, Mr. Peck, 37, assured the world that when he steps on stage in the revival of the beloved Cabaret, his face will be free to roam. “The mask is part of my expression personally as an artist and a very big personal part of me,” he said, giving a rare peek behind his signature barrier. “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.”
So, it’s a Cabaret show, and not the Orville Peck drag show, thank you very much. But don’t get it twisted: this isn’t a man running from his artistry. It’s just the first time in a long while that fans — and us, we’re fans, too — will see his face in the wild, unmasked.
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When asked about the vulnerability of performing without his trusty face covering, Peck admitted he might feel “a little shook” on opening night. After all, it’s been a minute since he’s fully revealed himself, having kept his face hidden from the world since his debut album Pony dropped in 2019. He’s right, though—fans have been dying to know what’s behind the mask ever since.
“It’s not about me. I’m not trying to make it the Orville Peck show.”
When it was announced that Peck would be replacing Adam Lambert as the Emcee in Cabaret, fans were intrigued, and for good reason. Peck’s genre-defying musical influences range from the raw punk energy of Black Flag to the smooth country stylings of Johnny Cash. This eclectic background sets him up to bring something unexpected to a role that’s already been embodied by Broadway heavyweights like Joel Grey and Eddie Redmayne. If anyone could merge leather-clad rock with Weimar-era decadence, it’s him.
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In rehearsal for the show, the man in question gave us a little preview: he wasn’t the classic foppish German nightclub host we might have expected. Nope. Instead, he looked more like he had just stepped off a punk-rock stage from 1984, or maybe a leather-daddy club in Berlin. With his hair cropped short and a black T-shirt showing off his toned physique, Peck embodied the Emcee as a rascally, menacing, yet undeniably flirtatious figure. He flexed, narrowed his eyes, and belted out his lines with a booming baritone, then pulled a cheeky, unmasking move by sticking out his buns (which we’re not mad about, TBH). That butch-femme balance that defines his country persona was front and center, with or without the mask.
Post-rehearsal, Peck admitted that he was exhausted — “I’m feeling the most tired I’ve ever felt in my life, truly,” he joked, collapsing onto the floor. And to be honest, we get it. Broadway is no joke.
But don’t think for a second that he’s sacrificing his artistry for the role. Peck made it clear that the decision to perform without a mask wasn’t something he took lightly. “I wouldn’t have necessarily done this for just anything,” he shared. “But this is probably my favorite musical of all time.” And honestly? We’re inclined to believe him.
His connection to the musical is personal. Peck revealed that he had once written in a journal at age 14 about his dream of one day playing the Emcee. The timing of his debut is uncanny, though. “It doesn’t feel like we’re doing a period piece, a throwback,” he noted. “Regardless of whatever your politics lean, I don’t think anybody can come see the show and not agree that it is frighteningly similar, if not exactly what is happening at the moment.”
Is Cabaret not the ultimate mirror to our own divided world? The parallels are eerie and timely, and Peck gets it. So, when it comes to performing this role, it’s not just about looking fierce (which he does effortlessly) but also about embodying the weight of the show’s themes in a way that makes it resonate in today’s world.
After all, who else could bring a leather-daddy sensibility to a Broadway revival of Cabaret while simultaneously gushing about RuPaul’s Drag Race? Just Orville. And we’re here for it.
Finally, it wouldn’t be a true Orville Peck story without a shout-out to the Eagle, the legendary gay leather bar where he spends time among friends, living his unmasked truth, one jockstrap night at a time.
Source: The New York Times