Masked Emcee? Out Singer Orville Peck to Replace Adam Lambert in Broadway's 'Cabaret'

Yes, but will he lose the mask? According to Variety, gay country singer Orville Peck is slated to take over the role of the Emcee from Adam Lambert in Broadway's ongoing revival of "Cabaret," the Kander and Ebb musical set largely at a queer bar called the Kit Kat Club during the waning days of Germany's permissive Weimar Republic and the rise of the Nazis.

The story revolves around an American writer, Cliff Bradshaw, who lives in Berlin and shares an apartment with cabaret performer friend Sally Bowles. The musical is derived from queer writer Christopher Isherwood's autobiographical novel "Goodbye to Berlin."

"It was announced Wednesday [Jan. 15] that the county singer will replace Adam Lambert in the role, while two-time Tony nominee Eva Noblezada will play Sally Bowles, currently being played by 'Moana' star Auli'i Cravalho," Variety relayed.

The two new cast members are expected to remain with the production for four months starting March 31.

Peck told Variety that the Emcee "was always a dream role of mine when I was a young actor," and recalled that he "grew up as an actor and doing theater" before calling the Emcee "a really coveted role in musical theater because it's so open to interpretation and an incredible character."

Indeed, Lambert supplemented his run as the Emcee by releasing a new single and an accompanying video of one of the musical's songs, "I Don't Care Much." The track was intended as a comment on the current political climate, with Lambert telling the New York Times that his take on the Emcee was "super meta."

"Look at what's going on right now in our country," Lambert remarked to the Times. "Look at the election. I take all of my frustration with everything and I put that into the second act," in which the Nazi's rapid domination of society spells doom for the Kit Kat Club and its patrons.

Lambert replaced Eddie Redmayne (who starred in the 2015 film "The Danish Girl," about trailblazing transgender artist Lili Elbe, one of the first people to undergo gender confirmation surgery) in the role of the Emcee.

As for the obvious question of whether Lambert's successor will reveal his face to the audience or keep his trademark mask in place, Peck played coy.

"I will say this," Peck told Variety, "people will have to buy a ticket to find out."

That alone might be worth the price of admission!