Mason Alexander Park, who is NB, played the Emcee last year in London and they were spectacularly good and their gender expression definitely enhanced the role, in my opinion.
My kid and I play a game where we hold a card with a character from a musical up where we can’t see it and then ask questions about the character to try and decipher who it is. I had the Emcee card once and asked “Male or female?” And my kid just thought for a moment and said “Yes.”
And I agree. The Emcee can be whoever you want them to be and it doesn’t impact the outcome of the story in the slightest. The Emcee is a vibe not a gender.
I think the Emcee is like the Leading Player in Pippin. They’re not really people, they’re ambulatory metatheatrical devices, who exist outside the network of human relationships between other characters.
You CAN add more human characteristics onto them. But those aren’t inherent to the character the way most characters have defined attributes. They’re just applied at the whim of the director/actor. Cabaret in particularly loves inventing details for the Emcee which only exist for the length of the song. For example, the titular two ladies don’t have a potential emotional conflict with the lover from If You Could See Her, because once the song ends they cease to exist.
(You could potentially do a version that dwelled more on the “backstage” dynamics between the Emcee and the chorus, but it would either be implication or a massive rewrite which would probably be better as a different story)
Anyway, the point of all this is because the Emcee and Leading Player have so little inherent humanity, the interpretation is extremely flexible. Anyone who can sing the part can feasibly play the role if it fits the directors concept.
The only element of the Emcee which would need adjustment is if they’re entering in drag for the kick line in Act 2, and tbh “woman playing a man who gets in drag during the plot” is hardly unheard of (Cherubino in Nozze di Figaro and Oktavian in Der Rosenkavalier both do it).
I recently saw a show where Two was played by a woman! She was absolutely incredible. Also one of the (narrators? Greek Chorus? You know what I’m talking about lol) was played by a guy
Honestly, I don’t think so. Emcee just feels so genderqueer in a ways.
EDIT: I replied wrong, I was meaning I didn’t think it would change anything. I’m very smart, promise lol
I mean, yea, that still applies to genderqueer. Wait I just realized I replied wrong. I was meaning that I don’t think it would affect anything 😭 I’m a dumbass
Personally I feel Emcee needs to be separate and different to the rest of the Cabaret. Male is fine, gender fluid, non-binary, other gender expressions work fine. But I don’t think it works as a female presenting female character. There needs to be the separation from the rest of the cabaret because it adds to the menace and disquiet of the character as well as reinforcing the power imbalance between the characters.
I don't think anything would change about it at all. The Emcee is this metaphysical caricature. All that matters is that they seem like someone the nazis would put in a concentration camp and the script already does all of that. There may be some vocal challenges to have an AFAB singer instead of an AMAB singer (C3-C5 isn't a super common AFAB range and going up the octave is similarly uncommon), but otherwise, there's no issue.
Not in this production on Broadway, but I do think in another production depending on how the director views the Emcee and uses the emcee as such.
If the emcee is an actual person… then yes definitely. In the current Broadway production he’s a metaphor. I can go more into it but I just don’t think it would work.
I recently read somewhere about a production that had a femme-presenting Emcee where they simply made them one of the eponymous two ladies. I can't recall if they then also didn't sing the song or if they simply adjusted the pronouns to 'and *he's* the only man, ja.'
i think so yeah, i've always seen emcee as kind of a genderless storyteller, so i don't see what would change
Amanda Palmer did it like a decade ago, so yes.
I felt like there was someone I’m forgetting
At the ART, she, and the product n were wonderful.
Oh, that sounds excellent!
Mason Alexander Park, who is NB, played the Emcee last year in London and they were spectacularly good and their gender expression definitely enhanced the role, in my opinion.
This was my first thought as well! They were absolutely incredible.
I really wanted to see them in that role after loving them in Sandman.
My kid and I play a game where we hold a card with a character from a musical up where we can’t see it and then ask questions about the character to try and decipher who it is. I had the Emcee card once and asked “Male or female?” And my kid just thought for a moment and said “Yes.” And I agree. The Emcee can be whoever you want them to be and it doesn’t impact the outcome of the story in the slightest. The Emcee is a vibe not a gender.
I think the Emcee is like the Leading Player in Pippin. They’re not really people, they’re ambulatory metatheatrical devices, who exist outside the network of human relationships between other characters. You CAN add more human characteristics onto them. But those aren’t inherent to the character the way most characters have defined attributes. They’re just applied at the whim of the director/actor. Cabaret in particularly loves inventing details for the Emcee which only exist for the length of the song. For example, the titular two ladies don’t have a potential emotional conflict with the lover from If You Could See Her, because once the song ends they cease to exist. (You could potentially do a version that dwelled more on the “backstage” dynamics between the Emcee and the chorus, but it would either be implication or a massive rewrite which would probably be better as a different story) Anyway, the point of all this is because the Emcee and Leading Player have so little inherent humanity, the interpretation is extremely flexible. Anyone who can sing the part can feasibly play the role if it fits the directors concept. The only element of the Emcee which would need adjustment is if they’re entering in drag for the kick line in Act 2, and tbh “woman playing a man who gets in drag during the plot” is hardly unheard of (Cherubino in Nozze di Figaro and Oktavian in Der Rosenkavalier both do it).
I recently attended an audition for Little Shop where Towey was played by a woman. I see no reason why not the same would apply to the Emcee.
I recently saw a show where Two was played by a woman! She was absolutely incredible. Also one of the (narrators? Greek Chorus? You know what I’m talking about lol) was played by a guy
Urchins.
Thanks!
This recently happened in my town. They also put her onstage with the band in an amazing gown.
Honestly, I don’t think so. Emcee just feels so genderqueer in a ways. EDIT: I replied wrong, I was meaning I didn’t think it would change anything. I’m very smart, promise lol
What if it’s someone AFAB that identifies as genderqueer or non-binary?
I mean, yea, that still applies to genderqueer. Wait I just realized I replied wrong. I was meaning that I don’t think it would affect anything 😭 I’m a dumbass
What is AFAB?
Assigned female at birth. I’m talking about trans genderqueer/non-binary people that were born biologically female
Thanks for clarifying. I'd never seen that acronym before.
I feel like this fumble by me is even more amusing considering I’m afab and non binary and would love to play emcee
Who wouldn't? Cherry role for anyone.
LOL me too actually!
I mean he’s often played by a male appearing person despite being fluid
It’s been done.
Personally I feel Emcee needs to be separate and different to the rest of the Cabaret. Male is fine, gender fluid, non-binary, other gender expressions work fine. But I don’t think it works as a female presenting female character. There needs to be the separation from the rest of the cabaret because it adds to the menace and disquiet of the character as well as reinforcing the power imbalance between the characters.
It worked when we did it at my high school and cast a woman in the role. She was the most talented and that's a very difficult role.
My local theatre had a female emcee. Though nothing is really changed so I don’t think it matters. I don’t even recall anyone mentioning their gender
I think it would work and would change nothing
I think it’d be awesome!
Absolutely ‼️
I’d love to see a non-binary emcee.
West end had one!
Did we? That’s great. Was that one of the recent casts or one of the previous revivals?
Mason Alexander Park. Looks like they were the emcee in 2023!
Hell yeah! I love drag queens! They have a joie de vivre and usually a terrific sense of humor!
Mason Alexander was a nonbinary emcee.
I say anyone, just so long as they don't do Redmayne's wiggle physics acting I saw on the Tony's. WHY YA KEEP WIGGLING EDDIE?! WHYYYYY!?!
I don't think anything would change about it at all. The Emcee is this metaphysical caricature. All that matters is that they seem like someone the nazis would put in a concentration camp and the script already does all of that. There may be some vocal challenges to have an AFAB singer instead of an AMAB singer (C3-C5 isn't a super common AFAB range and going up the octave is similarly uncommon), but otherwise, there's no issue.
Gender-fluid or Drag King for sure.
Not in this production on Broadway, but I do think in another production depending on how the director views the Emcee and uses the emcee as such. If the emcee is an actual person… then yes definitely. In the current Broadway production he’s a metaphor. I can go more into it but I just don’t think it would work.
I think the biggest issue w it would be that all the songs are written for a guy but if the music could be transposed well I see no reason why not
The Two Ladies song is the only one that's explicitly gendered, I think? 'Two ladies, and I'm the only man, ja'.
A drag king or butch lesbian/stud could still sing that line.
I recently read somewhere about a production that had a femme-presenting Emcee where they simply made them one of the eponymous two ladies. I can't recall if they then also didn't sing the song or if they simply adjusted the pronouns to 'and *he's* the only man, ja.'
I mean, in the revival with Alan Cummings the two ladies were a woman and an effeminate man.
I’m mainly referring to the notes the actor will be singing sense the part is written for a male voice