Adam Lambert on proving those who thought being gay would ‘work against’ him wrong
The Cabaret star has recalled in a new interview a time when he was often referred to as "theatrical", suspecting this was just coded language for "gay"
By Gary Grimes
Adam Lambert, who first rose to fame as the runner-up of American Idol in 2009, has spoken about his early years in the entertainment industry as a queer artist.
Speaking to The New York Times this week, Lambert recalled a time during which he was often referred to as “theatrical” though he suspected this was usually just coded language for “gay.”
“It was like a euphemism [for being gay],” he told the paper. “I was like, ‘And?’ Because up until that point, it was commonly thought in the industry that it would work against you. I was part of a wave of people that were proving that wrong.”
Lambert is currently appearing as the Emcee in Cabaret on Broadway, a role he took over from Eddie Redmayne. It marks the singer’s Broadway debut and his performance has been notable for its differences from Redmayne’s interpretation of the role.
“My version of him, there’s a little bit of me in there,” Lambert confessed. “I think he’s queer for sure. He’s a provocateur. He has been working in nightlife for a long time. He’s travelled all around Europe. And knows all these dancers and colourful characters.”
“I really loved Eddie’s take on this sort of demented puppet master ventriloquist dummy. But that didn’t resonate for me…”
The star, who also tours as the frontman of Queen, spoke of his desire to differentiate his performance from Redmayne’s. “I really loved Eddie’s take on this sort of demented puppet master ventriloquist dummy. But that didn’t resonate for me as what I was going to do.”
“I was like, the Emcee’s probably a little drunk. He’s probably a little high on something. And he’s in this permissive environment. He’s horny. That’s who he is in my sense of him.”
The ‘Whataya Want from Me’ singer also revealed that he is currently developing his own musical based on the life of an unnamed real life subject. Lambert is collaborating with Tony award-nominated playwright Taylor Mac on the book for the show.