By John Hayden
Taco. Robot. Thingamajig. Your favorite characters from your favorite TV show are coming to life and coming to Broward Center for the Performing Arts on Thursday, June 30, 2022. The Masked Singer and many of its over-the-top characters are hitting the road for The Masked Singer Tour.
The tour’s creator and director, Mark Swanhart, talked with OutClique and gave us some behind-the-scenes info on what we can expect. His biggest challenge is bringing the bright musical show out of a television screen and onto a stage. “Why are you here to watch it live? What can we give you live and in-person that you don’t get from the television show? One thing that’s different is we’ve added a storyline to it that takes you from start to finish. We have a new character called Boom Box.”
Another way is getting the audience involved. “There are three moments where [audience members] are actually on the stage. I guarantee you’ll be laughing. There are really some funny moments.” Unlike on the TV show, there won’t be judges guessing who’s behind the masks. However, a different celebrity will be unmasked in each different city. They may be a national star or they may be a local celebrity. I asked Mark if the celebrity unmasked during the Broward Center show rhymes with ‘Bestefan.’ He would neither confirm nor deny, but from his amused laugh it’s probably safe to guess it doesn’t!
Leading this masked ball is the legendary Natasha Bedingfield. She’ll be performing some of her hits and some pop covers. Swanhart says her rendition of Prince’s Purple Rain is worth the price of admission. He also says Bedingfield is a true pro who knows how to put on a hit show. “She is a true pop star. During rehearsals she was marking here and there. Then we get in the theater and she goes for it. She hammers it. She gets the crowd pumped up. She’s incredible in the show.”
Natasha will be joined by Boom Box and a famous Masked Singer alum. Together along with the other characters, they take you on a musical journey. “One moment you’ll be crying and the next you’ll be rolling laughing. That’s the really cool thing about this.”
Not all the best costumes will be on stage. Fans are dressing up in their own masked outfits for the show, and their creativity gives the tour’s costume designer a run for their money. But even if you’re not familiar with the TV version, Swanhart believes you’ll love this night out. “It’s a pop concert mixed in with your favorite television show. It’s really fun in a lot of ways. Even if you’ve never seen the show The Masked Singer, you could watch this and go, ‘That was a wild, fun crazy ride that I went on.’”
For tickets and more show information, visit BrowardCenter.org and TheMaskedSingerTour.com.
