Video: Adam Lambert Shares CABARET Pre-Show Rituals

American Idol alum Adam Lambert is currently playing the iconic role of the Emcee in Broadway's Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club, taking over from Eddie Redmayne. On a recent visit to Live with Kelly and Mark, the performer also revealed that he does his own elaborate makeup in the show. 

"That first face of makeup that I wear is pretty full. It's like clown-drag," Lambert explained on the show. He shared that he enjoys applying it himself: "It puts me in the 'make-believe' mode," adding that he has painted his face for years.

Other pre-show routines include standards like vocal warm-ups and stretching. Lambert says that his previous experiences touring with Queen were more vocally demanding than his work in Cabaret. However, Broadway isn't without its challenges. "It's physically more challenging. There's choreography in this, there's a lot of costume changes...That's a little harder on the body to do every night. 

Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club is currently running at the August Wilson Theatre, starring Adam Lambert and Auli'i Cravalho as 'Sally Bowles'.  The cast also includes Bebe Neuwirth as ‘Fraulein Schneider;’ Calvin Leon Smith as ‘Clifford Bradshaw,’ 2024 Tony Award nominee Steven Skybell as ‘Herr Schultz;’ Henry Gottfried as ‘Ernst Ludwig,’ and Michelle Aravena as ‘Fritzie/Kost.’