In the end, all you have to do to win Broadway’s Masked Singer is throw on a whale costume and inflatable crown, get into a hot tub, and sing “You’ll Be Back” from Hamilton. At least that’s what audiences decided April 30 in the Season 1 finale of the digital series.
The Whale ultimately raised over $3,000 for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. The nonprofit was the beneficiary of the series, which will get a check for $11,867 when all eight contestant’s efforts are combined.
As for the finale itself, the crown-worthy puns reached new heights. After being eliminated, The Potato was saved by the skin of their spud before being unmasked and allowed to stay in the competition. They joined The Elephant, The Chicken, The Bee, and The Whale in a head-to-head, five-way round.
The Potato first sang “1, 2 Step,” with guesses ranging from Laura Benanti to Christy Altomare and Izzy McCalla. The latter picked up speed as a contender and nearly everyone was onboard with the guess as The Prom’s original Alyssa Greene popped out of the costume to much applause. “I am thrilled that I got to actualize my life as a couch potato into a real, live potato,” said McCalla.
Next up was The Elephant, who sang “Rainbow Connection.” In a twist, the trunk-tastic pachyderm was later revealed to be one of the panelists, Nick Cearley. The performer had been guessed by Marissa Rosen, but few of the other panelists agreed. “I said it, you all laughed at me,” said Rosen in a video upon the reveal. “But I know that voice like the back of your tushy, and the whole world knows the back of that tushy!” Cearley is best known as one-half of the underwear-clad cabaret act The Skivvies.
The Potato and The Elephant only performed once in the finale after coming in fourth and fifth place, respectively.
The Chicken then took the stage embodying the pop divas of today with “Call It What You Want” and later “Unconditionally.” Taking home third place—as many had correctly called—was Jessica Vosk. The feathered friend encouraged viewers to continue donating to Broadway cares before bobbing off-stage, remaining true to character in typical Vosk fashion.
The Bee flew all the way back to the 90’s with “Roll to Me” and “Because You Loved Me,” landing the winged favorite in second place. Last minute guesses included Jeremy Pope, Ephraim Sykes, and Kevin Smith Kirkwood—but in the end, Jelani Remy was hiding underneath the fuzzy costume. “I had too much fun...it was un-bee-lieveable,” said the Ain’t Too Proud star.
Last to sing was The Whale, who sang “Something to Hold Onto” from the upcoming musical Between the Lines. After their hot tub Hamilton moment, the time had come to discover who was hiding under the sea. Was it Stark Sands? James Snyder? No! The winner of Broadway’s Masked Singer Season 1 was indeed Nic Rouleau! The The Book of Mormon star thanked everyone who was on #TeamWhale. “From my blowhole to my tailfin, I really felt the love tonight,” the star said.
That's all for Season 1 of Broadway's Masked Singer. Stay tuned for an interview with Nic Rouleau and Jelani Remy—plus unseen performance videos from The Dalmatian, The Flamingo, and more. In the meantime, you can read the recaps for Episode 1 and Episode 2.
