A new video gives viewers a sneak peek at the upcoming musical The Danish Girl, about real-life Lili Elbe, a mid-20th century painter and one of the first people in the world to undergo gender confirmation surgery. The number, titled "Silk," highlights Elbe's experience trying on clothes in secret and the joy and fear she feels finding a wardrobe that suits her. Check out L Morgan Lee (A Strange Loop) performing the song above.
The Danish Girl is based on the David Ebershoff’s 2000 book of the same name, which was also turned into the 2015 film, starring Eddie Redmayne as Elbe and an Oscar-winning Alicia Vikander as her wife Greta Wegener.
The show will feature music by Alex Parker and a book and lyrics by Katie Lam. The pair recently received the inaugural Emerging Writers Award from the National Youth Music Theatre in the U.K.
Beyond the two central characters, the company will be composed of performers whose roles will be set only by vocal range (and not by gender, age, or any other demographic markers). The creative team is especially interested in hearing from trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming performers who would like to be considered as the show continues to develop; contact [email protected].
In the video, Lee is accompanied by a U.K. choir of singers that was put together in collaboration with Trans Voices Company.
Lee was recently nominated for a Lucille Lortel Award for her performance in A Strange Loop, her first major credit after openly identifying as transgender.
