You can say life's always been a cabaret for David Merino: They're currently an ensemble member in Cabaret on Broadway, as well as the understudy for the Emcee. But it was actually seeing Cabaret on Broadway a decade ago that inspired them to be a performer. "I saw the last revival of Cabaret, with Emma Stone. But I saw her understudy, and it changed how I view theatre and understudies and swings," says Merino. "I was obsessed with her—Andrea Goss—she was the Sally understudy (by the way, love you, girl). And she changed my life. I think of her every day."

That is because Merino, who was first hired to be one of the understudies for the role of the Emcee in Cabaret, has been finding themself stepping into the spotlight more and more. Last Sunday, the show announced it was closing early (on September 21), and understudies Merino and Marty Lauter would be finishing the run as the Emcee, after Billy Porter announced he had to depart the production abruptly due to a case of sepsis.

Lauter will play the Emcee through September 18, while Merino will do September 19-21. These performers usually play ensemble parts (Merino's Kit Kat Club character is named Lulu, while Lauter's is Victor). But the past few weeks have been a whirlwind—Porter had frequently been calling out sick, which means those two understudies have been the ones welcoming audiences to the Kit Kat Club.

"Our whole company, and especially David and I, just want the best for Billy. We want him to feel better, so we're glad that he's taking the time that he needs to recover," says Lauter. 

For their part, Merino is proud to show that "understudies really can do the damn thing. And really can be evocative, even more evocative because you have to root for them in a very specific way."

Before the two Emcees put on their wigs and party hats for the final time, Lauter and Merino sat down for an exit interview, as they reflected on what they've learned from the past 18 months at Cabaret and how, after sharing a dressing room, the two plan to keep performing together. The conversation has been edited and condensed.

When the show announced it was closing early, the immediate response was support for the two of you. It really speaks to how loved the two of you are.
David Merino: It's very flattering that that is an aspect of the reception. I think that people are recognizing that an understudy fulfilling the ending of a show and representing it ... I think that is a very unique opportunity, and I do not take it for granted whatsoever. The fact that it's happening, I think for the both of us, it's just been shocking. 

Marty Lauter: We've both been saying since the beginning, being that we are in the August Wilson, we want to be the Julie Benko, we want to be the people's understudies. I think it's kind of come to fruition. Dave is gonna laugh, because I talk about this all the time, but since the beginning, I've been saying I wanted the two of us to do, like, a double Emcee performance. So in a way, seeing both of our names above the title, it kind of feels like it's happening.

Or, you can do a show where one of you starts and then the other one ends the show.
Merino: Oh, we've mapped out several versions.

Lauter: We could do it tomorrow. We're ready.

Tell me about your journey with the show, especially you Marty, coming off of RuPaul's Drag Race [Lauter's drag alter ego is Marcia Marcia Marcia]. 
Lauter: I first saw the show in the West End. I think it was March of 2023. I was really, really drawn to it, sitting in the audience with my fiancé. I was like, "Oh, the [Kit Kat Club ensemble member] with the bowl cut, that's my drag if I were ever to do this show." That year post-Drag Race was very, very tiring. It's a lot of traveling, and I really wanted to do something that grounded me. I wanted to be a part of a company again. 

People know me from Drag Race, but I've worked in theatre for far longer than Marcia has existed. So, this was a project that I felt particularly passionate about and connected to, not only because of the political relevance, but because of the representation, the unabashed queerness of this version of Cabaret. We are in a stunt cast time period. So I know that my star does not quite shine bright enough yet to hold up something like a revival of Cabaret. But getting even a little slice of the Emcee was something that I was really, really excited about. 

Merino: When I first got called into it, it was so much of a dream opportunity. Not only was the Emcee always a dream role (and that's what a lot of people would say), but being able to present femme, be a Kit Kat girl, was the most ideal thing for me. But even so, Cabaret, I just thought it was never gonna be my journey. 

I don't consider myself a dancer. I don't get hired to dance. Getting to do this movement, this incredible choreography that's so character driven, story driven, I didn't realize how up my alley that all was.

It seems like every actor who has played the Emcee has gotten a lot of room to put their own interpretations on it. Who is your Emcee?
Lauter: My Emcee has changed a lot from the beginning. First thought I had was the Other Mother from Coraline, because there's so much about giving a person what they want and making yourself seem really fun. And then how quickly it can turn into something sinister. But I personally, I'm sure David has as well, learned so much from every Emcee and Sally that has come through the building.

Merino: The first thing I kind of thought of is the Cheshire Cat—the idea of the smile, and being the nurturing presence that you trust.

Within the context of the show, the Emcee really is representing the rise of fascism, or the complete complacency of the average German. Or the privilege that you can have if you can morph into the ideal. I play him very much with my identity as a queer, Latin, Jewish person. And so to me, it's a smile, and you're just watching the smile drain. 

In this production, the Emcee leads the Fascist movement. As queer performers, how do you justify the character's choices?
Merino: We have this very concrete transformation in Act Two: the blonde wig, the blonde, Aryan character. I think for me, blonde ain't necessarily my color. So what does that mean on me and my identity? It probably isn't going to work for long—the tension for me at the end is very much, like, let's see how long this lasts.

Lauter: What's so beautiful about the character, and beautiful about the show, is that so many people have so many expectations about what it's supposed to be, or what it should be. And that was a lot of the response that I think our revival got right at the beginning. But what's so beautiful about it is that it can be done so many different ways.  

There's a lot of discussion of: Is this a brainwashing, a shift of an identity? Or is this an intentional protection of one's identity? For me, because of what I look like, I can slip under the radar and kind of keep things going and staying on the side of the oppressor—that's how I interpret my end of the show. Because it's a means of survival. It's a means to an end. It's so different for every single one of us. Like, my Emcee definitely has a little bit of evil inside of him, and it takes over by the end.

Merino: Everyone is drained of color, glitter, shine, identity, uniqueness, and we all look as similar as possible at the very end. I think the complicity, the fact that we're all doing this right now in our lives—whether it's turning a blind eye, or having the privilege to put up a wall or have distance from the tragedy that's going on with certain groups or countries. We just move on. The privilege of being able to until you are the target, I think, [that message] makes people uncomfortable. People wish that it was a more obvious, or they yearn for the old revivals where it ends with full Nazi flags so that it kind of puts a label on that time, and that was then. But the ending, to me, really is, "No, this is now. We all do this."

What's been the craziest moment you've had as an understudy? Have you had to go on really quickly?
Merino: This past month. We had no idea what was going on for so long. And our energies were kind of going between caring for someone that is clearly ill, and taking it day by day. There was a period where it was like, "Okay, you're on today." And that was a week-long thing of "Who knows, he could be back. Maybe not." That was a wild time.

Since you're so close to the audience, and you can see everyone, what's been a memorable audience interaction you've gotten?
Lauter: On Saturday night, there was someone at a table. I walked over and I said, "Don't forget to bring her back once you're finished with her." And I looked at this person, literally, like, [crosses their arms]. And I went, "Ohh grumpy goose." I was very proud. 

Merino: A number later, they were gone. They left. 

Lauter: They didn't want to be there. They were not having fun the whole time. I love a grumpy goose, and I love calling it out.

Merino: Or an uncomfortable man that clearly was taken there by his girlfriend or wife or sister or whatever. I think it's very interesting the people that are down to clown and will make a little bit with you, and the ones that will avert their eyes for the rest of the show because you've now literally pointed the finger at them, and that's not what they thought theatre was like, that's not what they signed up for. They're inches from me. I also like to, I honestly take bits of their drink and will eat a piece of popcorn. I'm a mess! [laughs]

Lauter: Lulu's a menace!

What's next for the two of you?
Lauter: Oh, I'm gonna be filming something in L.A., I can't say anything more than that. But also, David and I are in talks about doing a little sister concert before I leave, at some point in October.

Merino: Honestly, I have no idea what I'm doing after this. That's so much of what this industry is. I'm enjoying being able to pick up little gigs and concerts where I just get to explore what I want to sing again and what that kind of storytelling, without being scripted. But my goal is to keep Marty in my life as much as possible, because I can't imagine life now, after the past year and a half, without them. So I've already signed up to be their assistant, be it as Marty or Marcia Marcia Marcia. 

Lauter: David and my friendship has truly been one of the greatest gifts that Cabaret has given me. And especially, with all the chaos lately, so many people keep being like, "It's so good that you two are friends with each other." There are months that we have gone without a day apart. We made our little closing week Tiktok earlier and so many of the comments were just like, "Somebody cast these two in something else." And I'm like, "Please!"

Merino: I can't imagine doing anything, anything without Marty. 

Lauter: It's going to be so sad.

Merino: It's going to be one of the hardest parts of closing.