‘The Masked Singer’: Mermaid on Fishtail Choreography & Finding the Right Andrew Lloyd Webber Song

Meredith Jacobs October 19, 2022, 9:46 pm

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Mermaid in 'The Masked Singer' — Michael Becker / FOX

[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for The Masked Singer Season 8 Episode 4 “Andrew Lloyd Webber Night.”]

There were at least a couple legends in attendance for Andrew Lloyd Webber Night on The Masked Singer.

One of the changes for Season 8 is the addition of these themed episodes, and for this week’s, not only was Andrew Lloyd Webber on the panel, but the masked celebrities — Maize, Mermaid, and Robo Girl — also performed his songs! Maize (actor and singer Mario Cantone) was the first eliminated, then the other two faced off in a Battle Royale. After, it was Mermaid who was sent home and unmasked — and it was Grammy-winning singer Gloria Gaynor!

Below, Gaynor opens up about her time on the show.

What made you say yes to doing The Masked Singer?

Gloria Gaynor: I’ve watched The Masked Singer often and have always thought that it’s such a fun show with amazing costumes and stage productions. The idea of being a part of something so special was very appealing.

Michael Becker / FOX

Talk about performing in that costume! Did it affect your performance in any major ways?

The costume definitely affected my performance! I travel the world each year with my 10-piece band performing concerts where I can move around on stage and engage with my audiences. As the Mermaid, I am lounging on a beautiful bedazzled shell in this gorgeous costume but I can’t move. Therefore I relied on a lot of hand and fishtail choreography!

What went into your song choice?

There was not a lot that went into my song choice because the episode celebrated the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber. For that reason, I needed to choose a song from his array of amazing musical theater productions. However I did want to find a song from his catalogue that was positive and uplifting and I think that I achieved that with the song, “Any Dream Will Do,” from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

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Talk about performing two of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s songs in front of him, then hearing his guess [Gloria Estefan], considering it seemed he might get it right when he said the first name.

Performing in front of Andrew Lloyd Webber was an honor. He’s given the world so much wonderful music. His kind words about my performance were a treat also.

What did you think of the panelists’ guesses? Did you come into this expecting anyone specifically to figure you out?

I thought the panelists’ guesses were a lot of fun. Especially Ken Jeong’s guesses. He is crazy in the best sense of the word! Nicole Scherzinger and I met several years ago on another TV show, and since then we’ve stayed in touch via social media. So I was not sure if she would know it’s me. And I also met Robin Thicke a few years ago at a charity event in Monte Carlo, so when he guessed it was me, it was not surprising.

The Masked Singer, Wednesdays, 8/7c, Fox