Singing is an act of bravery. It's putting all of yourself — emotionally, physically, and mentally — in front of others who will judge and criticize your performance for better or worse. In the post-American Idol age, many people may hesitate to put themselves in front of a camera when they sing. That's why it's so impressive that though she has never sang in film or television before, Laverne Cox is taking on one of the most iconic roles in musical history and playing Dr. Frank-N-Furter in FOX's remake of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Since they've never seen her musically perform before, fans may be wondering if Laverne Cox can really sing or if some movie magic is being used for her scenes.
Fear not, lovers of authentic singing performances — Cox will be making her actual singing debut in Rocky Horror Picture Show and judging from the promotional snippets that have been released so far, she is a perfect fit for the iconic role. Embodying the sensual and often slow delivery that made Tim Curry's performance in the role so memorable, Cox's singing voice takes a back seat to the sheer charisma that she brings to the performance. But that doesn't mean Cox is a vocal slouch. As the clip below shows, she's anything but.
Rocky Horror may be her public singing debut, but that doesn't mean that Cox is a newbie to the world of vocal performance. She will be more than able to hold her own alongside the cast of prolific musical performers, as Cox herself is a former student of opera. She told Billboard, "I didn’t study voice until college, and then I started opera. But this is sort of my singing debut to the world." Those years of vocal training may not have made themselves apparent on Cox's breakout role as Sophia Burset on Orange Is The New Black , but now she's getting the chance to show off her pipes, and show them off she does.
Cox also told Billboard that to land the role, she performed Frank-N-Furter's two iconic musical numbers, “I’m Going Home” and “Sweet Transvestite.” Director Kenny Ortega himself was especially impressed with Cox's range. "I was listening from the other room as [she] were warming up one day, and it was like, 'Whoa!' These were high soprano, operatic notes, then all the way down to this great alto range," he said. Rocky Horror Picture Show may be Cox's formal singing debut, but it likely won't be the last time that she will be cast in a musical role.
Is there anything that Laverne Cox can't do? From starring in one of the most iconic film/theater roles of all time to performing karaoke with Serena Williams (an early look at her singing prowess) in the video above, she seems to be an unstoppable force when it comes to performing. Tune in and sing-along to her musical debut in Rocky Horror Picture Show on Fox at 8 p.m. ET. Until then, we'll all just have to continue shivering with antici...
I can't wait.
Images: Steve Wilkie/FOX; Giphy
