SPOILER alert: Do not read ahead if you have not watched the Season 8, episode 4, of “The Masked Singer,” “TV Theme Night,” which aired Oct. 19 on Fox.
After a rain delay forced baseball playoffs into primetime last week, the latest edition of “The Masked Singer” finally aired on Fox a week later — and viewers finally got to see Mario Cantone a bit disappointed to be gone so soon after one episode of the show. Still, he took solace in the fact that he has good company: Singing icon Gloria Gaynor was also revealed in the latest double masking on “The Masked Singer,” as the show’s Wednesday night episode celebrated “Andrew Lloyd Webber Night.”
Cantone was revealed to be under the Maize costume, while Mermaid was Gaynor. Among this week’s three performances, the Cantone was first to go, with the fewest number of votes.
Later, Gaynor was unmasked as Mermaid after facing off with Robo Girl in a battle royale (in which both took turns singing the “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina,” from “Evita”). Robo Girl won, and moves on to next week’s episode.
“I thought I sang the hell out of that song. But also, you know, Gloria Gaynor was voted off so I think that I was in really good company,” Cantone said. “She’s amazing. So that helps heal the wound a little bit.” Still Cantone said he was glad he did the show: “People offer me certain shows like this, and I just don’t do them. But I really liked this one. It’s a lot of work but if you’re a singer and you’re musical it’s definitely easier so, that I had on my side.”
“Andrew Lloyd Webber Night” opened with judge Nicole Scherzinger singing the songwriter’s “Memory,” from “Cats.” That was followed by judge Ken Jeong serenading Webber (who was there to serve as a guest panelist) with “Phantom of the Opera.”
For Maize, Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg was right with Mario Cantone. Robin Thicke guessed Nathan Lane. Nicole Scherzinger picked Jonathan Groff. Ken Jeong thought it was Bowen Yang. Guest judge Andrew Lloyd Webber thought it was Jack White.
As for Mermaid, Robin Thicke got it right with Gloria Gaynor, and Nicole Scherzinger agreed. Ken Jeong said Cher. Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg picked Roberta Flack. Andrew Lloyd Webber picked another Gloria, Gloria Estefan.
Given his Broadway chops, Cantone said doing an Andrew Lloyd Webber night was a no-brainer for him. “Ot was difficult and scary, but at the same time it was it was really smooth, because there’s a lot of people helping you and doing everything they can to make it easy and workable for you. And the staff was amazing. The producers, musical director Miguel Allison, who was the vocal coach, and then I have my husband Jerry Dixon, who is a Broadway singer. He’s the one that chose the song for me, as soon as we knew it was an Andrew Lloyd Webber night. We rehearsed it at home and he did a lot of the musical rehearsal stuff for me.”
Gloria Gaynor as Mermaid and Mario Cantone as Maise join Daymond John as the Fortune Teller, Barry Williams/Christopher Knight/Mike Lookinland as the Mummies, Montell Jordan as Panther, Jeff Dunham as Pi-Rat, Chris Kirkpatrick as the Hummingbird, Eric Idle as the Hedgehog and William Shatner as the Knight as the celebrities revealed in “The Masked Singer” in Season 8.
Multiple eliminations in one episode are the norm this time out, as “The Masked Singer” adopts a new “King or Queen of Masked Singer” format. This season, three or four costumed celebrities will perform each week, but only one will win and move on to compete against two or three more people the following week.
That will continue throughout the season, as after each round, three finalists will compete in the semi-finals. The Harp survived Round 1 and is the first to make it to the semi-finals.
“The Masked Singer” enters Season 8 with costumes including “Bride,” “Avocado,” “Venus Fly Trap,” “Sir Bugaboo,” “Scarecrow,” “Hedgehog,” “Mummies.” Themed episodes include “Vegas Night,” “Comedy Roast,” “Hall of Fame,” “Muppets Night,” “Andrew Lloyd Webber Night,” “TV Themes,” “’90s Night,” “Thanksgiving” and “Fright Night.” Guests this season include Donny Osmond, Andrew Lloyd Webber, The Muppets, Will Arnett, Leslie Jordan, Joel McHale, Tori Spelling, Jon Lovitz, Jodie Sweetin, Carrot Top, Blue Man Group, Lance Bass, Danielle Fishel, Sheila E. and Drew Carey.
The Season 8 contestants “boast a combined 32 Grammy nominations, 16 Emmy wins, 8 gold albums, 4 Golden Globe nominations, 42 books, 10 Teen Choice awards, and 5 stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.”
Here were the contestants and their performances on night four:
Robo Girl (WINNER)
Song: “Bad Cinderella,” from “Bad Cinderella”
Strength: Full battery
Clue: Likes trolls
Stage Clue: “While on Tour, Robo Girl Holds Her Own Opposite Multi-Grammy Winner”
Package voiceover: “Stepping up into the spotlight on Andrew Lloyd Webber night feels a little bit out of my comfort zone. Because for much of my career, I’ve lived in the shadow of superstars. From Pharrell to even David Blaine, the glow of their talent made it hard for me to recognize my own. I was worried it would never be my time. But with 86 cents to my name, I booked a job that would change my life forever. I not only found my own pretty little spotlight, but gained the most magical fandom in the world. They’ve given me supernatural confidence and I’m going to need that if I’m going to take the lead tonight. Places, everyone.”
Panel guesses: Jenna Dewan, Becky G, Keke Palmer, Lucy Hale, Cara Delevigne, Selena Gomez
Maize (MARIO CANTONE)
Song: “Heaven on Their Minds,” from “Jesus Christ Superstar”
Strength: Gluten-free
Clue: Perfect planner
Stage Clue: “TV, Movies, Stage, Even Hosting, Maize Has Fans Frozen to Their Seats.”
Package voiceover: “Dear Andrew Lloyd Webber, sure, you’ve had a few hits. But if you really want to go down in history, you’ve got to make a musical about me. Picture this, a young plucky ingenue with dreams too big for life in a small corn field. Doing impressions of the greats. Hoping to be discovered. Then comes Act II, a comedy of errors as I move to the city and struggle to find my place in this business of show. The plot thickens when I finally land the role I was born to play, and the city smiles with me as a I smile, bravo! You see, Lord Lloyd Webber, I don’t want to get carried away here. But I’m a smash hit wating to happen. I’ll have my people call yours. And scene!”
Panel guesses: Jonathan Groff, Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, Mario Cantone
Mermaid (GLORIA GAYNOR)
Song: “Any Dream Will Do,” from “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”
Strength: The backstroke
Clue: Doomsday prepper
Stage Clue: “Mermaid Makes Waves, Enters Library of Congress Forever”
Package voiceover: “Being here on Andrew Lloyd Webber night is simply the best. But it wasn’t a straight shot to success. Right when my career was taking off, a horrible accident led to a major setback. I was petrified I would never be the same. Let alone perform. But God had greater plans for me. I turned my anguish into an anthem and before I knew it, oh baby, I was back on my feet. I performed for princes and popes. And if I do say so myself, I’m as big a legend as you, Lord Lloyd Webber!”
Panel guesses: Gloria Estefan, Cher, Roberta Flack, Gloria Gaynor
Round 1 Semi-finalist: Harp
Previous songs: “Perfect,” by Pink; “I Have Nothing,” by Whitney Houston; “Thank You for Being a Friend” (“The Golden Girls” theme song)
Previous panel guesses: Amber Riley, Ashanti, Yvette Nicole Brown, Queen Latifah, Jordin Sparks, Fantasia, Jennifer Hudson, Jill Scott, Fantasia, Ariana DeBose
