Elijah Word has finesse. He can transform an iconic role that audiences have seen over and over again. Characters ingrained in our psyche are re-created entirely when he plays them on stage. Superstar Eddie Murphy defined James "Thunder" Early in Dreamgirls, but when Word played the role in Broward Stage Door's Carbonell-winning production, there wasn't an ounce of Murphy in the character. Likewise, there was not even a nod to Broadway's legendary Billy Porter when Word played the drag artiste Lola in Slow Burn's Kinky Boots. But where he truly proved his knack for originality was in Zoetic Stage's Cabaret. His master of ceremonies was born anew — a love child of a contestant in RuPaul's Drag Race and torch singer Billie Holiday.