The musical opened off-Broadway in 1998, and won the Obie Award and Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Off-Broadway Musical. The production ran for two years, and was remounted with various casts by the original creative team in other US cities.[1] In 2000, the musical had a West End production, and it has been produced throughout the world in hundreds of stage productions.
The character of Hedwig was originally a supporting character in the piece. She was loosely inspired by a German female babysitter/prostitute who worked for Mitchell's family when he was a teenager in Junction City, Kansas. The character of Tommy, originally conceived as the main character, was based on Mitchell himself: both were gay, the child of an army general, deeply Roman Catholic, and fascinated with mythology. Hedwig became the story's protagonist when Trask encouraged Mitchell to showcase their earliest material in 1994 at NYC's drag-punk club Squeezebox, where Trask headed the house band and Mitchell's boyfriend, Jack Steeb, played bass.[3]
They agreed the piece should be developed through band gigs in clubs rather than in a theater setting in order to preserve a rock energy. Mitchell was deeply influenced by Squeezebox's roster of drag performers who performed rock covers. The setlists of Hedwig's first gigs included many covers with lyrics rewritten by Mitchell to tell Hedwig's story: Fleetwood Mac's "Oh Well"; Television's "See No Evil"; Wreckless Eric's "Whole Wide World"; Yoko Ono's "Death of Samantha"; Pere Ubu's "Non-Alignment Pact"; Cher's "Half Breed"; David Bowie's "Boys Keep Swinging"; Mott the Hoople's "All the Young Dudes"; and the Velvet Underground's "Femme Fatale." A German glam rendition of Debby Boone's "You Light Up My Life" once served as the musical's finale.[4]
Mitchell's second gig was as fill-in host at Squeezebox on a bill featuring singer Deborah Harry of Blondie. It was for this occasion that Mike Potter first designed Hedwig's trademark wig, which was initially constructed from toilet paper rolls wrapped with synthetic blond hair.[5] Mitchell, Trask, and the band Cheater (Jack Steeb, Chris Wielding, Dave McKinley, and Scott Bilbrey) continued to workshop material at venues such as Fez Nightclub and Westbeth Theater Center for four years before premiering the completed musical Off-Broadway in 1998.
Mitchell, who himself[a] came out as non-binary in 2022, has explained that Hedwig is not a trans woman, but a genderqueer character.[7] "She's more than a woman or a man," he has said. "She's a gender of one and that is accidentally so beautiful."[8] He also stated that, while Hedwig is meant to be a queer voice, she is not meant to be specifically transgender: "[The sex change operation is] not a choice. Hedwig doesn't speak for any trans community, because she was... mutilated."[9]
Synopsis
The concept of the stage production is that the audience is watching genderqueer rock singer Hedwig Robinson's musical act as she follows rockstar Tommy Gnosis' (much more successful) tour around the country. Occasionally Hedwig opens a door onstage to listen to Gnosis's concert, which is playing in an adjoining venue. Gnosis is recovering from an incident that nearly ruined his career, having crashed his car into a school bus while high and receiving oral sex from none other than Hedwig. Capitalizing on her notoriety from the incident, Hedwig determines to tell the audience her story ("Tear Me Down").
She is aided and hindered by her assistant, back-up singer and husband, Yitzhak. A Jewish drag queen from Zagreb, Yitzhak has an unhealthy, codependent relationship with Hedwig. Hedwig verbally abuses him throughout the evening, and it becomes clear that she is threatened by his natural talent, which eclipses her own. She describes how she agreed to marry him only after extracting a promise from him to never perform as a woman again, and he bitterly resents her treatment of him. (To further the musical's theme of blurred gender lines, Yitzhak is often played by a female actor.)
Hedwig tells her life story, which began when she was Hansel Schmidt, a "slip of a girlyboy" growing up in East Berlin. Raised by an emotionally distant single mother after her father, an American soldier, abandoned the family, Hansel takes solace in her love of western rock music. She becomes fascinated with a story called "The Origin of Love", based on Aristophanes's speech in Plato's Symposium. It explains that three sexes of human beings once existed: "children of the Sun" (man and man attached), "children of the Earth" (woman and woman attached), and "children of the Moon" (man and woman attached). Each were once round, two-headed, four-armed, and four-legged beings. Angry gods split these early humans in two, leaving the separated people with a lifelong yearning for their other half. Hansel is determined to search for her other half, but is convinced she will have to travel to the West to do so.
This becomes possible when, in her 20s, she meets Luther Robinson, an American soldier ("Sugar Daddy") who convinces her to begin dressing in drag. Luther falls in love with Hansel and the two decide to marry. This plan will allow Hansel to leave communist East Germany for the capitalist West. Hansel's mother, Hedwig, gives Hansel her name and passport and finds a doctor to perform a genital reassignment surgery. However, the operation is botched, and Hansel's surgically constructed vagina heals closed, leaving Hedwig with a dysfunctional one-inch mound of flesh between her legs, "with a scar running down it like a sideways grimace on an eyeless face" ("Angry Inch").
Hedwig goes to live in Junction City, Kansas, as Luther's wife. On their first wedding anniversary, Luther leaves Hedwig for a man. That same day, it is announced that the Berlin Wall has fallen and Germany will reunite, meaning Hedwig's sacrifice was for nothing. Hedwig recovers from the separation by creating a more glamorous, feminine identity for herself ("Wig in a Box") and forming a rock band she calls The Angry Inch.
Hedwig befriends the brother of a child she babysits, shy and misunderstood Christian teenager Tommy Speck, who is fascinated by a song she writes with him in mind ("Wicked Little Town"). They collaborate on songs and begin a relationship. Their songs are a success, and Hedwig gives him the stage name Tommy Gnosis. Hedwig believes that Tommy is her soulmate and that she cannot be whole without him, but he is disgusted when he discovers her "inch" and abandons her ("The Long Grift"). He goes on to become a wildly successful rock star with the songs Hedwig wrote alone and with him. The "internationally ignored" Hedwig and her band the Angry Inch are forced to support themselves by playing coffee bars and dives.
Hedwig grows more erratic and unstable as the evening progresses, until she finally breaks down, stripping off her wig, dress, and make-up, forcing Yitzhak to step forward and sing ("Hedwig's Lament"/"Exquisite Corpse"). At the height of her breakdown, she seems to transform into Tommy Gnosis, who both begs for and offers forgiveness in a reprise of the song she wrote for him ("Wicked Little Town (Reprise)"). Hedwig, out of costume, finds acceptance within herself, giving her wig to Yitzhak. At peace, Hedwig departs the stage as Yitzhak takes over her final song, dressed fabulously in drag ("Midnight Radio").
Songs
Even though Yitzhak sings backup on almost all numbers in the show, the songs below that are labeled with Hedwig with Yitzhak are ones where he has notable solo lines. The show is performed without an intermission.
‡ In the original off-Broadway production, this song was sung by the musical director Skszp; in the 2014 Broadway revival, Yitzhak sings the song instead.
§ This song is performed by the character Tommy Gnosis, who is meant to be portrayed by the same actor as Hedwig.
A song performed by Yitzhak and the band, "Random Number Generation" was included on the Off-Broadway Cast Album, but does not appear in the score. The Broadway production had the song prepared to play in case Hedwig had to leave the stage, along with "Freaks", a song from the movie.[10] Lena Hall performed the song at her final show during the sound check.
In the 2014 Broadway Revival, a small subplot was added to the script, and a small number was added to support it. Parodying The Hurt Locker Hedwig explains that a musical version of the story only ran for a single night before closing during intermission, and that she has convinced a producer to let her perform in what would otherwise be an empty stage. At one point Hedwig finds the theme for a song from the show, "When Love Explodes" and lets Yitzhak sing it, but stops him before he can sing the last note (the one exception being Lena Hall's final night). Yitzhak sings the entire song (including a missing verse) in the Revival Cast Album.
Hedwig and the Angry Inch premiered Off-Broadway at the Jane Street Theatre on February 14, 1998, and closed on April 9, 2000, after 857 performances. Direction was by Peter Askin and musical staging by Jerry Mitchell, with Hedwig initially played by John Cameron Mitchell and Yitzhak played by Miriam Shor.[11] The theater was located in the ballroom of the Hotel Riverview, which once housed the surviving crew of the Titanic (a fact which figured in the original production).
Hedwig and the Angry Inch opened in the West End at the Playhouse Theatre on September 19, 2000 and closed on November 4, 2000, with Michael Cerveris.[19]
In the summer of 2010, the show was staged at the George Square Theatre in Edinburgh, Scotland, as part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.[citation needed]
The show was also performed at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2015 at Greenside @ Royal Terrace by young company A Wicked Little Town with a positive reception.[20]
In April 2022 a revival starring Divina de Campo as Hedwig and Elijah Ferreira as Yitzhak, directed by Jamie Fletcher opened at the Leeds Playhouse before transferring to HOME, Manchester.[21] It was nominated for three WhatsOnStage Awards, including best performance for de Campo and best set design.[22]
David Binder, who produced the 2014 Broadway revival of Hedwig, announced plans in 2023 to bring the same production to the West End.[23] John Cameron Mitchell had previously revealed plans for a West End transfer of the same production in 2015, although this never came to fruition.[24]
Austria
On March 23, 2006, Hedwig and the Angry Inch premiered at Metropol Wien[25] in Vienna. (with Andreas Bieber – Hedwig and Anke Fiedler – Yitzhak, Director and Costumedesign – Torsten Fischer, Hedwigs Band: Drums – Markus Adamer; Bass – Matthias Petereit – Guitar: Harry Peller – Guitar & Keyboards: – Bernhard Wagner), German Translation – Gerd Koester & Herbert Schaefer)
January, May, June 2023 Drew Sarich performs as Hedwig in Das Vindobona in Vienna with Ann Mandrella as Yitzhak. Director - Werner Sobotka, costume design - Metamorkid, Hedwigs Band: Drums - Titus Vadon, Bass - Harald Baumgartner, Guitar - Chris Harras, Keyboard, Guitar - Felix Reischl. German version - Wolfgang Böhmer and Rüdiger Bering.
Brazil
In August 2010, a Brazilian adaptation of Hedwig and the Angry Inch premiered in Rio de Janeiro, with Paulo Vilhena and Pierre Baitelli playing Hedwig. This was the first adaptation where there were two actors simultaneously playing Hedwig onstage. The play was translated by Jonas Calmon Klabin and directed by Evandro Mesquita, with musical direction by Danilo Timm and Evandro Mesquita. Eline Porto played Yitzhak, Alexandre Griva on the drums, Fabrizio Iorio on the keyboards, Patrick Laplan on the bass, and Pedro Nogueira playing the guitar.
The musical previews ran from August 10 to September 3, 2010, and the full show ran from September 15 to November 6, 2010, totaling 46 performances.
The same production reopened in São Paulo on August 26, 2011, and ran until October 16, 2011, for a total of 25 performances, now with actors Pierre Baitelli and Felipe Carvalhido playing Hedwig. Eline Porto played Yitzhak, Diego Andrade on the drums, Fabrizio Iorio on the keyboards, Melvin Ribeiro on the bass, and Pedro Nogueira playing the guitar. Nominated for Best Actor (Pierre Baitelli) and Best Musical direction (Danilo Timm and Evandro Mesquita) at the Prêmio Shell de Teatro. Winner of Best Actor (Pierre Baitelli and nominated for Best Production (Oz), Best Director (Evandro Mesquita), and Best Actress (Eline Porto) at the Prêmio Arte Qualidade Brasil. Also, one nomination for Best Musical in a Brazilian adaptation for the Prêmio Contigo de Teatro.[26]
This same production performed again in Rio de Janeiro from April 4–22, 2012, and a tour to Curitiba, performing April 26–29, 2012, for a total of 16 performances. On November 24, 2012, John Cameron Mitchell performed a concert with the Brazilian Hedwig cast and guests and there were another two performances of Hedwig in Rio, November 23 and 25, and 4 performances in Fortaleza, November 29, 30, December 1 and 2, 2012. There were another 7 performances scheduled for February 2014 in Brasilia and Recife, finalizing the Brazilian Hedwig project with a total of 100 performances.
In March 2023 it was announced by the actor Gustavo Essbich that he will be playing on a limited run the titular role of Hedwig and Tuany Aveline as Yitzhak. The premiere will be in the city of Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul (south of Brazil), and later will be transferred to São Paulo.
Canada
The Canadian premiere was in 2001 in Toronto starring Ted Dykstra, with musical direction by Moe Berg of The Pursuit of Happiness.
The show premiered in Western Canada with simultaneous productions in Edmonton and Vancouver in April 2003. The Theatre Network production in Edmonton—directed by Bradley Moss and featuring Michael Scholar, Jr. as Hedwig and Rachael Johnston as Yitzhak—opened April 1 and was held over until April 27. In Vancouver, Hoarse Raven Theatre's production, directed by Michael Fera, opened April 4 featuring Greg Armstrong-Morris as Hedwig and Meghan Gardiner as Yitzhak, and was held over until June 7. Further productions in Canada included a sold out 2007 production by Pickled Productions, and a 2009 Toronto production by Ghost Light Projects.
From October 2 through to November 2, 2013, Ghost Light Projects returned the production to Vancouver for a five-week engagement at The Cobalt. This production starred Ryan Alexander McDonald as Hedwig and Lee McKeown as Yitzhak, with music direction by Juno Award winner Mark Reid and direction by Randie Parliament and Greg Bishop.
Czech Republic
In spring of 2011, English-language Prague theatre AKANDA staged Hedwig and the Angry Inch at Iron Curtain Club, with Jeff Fritz as Hedwig and Uliana Elina as Yitzhak.[27]
Germany
Several productions were shown in Frankfurt/Main in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 and Berlin in 2002, 2013 and 2014. A new production premiered in Bremen on June 19, 2014
10 September 1999, Premiere at Halle Kalk under the direction of Torsten Fischer. Gerd Köster[de] translated the piece together withset designer Herbert Schäfer and played the title role. Frank Hocker[de] took over the musical direction and played the guitarist "Skshp". 70 performances, guest appearance at the theater festival in Berlin.
Berlin
October 3, 2002 – November 20, 2002 – Glashaus der Arena Berlin[30] (with Drew Sarich – Hedwig, Director: Rhys Martin)
May 30, 2013 – August 31, 2013 Admiralspalast Klub[31] (with Sven Ratzke – Hedwig, Guntbert Warns – Director)
September 17, 2014 – September 20, 2014 BKA Theater of Berlin[32][33][34] (with Sven Ratzke – Hedwig, Guntbert Warns – Director)
February 25, 2014 – February 29, 2014 BKA Theater of Berlin[32][33] (with Sven Ratzke - Hedwig, Guntbert Warns - Director)
March 18, 2014 – March 21, 2014 BKA Theater of Berlin[32][33] (with Sven Ratzke - Hedwig, Guntbert Warns - Director)
February 19, 2015 – February 23, 2015 BKA Theater of Berlin[32][33] (with Sven Ratzke - Hedwig, Guntbert Warns - Director)
March 19, 2015 – March 23, 2015 BKA Theater of Berlin[32][33] (with Sven Ratzke - Hedwig, Guntbert Warns - Director)
October 18, 2016 – October 22, 2016 BKA Theater of Berlin[32][33] (with Sven Ratzke - Hedwig, Guntbert Warns - Director)
November 16, 2016 – November 20, 2016 BKA Theater of Berlin[32][33] (with Sven Ratzke - Hedwig, Guntbert Warns - Director)
September 14, 2020- June 20, 2022, Renaissance Theater of Berlin (with Sven Ratzke - Hedwig, Guntbert Warns - Director)
September 26, 2022- June 28, 2023, Renaissance Theater of Berlin (with Sven Ratzke - Hedwig, Guntbert Warns - Director)
Hamburg
November 8, 2016 – November 13, 2016 Schmidts Tivoli (with Sven Ratzke – Hedwig, Guntbert Warns – Director)
August 19, 2011 – August 21, 2011 – Neues Theater Hoechst[38] (with Nigel Francis – Hedwig and Diana Nagel – Yitzak)
On September 22, 2017, a new production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, directed by Thomas Helmut Heep and starring Michael Kargus as Hedwig, Kathrin Hanak as Yitzhak, and Lukas Witzel as alternate Hedwig, opened at the 200-seat venue Brotfabrik in Frankfurt.[39]
Bremen
On June 19, 2014, a German adaptation of Hedwig and the Angry Inch premiered at Schwankhalle in Bremen, with actors Pascal Nöldner as Hedwig and Birgit Corinna Lange as Yitzhak. Carsten Sauer (keyboard), Denni Fischer (bass), Keule (guitar), and Norman Karlsen (drums) were in the band. The director was Nomena Struß. There were 12 performances, with a public rehearsal on June 11, 2014.
The Netherlands
Sven Ratzke brought the Berlin production to The Netherlands in 2014 and in 2022 for a tour
June 1, 2014 – June 7, 2014, Stadsschouwburg, Utrecht (with Sven Ratzke – Hedwig, Guntbert Warns – Director)
June 11, 2014 – June 20, 2014, De Kleine Komedie, Amsterdam (with Sven Ratzke – Hedwig, Guntbert Warns – Director)
October 4, 2022 – October 16, 2022 9 shows in several Theaters in The Netherlands, among them Delamar Theater Amsterdam (with Sven Ratzke – Hedwig, Guntbert Warns – Director)
Israeli production poster art starring Roi Dolev
Israel
In May 2020, Hedwig and the Angry Inch was planned to make its Israeli premiere at the Cinema City Theatre, in Hebrew and with Roi Dolev as Hedwig, and featuring wigs by original Broadway wig designer Mike Potter.[40][41] However, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the production to postpone its opening.[41] Shortly after, the production released a single recorded in quarantine,[42] which was praised by author Stephen Trask as "one of the best Wicked Little Town versions ever."[43] On August 9, 2020, the production announced its intentions to present pre-premiere performances for small, socially distanced audiences, beginning October 2020.[44] However, in January 2021, Dolev revealed the production is still in limbo due to Israel entering a second and third quarantines, not allowing public performances to occur.[45] In March 2021, the production began pre-premiere performances, thus marking it the first musical production in Israel to resume performing following the COVID-19 pandemic.[46] The production then went on tour in Israel in the summer of 2021, followed by an official opening night on June 8, 2022, at the Cinema City Theater,[47] and moved to Beit Hahayal in 2023.[48] The production closed on April 10, 2023.[49]
The production was praised by Ynet as "one of the most refreshing things seen [in Israel] lately."[50]Walla! added "the brilliant show finally made it to Israel, and it's just excellent."[51]
Playbills from the Israeli production
Italy
Italian Premiere[52] of Hedwig and the Angry Inch by British Atrocity Tour in 2004:
with original Atrocity Tour-Cast, produced by Alessio Rombolotti in association with Helen Merill NYC, Simone Stucchi – Sound Engineer
Japan
Production of the musical started on June 16, 2005, at Parco Theater, with a translation by Aoi Yoji, starring Hiroshi Mikami and Emi Eleonola. On February 15, 2007, a new on-stage version was released, starting at Shinjuku Face in Tokyo, translation by Kitamaru Yuji and starring Koji Yamamoto. April 4, 2008, saw a reprise, with Koji Yamamoto in the lead, again at the Shinjuku Face in Tokyo, spanning even more venues than the previous year. 2009 saw a two-city run, in November 27 at the Wel City in Osaka, and December 2 till the 6th at Tokyo's Zepp Tokyo.[53] After 3 years, in 2012, Hedwig got a new opportunity, starting September 28, at Zepp DiverCity Tokyo, with Mirai Moriyama in the lead, and the lyrics translated by Shikao Suga.[54][55][56] A new edition of the musical started August 31, 2019, at Tokyo Ex Theater Roppongi, with Neko Oikawa's lyrics, Kenji Urai as the main character, and Avu Barazono as Yitzhak; and with DURAN (Gt), YUTARO (Ba), Kusunose Takuya (Dr), Hideyuki Ohashi (Gt), Akane Otsuka (Key) as members of the band THE ANGRY INCH.[57]
México
In April 2011, the show was staged in San Miguel de Allende and was presented in both English and Spanish simultaneously. It was also staged as a special event at the Guanajuato Film Festival. This production won the Best of San Miguel Theatre Award for 2011.
In June 2017, the play was presented once again in Zacapu, Michoacán de Ocampo, under the initiative of promoting LGBTQ+ culture and rights, and this time it was entirely in Spanish. The function was carried out by an independent theater group, in collaboration with the rock band: Karma, and also coincided with the Festival: Tianguis Multicultural del Bajío 2017, thus achieving a full house in a one-time, non-profit function.
The Netherlands
In June 2014, Sven Ratzke (as Hedwig) brought the Berlin Production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch for a three-week run to Amsterdam (location: De Kleine Komedie), Utrecht (Stadsschouwburg Utrecht) and Eindhoven (Parktheater Eindhoven). The show got rave reviews in the Netherlands.
New Zealand
In May 2019, Hedwig and the Angry Inch makes its New Zealand premiere at Christchurch's The Court Theatre with Adam Rennie taking the lead role.
South Korea
Premiering in 2005, "Hedwig" has been performed about 2,300 times, making it the country's longest-running steady-selling musical. Seomoon Tak, South Korea's famous rock singer, played Yitzhak with Cho Seung-woo as Hedwig. In the 2021 production, Hedwig is portrayed by Ren,[58] Cho Seung-woo, Oh Man-seok, Lee Kyu-hyung and Ko Eun-sung.[59] In 2017, it was produced in English, starring Korean-American musical actor Michael K.Lee.[60]
Thailand
The show was put on by the Bangkok University Theatre Company in July, 2011. It was then put on again in Mongkol RCA Studio in June, 2014. In both productions, Hedwig was played by Chanudol Suksatit.[citation needed]
Turkey
The Turkish premiere was in 2016 in Istanbul featuring Yilmaz Sutcu as Hedwig and Ayse Gunyuz as Yitzhak, with direction by Baris Arman at Kazan Dairesi.
United States
In 1999, Broadway In Boston presented the first production of Hedwig outside of New York City, at The 57 Theatre at 200 Stuart Street, Boston.[61] Directed by Peter Askin and starring Kevin Cahoon as Hedwig and Cory Waletzko as Yitzhak, the show's official opening date was September 28, 1999. The show was performed 8 times a week until its closing in early November 1999. [62][63]
In 2002 and 2003, Zany Hijinx produced the show in Boston, MA with Gene Dante as Hedwig and Lisa Boucher as Yitzhak.[65]
Fitzgerald's in Houston hosted a production in 2004, starring David Gill as Hedwig, and Lynda Self as Yitzhak. The show was directed by Jef Rouner, and featured musical contributions from Asmodeus X[66]
Puerto Rico: In the summer of 2010, Hedwig and the Angry Inch played in San Juan, Puerto Rico with Gil René playing the part of Hedwig and the band Simples Mortales doing all the live music. This version of Hedwig was completely translated into Spanish.
In 2011, Gene Dante and Lisa van Oosterum reprise their roles as Hedwig and Yitzhak in Zany Hijinx's New England tour of Hedwig and the Angry Inch.[67]
A San Francisco production at Boxcar Theatre in summer 2012 featured twelve actors, male and female and of multiple ethnicities, portraying Hedwig in each show.[68] A revival of the production, beginning in December 2012 and continuing through August 2013,[69] featured eight actors nightly in the lead role.[70]
In June 2013 JJ Parkey and Ruthie Stephens played Hedwig and Yitzhak at the Short North Stage Production in Columbus, Ohio.
After a successful 2013 run and a New Year's Eve performance, Roxy Theatricals presented the production from January 17 to February 1, 2014, at The Legacy Theatre in Springfield, IL.
The show was produced by TheatreLAB and Spin, Spit & Swear in Richmond, Virginia in October 2014. Matt Shofner starred as Hedwig and Bianca Bryan played Yitzhak.[71]
In Norfolk, Virginia, June of 2024, Rouge Theater put on a production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, starring Steve Pacek as Hedwig and Leila Stephanie as Yitzhak.
A production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch was staged at The Arch in Denver from August 1 to August 24, 2024. This production starred Clark Destin Jones as Hedwig; the role of Yitzhak was played by Anne Terze-Schwartz and Emma Rebecca Maxfield during different segements of the run.
The Peregrine Theatre Ensemble of Provincetown, Massachusetts staged a production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch from July 5 to August 31, 2024, starring Alec Diem as Hedwig and Ash Moran as Yitzhak.
Broadway
Neil Patrick Harris starred in the first Broadway production at the Belasco Theatre, which began previews on March 29, 2014, and officially opened on April 22, 2014. Harris stayed in the production through August 17, 2014. The director was Michael Mayer with musical staging by Spencer Liff. Lena Hall played Yitzhak, Hedwig's husband, until April 2015.[72][73] This production won several Tony awards, including Best Revival of a Musical,[74] Best Lead Actor in a Musical (Harris) and Best Featured Actress in a musical (Hall). It was also nominated for Best Costume Design for a Musical (Arianne Phillips), who also did the costumes for the original 2001 film.
After Harris departed the production, Andrew Rannells took over the role of Hedwig on August 20, 2014,[75] followed by Michael C. Hall, who played Hedwig from October 16, 2014, through January 18, 2015.[76][77] The production then featured co-creator John Cameron Mitchell, who returned to the role from January 21 to April 26, 2015.[78]Darren Criss took over the role of Hedwig on April 29 and played until July 19, 2015.[79]Taye Diggs assumed the role on July 22, 2015, and performed through the production's end on September 13, 2015.[80]
This version of the musical updates the story to modern day and has Hedwig performing on the abandoned set of the fictional Hurt Locker: The Musical,[82] which closed the prior evening midway through its first performance.[83] Hedwig explains that because it closed so quickly, she was able to convince one of the producers to allow her to use what would have been an otherwise empty and unused stage.[84] Faux Playbills for the musical are littered throughout the theater and discuss various elements of the musical, which Hedwig occasionally mentions offhand throughout the musical. Director Michael Mayer stated that they came up with the idea for Hurt Locker: The Musical as a way to explain Hedwig's presence in a Broadway theater.[85] It was also used as a way to update the script to modern day as well as explain how Hedwig would be able to use such stage settings.[86] Various newspapers have commented favorably on the faux Playbills, both as an element of the musical and as a piece separate from the musical itself.[86][87]
First U.S. Tour
A national tour of the 2014 Broadway production began at San Francisco's Golden Gate Theatre on October 4, 2016, starring Darren Criss as Hedwig and Lena Hall as Yitzhak respectively. Hall portrayed the title role of Hedwig once a week for eight performances, making her the first actor to play both Hedwig and Yitzhak in the same production.[88][89] Hall and Criss ended their run on November 27, 2016.[90]
From November 29, 2016, to July 2, 2017, Euan Morton and Hannah Corneau portrayed Hedwig and Yitzhak, respectively, with Mason Alexander Park continuing on as the Hedwig Standby/Alternate and Shannon Conley as the Yitzhak standby.[91]
20th Anniversary Origin of Love Tour
In 2019 John Cameron Mitchell created and starred in The Origin of Love Tour: The Songs and Stories of Hedwig, a stripped-down performance focusing on the music and first-person stories about the creation of the original off-Broadway production. Mitchell embarked on the tour to raise money for medical costs related to their mother, who suffers from late-stage Alzheimer's. In addition to songs from Hedwig, the show also includes numbers from Mitchell's musical podcast Anthem: Homunculus, their film How to Talk to Girls at Parties, and covers from artists such as David Bowie.[92]
In season 1, episode 5 of the 2019 television series Sex Education, two main characters plan to attend a performance of Hedwig and the Angry Inch while wearing costumes from the musical, as part of a yearly tradition.[94]
The musical explores queer identity and challenges the notion of rock culture as being separate from live theatre.[96] It adds to the increasing number of mainstream films and media that questions dichotomous views on sex and gender. Hedwig and the Angry Inch also provides a space for openly queer performers in this alternative theatre movement and punk subculture that is often labelled as queercore.[97] Instead of a conventional transgender narrative that looks at an individual's account of gender dysphoria, Hedwig and the Angry Inch focuses on the main character's journey of finding love "by looking within."[98] Academics[99] have also recognised the link between Hedwig's search for her 'other half' and Plato's 'Origin of Love', one of Hedwig's numbers. In league with the Western emphasis on individualism, Hedwig and the Angry Inch questions what it means to be divided in an individualist society. As Mitchell, director of the film adaptation, acknowledges, through recurring motifs of "the divided self, the divided city of Berlin…divided gender…"[100] the theme of dualism pervades the entire musical.
Reception
The musical was praised by David Fricke of Rolling Stone as "the first rock musical that truly rocks".[101] The show also attracted many fans in the music world.[102] The show's authenticity, and its use of characters outside the usual hetero-normative constraints of theatre, was also remarked upon.[103][102]
Fans of the play and film refer to themselves as "Hedheads". In Korea and Japan, a number of teen idols and respected actors have played the role and inspired a large number of young, female Hedheads.
"Follow My Voice: With the Music of Hedwig", a documentary about the making of the "Wig in a Box" benefit cd, profiled students from the Harvey Milk School. It was directed by Katherine Linton and produced by the Sundance Channel and is now available on DVD.
Meat Loaf covered "Tear Me Down" that same year on his album Couldn't Have Said It Better, modifying some of the lyrics (notably the spoken section about the Berlin Wall) so that the song is instead about Texas and Meat Loaf's own life.
One of the bonus tracks of Damn Skippy, "Pirate In A Box" by Lemon Demon, is a parody of Wig In a Box.
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in Manhattan. The ceremony is usually held in June.
Michael Cerveris Jr. is an American actor, singer, and guitarist. He has performed in many stage musicals and plays, including several Stephen Sondheim musicals: Assassins, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Sunday in the Park with George, Road Show, and Passion. In 2004, Cerveris won the Tony Award as Best Featured Actor in a Musical for Assassins as John Wilkes Booth. In 2015, he won his second Tony Award as Best Actor in a Musical for Fun Home as Bruce Bechdel.
The Belasco Theatre is a Broadway theater at 111 West 44th Street, between Seventh Avenue and Sixth Avenue, in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Originally known as the Stuyvesant Theatre, it was built in 1907 and designed by architect George Keister for impresario David Belasco. The Belasco Theatre has 1,016 seats across three levels and has been operated by The Shubert Organization since 1948. Both the facade and interior of the theater are New York City landmarks.
The Drama League Awards, created in 1922, honor distinguished productions and performances both on Broadway and Off-Broadway, in addition to recognizing exemplary career achievements in theatre, musical theatre, and directing. Each May, the awards are presented by The Drama League at the Annual Awards Luncheon with performers, directors, producers, and Drama League members in attendance. The Drama League membership comprises the entire theater community, including award-winning actors, designers, directors, playwrights, producers, industry veterans, critics and theater-going audiences from across the U.S.
Andrew Scott Rannells is an American actor. He is best known for originating the role of Elder Kevin Price in the 2011 Broadway musical The Book of Mormon, for which he was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical and won the 2012 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. He received his second Tony nomination in 2017 for his performance as Whizzer in the 2016 Broadway revival of Falsettos. Other Broadway credits include Hairspray (2005), Jersey Boys (2009), Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2014), Hamilton (2015), The Boys in the Band (2018), and Gutenberg! The Musical! (2023). For his performance in the Off West End production of Tammy Faye, he was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award.
Euan Douglas George Morton is a British actor and singer from Borrowstounness, Scotland. He is best known for his role as Boy George in the musical Taboo, receiving nominations for the Laurence Olivier Award and Tony Award for his performance. He played the role of King George in the musical Hamilton on Broadway from July 2017 to 10 September 2023.
Wade McCollum is an American film actor, stage actor and composer/musician.
Hedwig and the Angry Inch is a 2001 American musical comedy-drama film written for the screen and directed by John Cameron Mitchell. Based on Mitchell's and Stephen Trask's 1998 stage musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch, it accompanies Hedwig Robinson, a gay East German rock singer. Hedwig subsequently develops a relationship with a younger man, Tommy, becoming his mentor and musical collaborator, only to have Tommy steal her music and become a rock star. The film follows Hedwig and her backing band, the Angry Inch, as they shadow Tommy's tour, while exploring Hedwig's past and her forced sex reassignment surgery. Mitchell reprises his role as Hedwig from the original production.
Harriet Newman Leve is an American theater and movie producer. She is best known for her work with Broadway shows, including Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (2014), Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2014), An American in Paris (2019), and Life of Pi (2023). She was also the executive producer of the films A Call to Spy (2019) and Radium Girls (2018). Plays that she co-produced on Broadway have received Drama Desk Awards, Drama League Awards, Olivier Awards, Outer Critics Circle Awards, and four Tony Awards.
Hedwig and the Angry Inch is a 1998 musical about a fictional rock and roll band of the same name fronted by an East German genderqueer person, with a book by John Cameron Mitchell, and music and lyrics by Stephen Trask. The musical has gathered a devoted cult following, and was adapted into the 2001 American musical film of the same name directed by Mitchell.
John Cameron Mitchell is an American actor, playwright, screenwriter, singer, songwriter, producer and director. He is known as the writer, director and star of the 2001 film Hedwig and the Angry Inch, which is based on the stage musical of the same name. He also portrayed the role of Joe Exotic in the Peacock limited series Joe vs. Carole in 2022.
The 68th Annual Tony Awards were held June 8, 2014, to recognize achievement in Broadway productions during the 2013–14 season. The ceremony was held at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, and was televised live on CBS. Hugh Jackman was the host, his fourth time hosting. The 15 musical Tony Awards went to seven different musicals, and six plays shared the 11 play Tony Awards.
Ghost Light Projects was a registered non profit theatre society founded in 2009 by Randie Parliament and T.J. Tasker in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In the autumn of 2012, the company relocated and incorporated in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The company closed in April 2015
Rebecca Naomi Jones is an American actress and singer best known for her performances in the Broadway rock musicals Passing Strange, American Idiot, and Hedwig and the Angry Inch as well as being the first woman of color to play Laurey in Oklahoma! on Broadway. She also starred more recently in New York City's Shakespeare in the Park adaptation of As You Like It.
Celina Consuela Gabriella Carvajal, known professionally as Lena Hall, is an American actress and singer. She originated the role of Nicola in the Broadway musical Kinky Boots and won the Tony Award for her performance as Yitzhak in the 2014 revival of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, which also earned her a Grammy nomination for the musical's official album. She made history by becoming the first person to play both Hedwig and Yitzhak in the same production during the national tour of the musical in 2016. Her other Broadway credits include Cats, 42nd Street, Dracula, the Musical and Tarzan, the Musical. Hall has also starred in Off-Broadway productions such as Radiant Baby, Bedbugs!!!, Rooms: A Rock Romance, The Toxic Avenger, Prometheus Bound, Chix6, Little Shop of Horrors, and the 2017 original play How to Transcend a Happy Marriage.
Hurt Locker: The Musical is a fictional musical in the 2014 Broadway premiere production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch loosely inspired by the film of the same name. In the Broadway performance of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, the musical opens with Hedwig explaining that the musical only ran for a single night before closing during intermission, and that she has convinced a producer to let her perform in what would otherwise be an empty stage. Fake Playbills for the musical are used as props and are found scattered on the floor of the Belasco Theatre and contains advertisements for other fake musicals such as Gravity on Ice, Container Store: The Musical, The Entire Bible, and SoulCycle on Broadway. The Playbills, which describe the musical as having "explosions, negligible storytelling, camouflage and tits", also state that the musical's cast included actors such as Taye Diggs and that the music and lyrics were written by Metallica and Stephen R. Schwartz, which is the real name of Hedwig songwriter Stephen Trask.
Paul Edwin McGill III is an American actor, choreographer and director for stage, film, and television.
The 69th Annual Tony Awards were held on June 7, 2015, to recognize achievement in Broadway productions during the 2014–15 season. The ceremony was held at Radio City Music Hall in New York City and broadcast live by CBS. Kristin Chenoweth and Alan Cumming hosted the ceremony.
Katrina Lenk is an American actress, singer, dancer, musician, and songwriter.
Anthem: Homunculus is a musical podcast series written by John Cameron Mitchell and Bryan Weller starring Mitchell, Glenn Close, Cynthia Erivo, Patti LuPone, Denis O'Hare, Laurie Anderson, Nakhane, Christopher Hanke, Marion Cotillard, Ben Foster and Bridget Everett. The show was produced by Topic Studios and initially released exclusively on Luminary and presently distributed by Acast.
↑ Kim, So-yeon (July 29, 2021). "뉴이스트 렌, '헤드윅' 열풍 잇나…"완벽한 변신"". Hankyung (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 26, 2022. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
↑ Henry, Matthew. A One-Inch Mound of Flesh: Troubling Queer Identity in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, 2016, p. 64
↑ Feffer, Steve. 'Despite all the amputations, you could dance to the rock and roll station': Staging authenticity in Hedwig and the angry inch, 2007, pp. 239–258.
↑ Henry, Matthew. A One-Inch Mound of Flesh: Troubling Queer Identity in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, 2016, p. 75
↑ Sypniewski, Holly M., "The Pursuit of Eros in Plato's Symposium and Hedwig and the Angry Inch," International Journal of the Classic Tradition 15, 4 (2008): 558-563.
↑ Sypniewski, Holly M., "The Pursuit of Eros in Plato's Symposium and Hedwig and the Angry Inch," International Journal of the Classic Tradition 15, 4 (2008): 562.
↑ Fricke, David (10 December 1998). "Sex & Drag & Rock & Roll". www.rollingstone.com. Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 15 July 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2017.
1 2 Wollman, Elizabeth (2010). The Theater Will Rock. Michigan: University of Michigan Press. p.184.
↑ Feffer, Steve (2007). ""Despite All the Amputations, You Could Dance to the Rock and Roll Station": Staging Authenticity in Hedwig and the Angry Inch". Journal of Popular Music Studies. 19 (3): 239–258. doi:10.1111/j.1533-1598.2007.00126.x.
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