It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No! It’s the John Cameron
Mitchell/Stephen Trask rock opera “Hedwig and the Angry Inch”. It crash -landed
at the Civic Theatre on the way to completing its national tour after closing
here on the 4th. It just about blew out the entire antiquated sound system and
ruined my hearing for a day. OMG! What
were they thinking? Even my hearing aids, operating on their own, started vibrating
in my purse.(Tim O'Heir)
“Hedwig’ is
not for those of queasy stomachs. His/her story, convoluted as it may be is
told through the use of projections (Benjamin Pearcy for 59 productions), song
and dialogue. You might even be familiar with some: "Tear Me Down", "Sugar Daddy", "Angry Inch", "Wig in a Box", "Wicked Little Town", "The Long Grift", "Hedwig's Lament", Exquisite Corpse". The show runs about 90 minutes with no intermission.
The
original production of “Hedwig” started in small houses Off- Broadway in 1998
and won the Obie Award and Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Off-Broadway
Musical. In 2014 the show was remounted taking away a prized Tony for Best
Revival of a Musical.
About
thirteen years ago the then fledgling Cygnet Theatre that was located where the
now Moxie Theatre lives, mounted “Hedwig” to critical acclaim. Even then it was
somewhat of an anomaly.
Though not
for all, this high-energy evening tells the tale of a sensitive young girl/boy,
Hansel Schmidt born in East Germany, longing to be a rock star. He is in search
of his other half (“Origin of Love”) only to find his true love in the form of
an American soldier, Luther Robinson, who promises to take the boy to the
states.
There’s a
big IF, however: He must become a She! The operation is botched during the sex change
and the instead of having a vagina, (ready for this one) a one inch surgically
stitched mound of flesh is the only remaining sex organ Hedwig has to his name.
 |
| Euan Morton is Hedwig |
As you
might imagine all was not ‘that heaven allowed, Dorothy’ after they landed in Junction
City, Kansas. Yes indeed, things go from bad to worse with Luther abandoning
Hedwig on their first anniversary.
With text by John Cameron Mitchell
and music and lyrics by Steven Trask, the story unfolds with over the top
prancing by the high energy Euan Morton (taking over the role for this tour) who
is in the drivers seat all the way. Local references and some stand up comedy
along with audience participation are meshed together in this mish mash of a
show.
Bring in the frustration and
admiration Hedwig deals with in the form the success of Rock Star Tommy Speck a
young boy he befriended, idolized and collaborated with in music and lyrics at
the beginning of their relationship. Most of what they worked on
together made Tommy a great Rock Star, leaving Hedwig only to stand in his
shadow and listen to the roars from the stadium on the other side of a sliding door.
Much of the music I could not
understand. But the over the top vibes from the Angry Inch Band (that Hedwig
created), the saga continued to the bitter end. Throughout Tommy is much more
successful than Hedwig and we know this because we hear the crowds every now and then when the door id opened.
 |
| Hannah Corneauas Ytzhak |
The story notwithstanding, Hedwig
deconstructs himself (“Hedwig’s Lament”/Exquisite Corpse”) and finds peace with
another misfit, Yitzak (a gifted Hannah Morton), his man/woman sidekick who
aches to be a woman. (“Midnight Radio”)
I can’t say that all’s well that
ends well in this sad little ditty except for the fact that a smaller venue
might have improved the entire experience.
Credit Julian Crouch for the scenic design, Arianne Phillips
for the outlandish costumes, gold boots, Kevin Adams, sound and Mike Potter the
fabulous wigs.
See you at the theatre.
Dates: Through Dec. 4th
Organization: Broadway San Diego
Phone: 619-570-1100
Production Type: Musical
Where: Downtown San Diego, 1100 Third Ave.
Ticket Prices: Start at $22.00
Web: broadwaysd.com
Venue: Civic Theatre
Photo: Joan Marcus
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