When you leave the theater after experiencing all that Hedwig has to offer, you fell somewhat cathartic, there is a feeling that you can’t explain, but I am here to try to do that for you. Lets get threw all of the facts first:
Hedwig and the Angry Inch, starring Darren Criss as “Hedwig” and Tony Award Winner Lena Hall as “Yitzhak” makes its L.A. premiere at Hollywood Pantages Theatre. The 2014 Tony Award-winning Best Musical Revival will celebrate a limited four-week engagement, now through November 27, 2016. Criss previously played “Hedwig” on Broadway to critical acclaim for 12 weeks last year. The New York Times declares, “Darren Criss is mesmerizing in the smash hit Hedwig.”
The members of Hedwig’s band “The Angry Inch” — aka “Tits of Clay” – will be music director Justin Craig (guitar and keyboards), Matt Duncan (bass), Tim Mislock (guitar), and Peter Yanowitz (drums), all of whom originated their roles on Broadway.
Brilliantly innovative, heartbreaking, and wickedly funny, Hedwig and The Angry Inch is the landmark musical by John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask that is “groundbreaking and undoubtedly ahead of its time” (Entertainment Weekly). This genre-bending, fourth-wall-smashing musical sensation, with a pulsing score and electrifying performances, tells the story of one of the most unique characters to ever hit the stage. “Internationally ignored song stylist” Hedwig Robinson (Darren Criss) is out to set the record straight about her life, her loves, and the botched operation that left her with that “angry inch.”
Directed by Tony Award-winner Michael Mayer (Spring Awakening) and winner of four 2014 Tony Awards, Hedwig and The Angry Inch played to record-breaking sell-out crowds on Broadway and promises to take North America by storm with what Time Magazine proclaims is “the most exciting rock score written for the theatre since, oh, ever!
David Binder, who first produced Hedwig and The Angry Inch in 1997, produced the musical on Broadway with Jayne Baron Sherman, Barbara Whitman, Latitude Link, Patrick Catullo, Raise The Roof, Paula Marie Black, Colin Callender, Ruth Hendel, Sharon Karmazin, Martian Entertainment, Stacey Mindich, Eric Schnall, and The Shubert Organization. 101 Productions, Ltd are the executive producers. The record-breaking production ran for over 500 performances at the Belasco Theatre.
Hedwig and The Angry Inch was originally produced Off-Off-Broadway at Westbeth and then, under the direction of Peter Askin, ran over two years at the Jane Street Theatre beginning in February 1998. The musical won the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Off-Broadway Musical and both John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask won Obies in 2001. It won a 1998 New York Magazine Award and Entertainment Weekly’s “Soundtrack of the Year” Award. Time Magazine named Hedwig the Top Musical of 1998.
The film of Hedwig and The Angry Inch, directed by John Cameron Mitchell, won the Audience Award and Best Director Awards at Sundance. Mitchell won the Best New Director from the National Board of Review, the Gotham Awards, and the LA Critics Society. Stage productions have played for many years in Japan and in 2008, Korea hosted a popular televised reality show about the search for a new star to play Hedwig.
The creative team for Hedwig and The Angry Inch features Emmy Award nominee Spencer Liff (musical staging), Tony Award nominee and Drama Desk Award winner Julian Crouch (scenic design), Tony Award and two-time Oscar nominee Arianne Phillips (costume design), four-time Tony Award winner Kevin Adams (lighting design), Mike Potter (hair and makeup design), Tony Award nominee and platinum-selling record producer. Tim O’Heir (sound design), Benjamin Pearcy for 59 Productions (projection design), John Bair/Phosphene (animation), James Calleri (casting), Tony and Grammy Award nominee Ethan Popp (music supervisor & music coordinator), Justin Craig (music director), Stephen Gabis (dialect coach) and Johanna McKeon (associate director).
The original Broadway cast album for Hedwig was nominated for a Grammy, and is available on Atlantic Records.
Opening night pink carpet attendees included: Jeremy Scott, Taylor Lautner, Demi Moore / Scout Willis / Tallulah Willis (with HEDWIG Costume Designer Arianne Phillips), Elizabeth Banks, John Stamos, Rider Strong, Courtney Love, Zelda Williams, Judy Greer, Mindy Sterling, JR Bourne, Margaret Cho, Gia Coppola, Beth Hall, Patricia Kelly, Vanessa Lengies, Kate Linder (Birthday yesterday), Greg Louganis, Riker Lynch, Stephen Trask (HEDWIG Co-Creator), Spencer Liff (HEDWIG Associate Choreographer), Vincent Rodriguez III, Sara Rue, Olesya Rulin, Anna Maria Alberghetti, Mae Whitman, Ross Mathews, Rick Baker, Justin Sayre, Mason Alexander Park (HEDWIG Company)
So what I can tell my readers is run, don’t walk and see this incredible romp that will leave you wondering how come Musical Theatre is never as fantastic as this show, truly!! It’s got a very limited run, November 2- November 27, 2016.
Hollywood Pantages Theatre
323.468.1768
6233 Hollywood Blvd.
Hollywood, CA 90028
www.HollywoodPantages.com
JJ Hollywood Photo Credit – Fred Croci
www.HollywoodPantages.com/Hedwig.
Official show site: www.HedwigTour.com
Courtesy: Hollywood Pantages Theatre)
Pantages Exterior B-Roll
https://spaces.hightail.com/receive/1mlA8
*Note some content was taken off of their site or press releases.
