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Review: “˜Hedwig’ has something others are missing: emotional power

By Rhea Cortado

April 28, 2004 9:00 p.m.

The off-Broadway rock musical-turned-movie “Hedwig and the
Angry Inch” gives the drag queen protagonist Hedwig something
that is lacking in almost all other drag queen roles: emotional
depth.

The original stage version of the 2001 cinematic hit (starring
author John Cameron Mitchell) about a German immigrant whose body
hovers between male and female anatomy because of a botched
sex-change operation is running at the Celebration Theatre through
May 23.

Directed by UCLA graduate film directing student Derek Charles
Livingston, the production is structured like a rock concert, with
The Angry Inch playing songs strung together like a narrative full
of Hedwig’s dynamic musings. The unpredictable stand-up
comedy aspect of the show, where Hedwig (played by a fabulously
over-the-top Wade McCollum) chats with the audience, garners the
most laughs.

The main thrust of the story and the basis for Hedwig’s
loss of composure is the character’s relationship with Tommy
Gnosis (played by William Belli), the boy-to-rock star phenom who
jilted Hedwig in his rise to stardom. As the show progresses,
Hedwig’s clothing is removed in a cathartic purging of
painful feelings. First, the neon turquoise stilettos are kicked
off, followed by the loud printed jacket, then the patent leather
mini. Each time Hedwig delves deeper into its angst, the
protagonist becomes more naked and alone on stage.

The less heartbreaking scenes of Hedwig’s youth are
partially acted out by the deliberately tacky back-up singers, who
double as supporting cast members. While Hedwig tells the story of
its childhood in Germany and first marriage, the singers act out
the scenes to accompany Hedwig’s words.

The mini-scenes performed by the back-up singers add visual
stimulation and take some burden off the character of Hedwig, as
well as take away from Hedwig as the center of attention. Though
Hedwig is on stage and easy to hear, the fact that the visual
attention shifts away from Hedwig creates distance between the
character and the account of its life.

One of the production’s shortcomings is the weak character
of Hedwig’s roadie-like husband, Yitzhak. The role called for
a scene-stealing threat to Hedwig, but young-looking actor Trystan
Angel Reese appears timid on stage next to the taller, more mature
and domineering drag queen. Yitzak’s role in the story
becomes lost, and his final appearance on stage lacks the maximum
amount of impact.

While Yitzhak fails to fully develop as an individual character,
he serves as a complement to the three back-up singers Johnny
Byrne, Hilliard Guess and Lisa Robert. Though the band is largely
invisible on stage ““ tucked in the corner ““ the music
by Steven Trask shines through as the heart of the narrative, and
Hedwig is revealed most dramatically while singing.

The film version of “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” has
been compared to “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” for
its cult status popularity. The movie “Hedwig” is
probably better crafted than the play in any of the numerous unique
productions because the original theater cast members perfected
their roles and used the film medium to produce a more complex
piece of work. But nothing can replace the interaction of a theater
performance and the audience’s contribution to a show’s
lovely imperfections.

-Rhea Cortado

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