• printer friendly
• mail this article
• iPod format
• digg

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