Interludes

VIEWPOINTS: Hedwig, Superstar!

• By drediman
• May 6, 2014
• No Comments

“Ladies and Gentlemen, whether you like it or not … HEDWIG!” So begins “Hedwig and the Angry Inch”, a show that has become one of the unlikeliest success stories in the history of the American musical. John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask’s show, which takes the form of a one-night-only gig, centers on a down-on-her-luck transvestite punk rocker named Hedwig and her journey towards self-realization (which unfortunately includes a botched sex-change operation). Like its beat-up hero(ine), the show itself has traveled far and wide and gone through a number of costume and wig changes from its inconspicuous beginnings to becoming a Broadway blockbuster. Also like Hedwig, the show is a fiercely individual creation: part monologue, part cabaret drag act, part punk concert, and underneath it all, all musical theater. Despite this Frankenstein monster profile, the show (when done right) is astonishing in its ability to authentically capture the essence of each of its performance styles. Taken as a whole, the show is one of the most cathartic pieces of art to articulate the experience of self-realization and -reconciliation that I’ve encountered. Certainly, the rapturous reception of its latest incarnation at the Belasco Theatre is in no small part due to Neil Patrick Harris’s megawatt presence. But for me, it is the sheer guts and brilliance of the material itself, in concert with the right performances, that will establish “Hedwig” as one of the great American musicals.

Michael Cerveris in the original Off-Broadway production

Who could have predicted that Broadway smash status and a cult movie following was in the cards for an improvised punk drag act circa 1994 performed at the alternative downtown club Squeezebox? No one, I’m sure. After workshopping the piece for a few years post its Squeezebox days, “Hedwig” opened Off-Broadway close to its current form to raves in 1998 at the fittingly decrepit Jane Street Theatre in the West Village. As an impressionable theater-loving college student, I managed to visit that original production a number of times. Although I missed John Cameron Mitchell’s historic originating performance as Hedwig, I was able to see his immediate replacement, the sensational Michael Cerveris. I’m glad I was able to catch Mr. Cerveris since Mr. Mitchell would later reprise the role in the feature film, therefore allowing me to contrast the two performances today. Mr. Cerveris’s Hedwig was forceful and angry, and a totally convincing punk rocker. His approach to the role was fascinating and nowhere near like the subsequent John Cameron Mitchell-esque performances I would see (including Neil Patrick Harris’s performance). In drag, he was much more butch than anyone else I’ve seen, and in the show’s transcendent final sequence, his interpretation of Hedwig as a fetus-like, androgynous being connected with the material in a thrillingly elemental way. Mr. Cerveris’s performance as Hedwig is one of the most galvanic musical theater performances I have ever seen, and I’m lucky to have been able to see him in the role a number times.

John Cameron Mitchell in the film adaptation

In 2001, “Hedwig” was treated to, in my opinion, one of the best stage to film adaptations out there. Better yet, this cult indie film classic retained its original stage star and creator, John Cameron Mitchell, to star in the title role and direct the film. “Hedwig”, the movie, wisely and successfully expands the stage show’s concert setting by actually showing us characters (for example, the hilarious Andrea Martin as Hedwig’s agent, Phyllis Stein) and events only depicted through Hedwig’s banter onstage. In addition, the close-ups and visual gags afforded by the cinematic medium give the material added texture and emotional transparency. Hence, the resulting film is an experience that’s quite different than (but just as as effective as) seeing the show at the Jane Street Theatre. Luckily, we also have the film to document John Cameron Mitchell’s iconic original performance as Hedwig. Having been unable to catch him onstage, getting the opportunity to see his performance in the film is a big treat. Mr. Mitchell does not disappoint: his performance is every bit as biting, vulnerable, and honest as I was expecting it to be. Like a “wig in a box”, I pull out the DVD from its box from time to time when “the world’s a bit amiss”.

Neil Patrick Harris in the Broadway production

When I first heard that “Hedwig” was being revived on the Great White Way this season, I was a bit skeptical. Would this intrinsically “downtown” show be able to survive the transition into a high profile Broadway show? Although I do miss the grungy sensibility of the original Off-Broadway production at the Jane Street Theatre, “Hedwig” has landed triumphantly on Broadway. In many ways, the show at the Belasco Theatre is like Tommy Gnosis / Hedwig himself at the conclusion of the show. That is, one gets the sense that this “Hedwig” is the ecstatic and unlikely final destination of the show itself. Indeed, the flashy yet thoughtful Michael Mayer-directed revival basks in its rock stardom without turning its back on what makes the show so powerful in the first place. In this sense, the revival is a moving and sentimental experience, especially for someone like me who has followed the show since its humbler early days. Much has been said about Neil Patrick Harris’s performance as Hedwig. Ladies and gentlemen, he does not disappoint. Like John Cameron Mitchell and Michael Cerveris before him, Mr. Harris is giving a performance of such commitment and raw abandon that must be seen to be believed. Mr. Harris is utterly convincing and unrecognizable in the role, and you simply cannot take your eyes off of him. It’s his presence that ultimately and movingly “Tommy Gnosifies” this little cult rock musical that could into a blazing and singular Broadway sensation that’s likely to achieve legendary status. Buy tickets now so you can say you were there.