On June 27, Anthony Rapp (Broadway's Rent) and company closed the Pittsburgh run of the rock musical about a partly-transgendered German-born singer and his/her life in the United States.
Hedwig and the Angry Inch, starring Rapp in the title role and musicians Sarah Siplak (as Yitzak), Brandon Lowry (keyboard), John Purse (guitar), Daniel Tomko (bass) and A.T. Vish (drums), was an unprecedented success for City Theatre, the troupe that is artistic-directed by former Hartford Stage staffer Tracy Brigden.
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Brad Rouse directs the cult show by songwriter Stephen Trask and writer John Cameron Mitchell. Hedwig is known for its Off-Broadway run and its independent film version (both starring Mitchell). It is now finding life in regional stagings.
The City Theatre resident production stage manager, Patti Kelly, will stage manage in Hartford, and City Theatre costume shop manager Angela M. Vesco will be the makeup artist and wardrobe supervisor for the show. The Hedwig design team includes Michael Olich (set), Miguel Huidor (costumes), Howell Binkley (lighting) and Keith Bates (sound). The physical production moves, as well.
This will be the New England premiere of the show. SummerStage at Hartford Stage began July 8 with Devil's Music: Life and Blues of Bessie Smith. Michael Wilson is Hartford Stage's artistic director.
For information, call (860) 527-5151 or visit hartfordstage.org.
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Hedwig began at City Theatre May 1, and was to run to June 15, but audience interest prompted the extension to June 27.
Hedwig and the Angry Inch won an Obie Award and an Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Off Broadway Musical.
"In flashbacks and through high-voltage music, the play tells the story of a young boy, Hedwig, growing up in the divided city of Communist Berlin," according to City Theatre production notes. "As a young man Hedwig falls in love with an American serviceman stationed in Germany. In order to marry him and move to the States, Hedwig has a sex change operation that gets botched. The result, the angry inch, leads Hedwig to further existential divisions. Now a she, Hedwig gets dumped by her husband in Kansas. She then meets a young man named Tommy Gnosis and helps him to become a rock superstar. Though again abandoned, in the end Hedwig is able to find the 'other half,' leading to a spectacular rock concert finale."
Visit City Theatre at www.citytheatrecompany.org.
