Rannells will begin performances Aug. 20 and is contracted to star in the show for eight weeks. His stage credits also include Jersey Boys and Hairspray. He has also starred on the hit TV show "Girls."
The Broadway premiere of the cult rock musical began previews March 29 at the Belasco, prior to an official opening April 22.
Hedwig features a book by John Cameron Mitchell and music and lyrics by Stephen Trask. The landmark 1998 musical stars Harris as the titular Hedwig, a transgender singer fronting a fictional rock-n-roll band. Lena Hall, who recently starred as Nicola in Broadway's Tony-winning musical Kinky Boots and is also the lead singer of rock band The Deafening, co-stars with Harris as Yitzhak.
Both Harris and Hall won the Tony Awards for Best Lead Actor in a Musical and Best Featured Actress in a musical, respectively. Kevin Adams also won the Tony for Best Lighting Design.The production won Best Revival of a Musical.
Read Playbill.com's Brief Encounter with Lena Hall here. Hedwig is directed by Tony Award winner Michael Mayer (Spring Awakening, American Idiot) with musical staging by Emmy Award nominee Spencer Liff (The Wedding Singer, Cry-Baby). Justin Craig is musical director.
The Hedwig creative team includes scenic designer Julian Crouch, costume designer Arianne Phillips, lighting designer Kevin Adams, hair and makeup designer Mike Potter, sound designer Timothy O'Heir, musical supervisor Ethan Popp, projection designer Benjamin Pearcy and vocal supervisor Liz Caplan. Casting is by James Calleri.
Adams and Potter were both part of the original 1998 Off-Broadway creative team of Hedwig. Sound designer O'Heir worked on the 2001 film adaptation.
Members of the Angry Inch include musical director Craig (guitar and keyboards), Matt Duncan (bass), Tim Mislock (guitar) and Peter Yanowitz (drums).
Harris has performed on Broadway in Assassins and in the New York Philharmonic production of Company. He has been honored with four Emmy Awards: three for his acclaimed hosting of the Tony Awards and another for his guest-starring role on "Glee." He also served as host and producer of the 61st and 65th Primetime Emmy Awards.
Read Playbill's interview with Neil Patrick Harris here.
The dramatic musical comedy began Off Off-Broadway at Westbeth and then ran over two years at the Jane Street Theatre beginning in February 1998. Hedwig and the Angry Inch won the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Off-Broadway Musical, and both John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask won Obies. Hedwig and the Angry Inch won a 1998 New York Magazine Award and Entertainment Weekly's "Soundtrack of the Year" Award.
Read Playbill's interview with John Cameron Mitchell here.
David Binder, who first produced Hedwig in 1997, is producing 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, Eric Schnall and The Shubert Organization. 101 Productions, Ltd are the executive producers.
Watch Neil Patrick Harris perform "Sugar Daddy" at the Tony Awards below.
Belasco Theatre Box Office is located at 111 West 44th Street. Tickets are also available by calling (212) 239-6200 or visiting Telecharge.com.
For more information, visit HedwigBroadway.com.