Hall began in the role of the "internationally ignored" East German transgender singer fronting a fictional rock-n-roll band in the landmark 1998 musical Oct. 16, 2014. He succeeded Tony nominee Andrew Rannells, who played his final performance Oct. 12.
The production marked Hall's first performance in a Broadway musical in more than a decade since he appeared in Cabaret as the Emcee. His stage credits also include Skylight, Mr. Marmalade, Cymbeline, Macbeth, Timon of Athens and Henry V, The English Teachers, Corpus Christi and Romeo and Juliet. The "Dexter" star is a five-time Emmy nominee and has also appeared in "Six Feet Under" and "Kill Your Darlings."
Hall will be succeeded by John Cameron Mitchell, the writer and original star of the Off-Broadway production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, beginning Jan. 21. Mitchell's performance marks his first return to the New York stage since 1998 when he starred in the original Off-Broadway production of Hedwig at the Jane Street Theatre, earning an Obie Award and an Outer Critics Circle nomination. He also starred as Hedwig in a 2001 film version he directed. Mitchell's acting credits also include The Secret Garden, Six Degrees of Separation and "Girls," and he has directed "Rabbit Hole" and "Shortbus." Read Playbill.com's interview with Mitchell here.
The Broadway premiere of the cult rock musical began previews March 29 at the Belasco, prior to an official opening April 22 with Neil Patrick Harris in the title role.
View our exclusive PHOTO SPECIAL: Next in Line: 11 Stars Who Could Replace Andrew Rannells in Hedwig… or Not! Hedwig features a book by John Cameron Mitchell and music and lyrics by Stephen Trask. 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, plays 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).
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.
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.
The 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.
