Hedwig and the Angry Inch (John Cameron Mitchell)

Back in 1998, Mike got a call from a former student then working at an off-Broadway theatre, the Jane Street Theatre, raving about its current production, a new rock musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Not knowing much about it but eager to follow up on the student's recommendation, we bought 4 tickets and took the kids (12 and 10). I think the box office manager was a bit startled when we showed up with two pre-teens, but what the hey. They were precocious, this was New York, why not?

It was a great evening. The subject matter was a mature, needless to say, but the kids loved the music and the spectacle. Such vamp was not a regular part of their cultural diet. The theatre itself was classic off-Broadway: small, grimy, and full of youthful energy. John Cameron Mitchell played/sang Hedwig. Mike had introduced us to the 'real thing.' (And for that reason, I never felt the urge to the see the 2001 movie version.)

Thus, I was delighted to revisit that experience at the Yale Cabaret's production. Presented in a similarly small, underground venue, the Cabaret's Hedwig captured much of the same vibration of the original a dozen years ago. It didn't pack the same energy, and I thought the pacing was a bit off. But hey, it was opening night, and things should pick up.

Recommend.