It'll be a happy Valentine's Day for Hedwig and the Angry Inch. A couple weeks ago, it looked like the long run of the Off-Broadway musical hit was coming to an end. The producers had announced a closing date of Jan. 30. Then, Jan. 21, New York Times theatre critic Ben Brantley penned a rare, late-inning rave review which asked "Do we really have to say goodnight to Hedwig?"
The answer was no. Hedwig quickly rescinded its closing notice. On Feb. 14, the show will celebrate two years at the Jane Street Theatre.
Matt McGrath is the current Hedwig. He took over the lead role on Dec. 20, after Ally Sheedy -- the show's first female Hedwig -- abruptly left the production. McGrath's Off-Broadway credits include A Fair Country, Minutes from the Blue Route and Northeast Local.
Other Hedwigs have included Kevin Cahoon, Michael Cerveris, rocker Donavan Leitch and the show's co-author and original star, John Cameron Mitchell.
Hedwig opened Feb. 14, 1998, to rave reviews, going on to win two Obie Awards and an Outer Critics Circle Award. The production inspired a cast recording (recently nominated for a Grammy Award), a short-lived L.A. mounting (starring Cerveris) and an upcoming film, supposed to start shooting in May, with originator John Cameron Mitchell both behind the camera and on screen. Christine Vachon ("Boys Don't Cry") is producing for New Line Cinema. Hedwig was written by Mitchell (book), and Stephen Trask (music and lyrics). In the musical, the title singer, an obscure and tortured transsexual rock singer, tells her darkly comic story while ostensibly performing a concert. The Angry Inch, her back-up band, is Trask's rock combo Cheater, a staple at such downtown New York clubs as CBGB's and Mercury Lounge.
Tickets range $20-$49.50. For information call (212) 239-6200, or consult the website at www.hedwig.com.
--By Robert Simonson
