Review Roundup: John Cameron Mitchell in HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH on Broadway

John Cameron Mitchell is back as the title role Hedwig and the Angry Inch on Broadway- the musical that he created with Stephen Trask (music and lyrics) back in 1998. Directed by Michael Mayer, this production has received rave reviews and is winner of four Tony Awards and won Best Musical Revival by the Tony Awards, the Drama Desk Awards, Drama League Awards, and Outer Critics Circle Awards. Mitchell will continue as Hedwig through Sunday, April 26, after which GLEE star Darren Criss will takeover.

"Internationally ignored song stylist" Hedwig Robinson (Mitchell) brings her fourth-wall-smashing rock and roll saga to New York to set the record straight about her life, her loves, and the botched operation that left her with that "angry inch."

Let's see what the critics had to say...

Ben Brantley, New York Times: Mr. Mitchell's Hedwig appears more bruised and battered by life, and on the verge of all-out exhaustion. This is partly because, at 51, this actor is 16 years older than the first time he played Hedwig. And, oh yes, last month he injured his knee, which forced him to leave the show for some performances. (Michael C. Hall, one of Mr. Harris's replacements, took over.) Now he's back, with a leg brace and a crutch (which glitters like Hedwig's eye shadow) and a crate on which to prop his leg. The inventive uses to which Mr. Mitchell and his Tony-winning co-star, the fabulous Lena Hall (who plays Hedwig's put-upon boyfriend, Yitzhak), put said crate make this production worth revisiting all by themselves.

Marilyn Stasio, Variety: Mitchell worked in close collaboration with co-creator Stephen Trask to dramatize Hedwig's extraordinary life story, so it's no surprise that he has a lived-in relationship with Trask's pounding punk-rock score. But the fabulous Angry Inch band (composed of Justin Craig, Matt Duncan, Tim Mislock, and crazy drummer-boy Peter Yanowitz) seem energized by sharing the stage with him. They practically levitate on "Angry Inch" and their signature anthem "Midnight Radio." And so, by the way, does the audience.

Matt Windman, amNY: Mitchell's performance represents the difference between merely playing a character and being a character. With raw spontaneity, he truthfully embodies all of Hedwig's anger, self-pity, bravery and wit. Halfway into the performance, he looks exhausted. He also struggles vocally. But strangely enough, all that adds a realistic edge to the character, who is supposed to be on the verge of a complete breakdown. Mitchell may not be as much of a showman as Neil Patrick Harris, but Mitchell truly is Hedwig.

Alexis Soloski, Guardian: One of the themes of Hedwig is the limitations of the body. At 51, Mitchell's own body is no longer the fine-tuned instrument it once was. Somehow these physical limitations only emphasise the show's poignancy and rage. In one scene, Hedwig indicates her mangled form. "It's what I have to work with," she says. In Mitchell's visceral and extraordinary performance, it's enough.

To post a comment, you must register and login.