Hedwig And The Angry Inch Review

There is always that feeling of doubt when you see something you have loved for a very long time getting rebooted. All those thoughts can go away when you see Hedwig and The Angry Inch, because not only will it please the original fans, but it will put the Hedwig legacy on a whole different level with new fans too.


At the beginning of the show we see The Angry Inch take to the stage, with a new fresh faced Yitzhak (Lena Hall) taking the stage shortly afterwards to explain the usual "Theatre" type rules. But then the infamous line is said "Ladies and gentlemen...whether you like it or not - Hedwig!" and the crowd goes wild. You have never seen such an energy like this from a Broadway crowd, it's similar to an energy you'd get at a gig.

Of course it does have some notable changes (especially if you are obsessed with the Off Broadway version) but it is mostly changes to keep up with the times, like the line before "Wicked Little Town" has Hedwig speaking to John Mayer's people instead of Phil Collins'. But the biggest change (and probably the greatest) is the fact that "Sugar Daddy", once with a Country feel, now has heavy guitars and gritty vocals enough to make the prudest person faint in the back row.

We've seen Neil Patrick Harris become the face of TV and Film over the last few years, but you can see how at home he is on stage. He can hold his own onstage, and he only has to breathe and the audience are watching him tentatively waiting for the next crazy moment. He is a force to be reckoned with, the unstoppable machine that will keep on winning you over until your face is smeared with Hedwig's makeup. Lena Hall plays a pivotal part in her role of Yitzhak, which you wouldn't expect considering Yitzhak has a few lines and a couple of songs. It all fits together so perfectly.

Hedwig and The Angry Inch is everything you can expect it to be - out there, original (despite the fact it's 15 years old), and the greatest showbiz rock and roll moment you will ever have the pleasure of seeing. Like it or not? We freaking love it to death!

HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH CURRENTLY PLAYS AT BELASCO THEATRE, NEW YORK CITY.