pdy 5. 2002 »
THEATER
................▼................
Good Hed
A Night of Sultry Delight
JkO ^ t S P
triangle productions!
pulls off Hedwig
and the A n g ry Inch
in the company’s
best show to date
by
C
h r is t o p h e r
M
§
c Q u a in
erhaps it’s best to qualify my praise
I of the energetic, ecstatic triangle
productions! rendition of Hedu/ig
and the Angry Inch by relating my
own peculiar experience with the mas
sively popular queer rock musical, which
has found relatively amazing success since
its New York debut in 1998.
I witnessed this storied stage phe
nomenon in an off-Broadway theater in
late 1999, well after creator John
Cameron M itchell— who wrote the
show and performed as the angry, quasi
transsexual Cold War emigrant glam-
rock star to an acclaim that soon
approached cult worship— had ended
his lengthy tenure to take on a more
Wade McCollom is, reportedly, a much better
background, “supervisory” role.
Hedwig than Ally Sheedy
His well-deserved sabbatical left those
tude directed inward (embodying the character’s
of us who came in late with Ally Sheedy as
ultimate struggle with self-loathing) and outward
Hedwig, and what I saw was a joke— a mean
dering, muddy-sounding, seemingly endless
(implicating the audience).
Much of that effortless, here-and-now vibe
pose-and-screamfest starring not so much Ally
is thanks to McCollom and director Dennis
Sheedy as Ally Sheedy s Ego, which saw fit to
Bigelow’s tinkering with Mitchell’s text. One of
rearrange and undermine M itchell’s original
Hedwig’s conceits is that it’s a rock concert tak
(and, as it turns out, rather clever and heart
ing place right now, right in front of you,
felt) artistic intentions.
though the rock star in question is undergoing
Sheedy improvised bad dialogue, forced
a crisis causing her to be much more talkative
other cast members to vocalize on songs meant
than would be expected.
to be sung by Hedwig and generally created a
Here, the dialogue has been ingeniously
shambolic mess. She was fired not long after I
altered to reflect the present, with Hedwig sar
witnessed the debacle, but no matter: I virulent
donically remarking on triangle’s low budgets
ly warned anyone who would listen against what
and propensity for exposing young male flesh
1 characterized as an overrated, underbaked,
in its shows. Other gently mocked local color
pointless exercise in sub-Rocky Horror camp.
includes the Rose Garden arena, the company’s
It wasn’t until the 2001 release of the film,
own theater space and its adjoining Belmont
directed hy and starring Mitchell, that I half-
neighbor, the Tao of Tea.
retracted my disappointment. It was a lovely
And then there’s the band. The casting of
feat of carefully controlled visual momentum,
Julianna Jaffe as Yitzak, Hedwig’s (male) hus
editing and sound that could never be duplicat
band, co-vocalist, bratty sidekick and straight
ed live; if one hadn’t known, one would never
man (in both the literal and traditional, butt-of-
have guessed it had once been a play. Hence,
the-joke sense), makes a perfect counterpoint to
cinematically biased me attributed the film’s
the already bent gender of the proceedings.
artistic success to the fact that it was a film,
Todd Chatalas, as Angry Inch lead guitarist,
prejudicially assuming the medium itself had
plays well, as does drummer Michael Partlow.
reined in the dull excesses allowed by the stage.
Songs come through loud yet crisp— expertly
So it was with some vestigial trepidation—
abrasive and/or melancholy as needed— all
albeit a fairly open mind— that I attended tri
topped off with McCollom’s fine singing.
angle’s Hedwig. I left the venue beaming.
The tunes, though not quite rendering your
Not only was it the most accomplished,
LPs of Aladdin Sane or Electric Warrior obsolete,
entertaining triangle production I’ve seen, it
are
true to the rock ’n’ roll aesthetic, especially
was one of the best Portland theater experi
considering their succinct rebellion against the
ences I’ve ever had, right up there with Waiting
usually much less economical traditions of
for G odot at Interstate Firehouse Cultural Cen
musical theater.
ter or Artist Repertory Theatre’s 1998 produc
McCollom, Bigelow and company have per
tion of Cocteau’s Indiscretions.
fectly captured the spirit of the perfect queer
Wade McCollom as Hedwig absolutely
rock musical, one that doesn’t make those words
owns the character’s decadent, cynical, wise,
seem like the triple oxymoron they so easily
witty and wounded rock ’n ’ roll persona. He is
could be. Judging from the packed weeknight
a natural comedian (comedienne?), which now
house, their efforts have made Hedwig and the
strikes me as the main deficiency of Sheedy’s
Angry Inch one of the hottest tickets in town.
performance of yore; whereas her brand of
It really is a show that shouldn’t be missed.
“spontaneity” was self-indulgent and humor
It’s a finely honed, well-executed version that
less, McCollom’s, though hardly sycophantic, is
finally
brought Hedwig home— for me, in more
very fresh, very funny, very audience-aware.
ways than one. |T1
He’s in total complicity with us (even when
the jokes are at our expense) and without a
H edwig and the A ngry I nch plays 8 p.m .
trace of self-consciousness.
Thursday to Saturday through Aug. 3 at Theater!
This Hedwig is simultaneously hilarious, sting
Theatre!, 3430 S.E . Belmont St. Tickets are
ing and touching— a raucous combination of
$ 2 2 4 2 8 from 503-239-5919.
Courtney Love and Sandra Bernhard— with atti-
Hot DJ.d dance music, door prizes,
best male and female Toga contest
(150 first prize each)
!
2315 NE Alberta Street
Portland, Oregon 97211
503 / 282-7700 503 / 288-3024
No host bar • $10 admission
$1 off for every can of food*
*up to 5 cans(for local community food bank(s))
ALL AGES
Golden Globe Winner & Oscar Nominee
KAREN BLACK
j.^ STARLA BENF0RD& KRISTEN LEE KELLY
VAGINA
MONOLOGUES
SPREAD
THE WORD
OPENS TUESDAY!
July 9-14 • Ncwmark Theatre
Ticket* available at ticketmaster.com, all w c M t n w i H r outlets or charge by by phone 503 790 ARTS.
Discount for groups of 20 or more call 503 241 4910
For dinner and dessert packages at the Backstage Cafe, please call 5 0 3 2 74 6 5 96.
Portland I rihtuio
\7