John Cameron Mitchell to Join HEDWIG on Broadway for 8 Weeks! — Page 3

The Mitchell as Hedwig cult is interesting, because it brings into question how well the show succeeds as a written piece, versus as John Cameron Mitchell's own alter ego. Could someone else do a Dame Edna stage show, for instance, or a Pee Wee Herman? The character is as carefully drawn and nuanced, but is seen as an aspect of the performer, not as a role the performer plays.

Plus, with a movie and an all-star celebrity run behind it, will Mitchell's performance have the same gravitas and danger that it did then? I've said this repeatedly, but all three Hedwig incarnations, Off-Broadway, film, and Broadway, have the same basic plot and character, but change the sound of the band and the situations surrounding Hedwig and his plot to fit the times. I worry that Mitchell's fans, and fans of the old Hedwig, will find something amiss in Mitchell performing Hedwig as an aging relic outcast, as the new book paints him (but none of the previous Hedwigs have played him) in the days of Auto-Tune, grunge-pop and kids who weren't alive for the fall of the Berlin Wall.

When Mitchell brought Hedwig onto the scene in clubs and then Off-Broadway, Hedwig was timely. The Cold War was still recent, the AIDS mega-crisis was just tapering off, and grunge and noise-rock were at the end of their ascendant period, before losing their appeal and their edge to become part of the pop landscape. A gay man- more than that, a gender-fluid queer figure in trans-Euro drag, leading a band that plays what was essentially late-80s, early 90s college grunge music and being completely blunt about sexuality and politics was the right place at the right time. Like Rent, which deals with the same time period, but in a blunted and homogenized way, Hedwig was retro but modern, looking at the very near past with a reexamining eye.

Yay!!!!! I am ordering my tickets today! HA! LOVED JCM in the movie!! Can't wait to see him reprise the role. I enjoyed NPH and MCH, but JCM IS Hedwig! So glad to hear this
!

Updated On: 11/20/14 at 05:02 PM

I just bought a ticket for my birthday, on Feb. 4th. I'm so excited to see JCM!!

I had heard something similar, but that was quite a while ago, so I discounted it.

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Never had an interest in seeing the show but I like his other stuff. However, this will get me into that theater.

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"I'm going out of my mind. I just spent on obscene amount of money on premium seats, but it is so worth it.."

I'm with you there. I got a premium seat for JCM's first and last show.

I'm with you there. I got a premium seat for JCM's first and last show.

I just can't do that... Or I totally would. I teach kindergarten so I'm not exactly raking it in. I don't see him coming back in another 20 years, so we've got to get our Hedwig fix while we can.

Glittergrrl, I'm a public librarian who just had to pay over 2k out of pocket for dental work. And I spent money on a premium seat to see JCM, no regrets!

"Was his stage performance any different from what he did in the movie?"

There's no way to really compare the two, since he did an amazing job with one role in two mediums. But without much in the way of sets or other characters, the stage show is really its own thing.

"But, I did already get tickets for Michael C. Hall as Hedwig."

Until today, he was my favorite of the Hedwigs on Broadway, so you're certainly going to see a great performance!

I've been waiting for this. The second I saw it I jumped on Telecharge and bought premium seats.

I've been hoping something like this would happen for YEARS! I saw NPH and he was very good but I will loose it for JCM!

Counting down the days!

Will he go into the house? You think he's too old to handle stairs?! Jeez...

Just got my ticket Woo Hoo! Going in February. My friends think I'm OCD for seeing this show so many times, but I can't miss JCM! I paid $146.90 for row D Mezzanine 7pm show at boxoffice.broadway.com. I had to pay extra fees, but Telecharge didn't have those seats yet (my preferred location :)

Updated On: 11/20/14 at 08:00 PM