Jackson Free Press

"Hedwig and the Angry Inch" is not the average community theater play. It's not exactly "Steel Magnolias" or "Oklahoma!" Instead, the characters in this glam-rock cult musical deal with personal issues that most people would never imagine dreaming about. This sexually-charged rock musical is about a man literally finding his other half, his female side. And it's coming to Jackson this weekend—April 27-29—at Hal & Mal's, 7:30 p.m.

Early in his career, actor-turned-director John Cameron Mitchell wrote the musical in the mid-'90s, as he was dressing up in drag and improvising. After a couple of years of drag shows and improvisation, he produced "Hedwig and the Angry Inch." Mitchell based the original screenplay on some history—he did have a German babysitter named Hedwig when he was younger (she wasn't a transsexual, but Mitchell has said the play's Hedwig shares some physical features with his babysitter). Mitchell teamed up with composer/lyricist Stephen Trask, and the musical came into fruition. Trask was nominated for a Grammy for the music.

Hedwig, an east-German transsexual rock star escapes Berlin and meets an American GI. They fall in love with each other, but there is an obvious problem with that for the GI. With Hedwig being a man, the GI tells him that the only way he will marry him is if he gets a sex-change operation. The operation turns out to be a disappointment for both of them. Hedwig is left with only one inch of flesh where his sex organ used to be.

After being left by both the GI and another love who comes into the picture, Hedwig begins talking with the audience about how he has never found "the one."

The Angry Inch is the band in the musical, and Jackson's Living Better Electrically plays this role, which promises a memorable evening. Expect this out-there rock musical to disturb the close-minded and maybe even put things in a whole new perspective for others. The characters have crazy lines, and they don't beat around the bush about anything.

Mike Padilla, a 21-year-old senior theater major at Millsaps College, directs this captivating musical. "The purpose of doing this is to bring something new and progressive while raising money for charity. Almost everyone involved is either in college or straight out of. We're hoping to get a younger crowd involved in the theater," Padilla explains.

Performing this show has been a longtime dream of Padilla's. This is an independent project that Padilla and several other seniors decided to get together and do. They hope that after their show, theater-goers of Jackson will get more chances to see edgier shows beyond the average community theater productions. So far they have received a lot of positive feedback from the community.

"I think this is completely out there and different, and there aren't many shows that celebrate diversity and this is it. You don't get many shows that have an East German transsexual," Padilla says.

Joshua Clark, the 26-year-old lead singer and guitarist of Living Better Electrically, plays Hedwig. This is Clark's first big acting gig since high school. Playing a man who thinks he is a woman is pretty interesting, he says, explaining one common misconception: "For one, he's not gay. He actually thinks he's a woman."

This is not a show full of screaming drag queens. A lot of people seem to confuse it with that since he dresses like a woman. But Clark's wardrobe does include makeup, French flip wigs, dresses and heels. Clark even shaves his legs for the show.

"I'm trying to stay away from the stereotypical gay character. I'm watching all the girls I know—how they walk and talk," Clark explains.

Sara Beth Tanner, a 22-year-old graduate of University of Birmingham with a musical theater degree, plays Yipzhak, Hedwig's co-star. "You feel a lot of tension throughout this play. Everything is friction, friction, friction. During the end, everything resolves. I hope the audience leaves with a sense of resolution," she says.

Admission is $12 in general and $10 for students with ID. April 27-29, 7:30 p.m., Hal & Mal's. All proceeds go to Mississippi Hearts Against Aids.