Infinite Abyss: Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2 reviews)

Infinite Abyss Productions opened Hedwig and the Angry Inch at Empire Stage on May 5th, 2011.

In its original 1998 New York staging, the ground-breaking musical about an "inter-nationally ignored" transgendered rock singer (written by John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask) won a Village Voice Obie Award and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Off-Broadway Musical. It went on to inspire a 2001 movie of the same name, which itself won the Best Director and Audience Awards at the }Sundance Film Festival that year and snagged star John Cameron Mitchell a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor. Now, Infinite Abyss Productions brings the show to Empire Stage for a five week engagement. Don't miss this one- it's going to be tran-tastic!

Jeffery D. Holmes directed a cast that featured Joe Harter and Blaze Powers.


J.W. Arnold reviewed for South Florida Gay News:

Ultimately, the success of the production lands on the shoulders of Harter, who not only must deliver musically, but also dramatically. And he was up to the challenge, belting out song after song while nailing the raw emotions caught up in Hedwig’s story.

Powers also shined as Hedwig’s new partner, Yitzhak, providing a steady bass line and lending her own voice to the back-ups.

The band on Empire Stage’s small floor leaves little room for Harter and Powers to maneuver, but with strong direction from Jeffrey Holmes, the production turns the liability into an opportunity for an intimate—albeit loud—theater experience.

Christine Dolen reviewed for The Miami Herald:

...there’s nothing quite like watching a “gal” in spandex and a winged Farrah Fawcett wig strut her stuff just inches from your seat.

Directed by Jeffrey D. Holmes, the production features Harter as both Hedwig and the rocker’s beloved, Tommy Gnosis; Blaze Powers as bass guitarist Yitzhak; Dominick Daniel and Jhovany Castillo on percussion; Roger Blankenship on keyboards, and Jonathan Bellino on guitar. The able musicians do right by Trask’s songs...

Harter starts out slowly vocally and in conjuring a memorable Hedwig but gains power on both fronts as the 90-minute show goes on... The slender Powers nails her assignment, contributing vocals that blend well with Harter’s. And when she walks out in the waning moments of the show done up in a slinky hot-pink dress, she shows the fictional Hedwig what glam rock is all about.

Infinite Abyss Productions presents Hedwig and the Angry Inch at Empire Stage through June 4, 2011.