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Schlatko (Greg Jackson, drums), Krzyzhtoff (Sean Hogge, guitar), Hedwig (Justin Michael Van Pelt), Yitzhak (Vanessa Severo) and Jacek (William Wright, bass) gave the audience a rock concert.

Justin Michael Van Pelt plays Hedwig through her glam, rock music and tells the audience all about individuality.

Transsexual bares all in 'Hedwig and the Angry Inch'

By: Derek Campbell

Posted: 3/10/08

A German, transsexual, would-be rock star trapped in a small Kansas town in the glam rock era of David Bowie sounds like culture shock at its best. Steven Eubank's production of "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" provides just that, and more.

As the audience filtered into the Off Center Theatre at Crown Center, they entered the world of Hedwig, a young male-to-female, post-operative transsexual who fled East Berlin while the Berlin Wall still stood.

Biting, sarcastic and humorous, Hedwig's character represented the battle all people face in discovering their true identities. As Hedwig stripped layers of clothing during the course of the show, she bared more about her true self.

The intimate black box theater was sold out for its opening night of "Hedwig and the Angry Inch," and as people took their seats, they gazed on the actors setting up for their show.

The lights dimmed, and a grand entrance was made by Hedwig, played by Justin Michael Van Pelt. The mood was immediately set with the song "Tear Me Down," which pulled the audience right into the show.

The song introduces Hedwig as the "new Berlin Wall," as she dares the world to "try to tear [her] down." Van Pelt's vocals were well constructed for the part, and reflected the strength and determination exuded by Hedwig, quite effectively.

Hedwig's "Angry Inch" band performed on stage throughout the entire show, and perfectly completed the notion that the audience was at a real rock concert. The instrumentalists provided a nearly flawless and highly-energetic performance.

Backup vocalists Vanessa Severo and Evan White gave good performances, with some minor vocalization difficulties at the beginning of the show.

As the show progressed, the sound melded beautifully, but unfortunately, the supporting vocals were sometimes barely heard among Van Pelt's lead vocals. Severo's solo, however, earned great applause from the audience, which was well deserved.

Between songs, Van Pelt delivered several hysterical monologues, clearly adapted for the Kansas City community. Both Van Pelt and director Steven Eubank collaborated on the improvised portions of the show.

"It's always an even mix of who contributes to the ad libs," Eubank said. "There are many ad libs that I prefer Justin not use and he does anyway, and there are many ad libs that I'm sure he'd rather not say. But the rest of us have come to love and expect them."

Between the rock ballads and the humorous monologues delivered by Van Pelt, some truly touching moments occurred as the story unfolded about Hedwig's tragic past.

Love gone astray, missed opportunities and a life shattered by detached parents and alcohol abuse all contributed to a tale that left the audience completely silent several times during the show.

No matter how you identify yourself, Hedwig tells her story to all people as a way of teaching about the beauty and sacrifice that comes with individuality.

"Hedwig and the Angry Inch" is playing from Feb. 29 to March 22 at the Off Center Theatre at Crown Center.

dcampbell@unews.com