Search found 48 matches for hedwigonbway

Marna G. wrote:
My sister is a huge fan of Glee and an even bigger fan of Darren Criss. When she learned I was going to New York on business and I asked her if she wanted to come along with me for some sister time I didn't have to twist her arm too hard - she said yes in a flash!

[. . . .]

I did not know what to expect. I purposely did not go to YouTube and look at the show up. I purposely did not watch any trailers or read about it because I wanted to get the full experience of my first Broadway show.

It was gut wrenchingly sad. It was racy, tawdry, wickedly funny, intense, loud, raw, powerful, full of energy. And oh my God was it powerful - just all around incredibly amazing.

I am a salt of the earth rock and roll girl. And this show did not disappoint - the numbers were great - the songs were great - Darren Criss delivered and his costar Rebecca Naomi Jones brought the house down! Not only can Darren sing - Rebecca Naomi Jones has some serious pipes as well.

I laughed- I cried - I found myself saying "WHAT THE HELL THIS IS CRAZY!!!"

[. . . ]

This kid really did a great job. The cast members were great as well as was the band.

Marna G. (posted on Yelp)
May 20, 2015

YOU GO, @DarrenCriss @Rebeccasername & @TitsofClay! That was FIRE & HEAT TONIGHT! #HedwigOnBway #DarrenIsHedwig #HedwigRoundTWELVE

— Armando  (@ArmandoGJR), May 20, 2015

@ashleymorgan989 duuuuude yeah, Darren is unreal. absolutely unreal.

— lauren moran (@laurenmoran) May 21, 2015

He wasn't supposed to be THIS GOOD.

— smort romaine (@rainerpism) May 22, 2015

no one is going to believe me

— smort romaine (@rainerpism) May 22, 2015

I'm so mad because no one is going to believe me but oh my god

— smort romaine (@rainerpism) May 22, 2015

Darren Criss was excruciatingly good. He told a completely new story. I wasn't expecting to be this astounded.

— smort romaine (@rainerpism) May 23, 2015

He brought to light the abuse that's latent throughout the script. And the self hatred of being trans.

— smort romaine (@rainerpism) May 23, 2015

I've never seen someone on that stage exhibit dysphoria like Darren did.

— smort romaine (@rainerpism) May 23, 2015

But that was a polished act. With strong acting choices. And an extreme self awareness.

— smort romaine (@rainerpism) May 23, 2015

I will never. Ever. Hear these songs sung that well and with that much care and attention and magic ever again.

— smort romaine (@rainerpism) May 23, 2015

Unreal. Fucking unreal. Tommy Speck and Hedwig's relationship. Luther and Hedwig's Mom's Relationship. Details that Change everything.

— smort romaine (@rainerpism) May 23, 2015

And. The. Fucking. Singing.

— smort romaine (@rainerpism) May 23, 2015

I know my reputation precedes me and no one is ever gunna trust me when I say Darren is game changing...

— smort romaine (@rainerpism) May 23, 2015

@rainerpism but know that I respect Hedwig too much to lie. She has been breathed new life. Give Darren a chance. You'll see a new show.

— smort romaine (@rainerpism) May 23, 2015

listen to me darren is changing the game darren is giving us something very fucking genuine & very emotionally compelling holy fucking shit

— gia ♕ (@ARlSDANTE) May 23, 2015

soo just saw @HedwigOnBway for the 19th time & its one of the best performances I've seen. @DarrenCriss made me cry 5 times, he's incredible

— lauren moran (@laurenmoran) May 8, 2015

@tirpse_ he gives everything to the role and it shows. I really can't get over how much I love his Hedwig

— lauren moran (@laurenmoran) May 8, 2015

@ForeverCrateful yes for sure! he is so so stellar. some of his performances are my favorites out of all the Hedwigs!

— lauren moran (@laurenmoran) May 8, 2015

@ForeverCrateful UM YEAH HIS TOMMY IS THE BEST IMO LIIIIKE I CANT

— lauren moran (@laurenmoran) May 8, 2015

@yelyahwilliams make sure you see Hedwig again while you're here! Darren is mind blowing, I've already seen him twice

— lauren moran (@laurenmoran) May 8, 2015

VERY rarely do I find something so beautiful that it fills me with the simultaneous urges to smile and cry. @HedwigOnBway, I thank you.

— Mae Davies (@MaeJuneJuly21) May 8, 2015

The Backlot (now known as NewNowNext) wrote:
Review: Darren Criss Takes on "Hedwig"

I can only ever approach Hedwig with a combination of awe and trepidation.

The first time I met her, back in her off-Broadway original incarnation, my worries were all about, “What’s this crazy sounding musical we’re going to? And who is this John Cameron Mitchell carrying the show?” Worries that were of course unfounded, as I quickly became enamored of the show, of Mitchell, and of Hedwig herself.

Flash forward 16 years … I’m going to see Neil Patrick Harris, newly opened in Hedwig: Broadway!, and my worries had less to do with him as a performer (I knew he’d be fantastic in the part, and he was, even better than I’d hoped), and more about how the show would translate to the big, bad Broadway stage. And like so much in her life, Hedwig rose to the challenge and shined.

And then … then I heard that Darren Criss was cast as Hedwig. And all I could think was, “Uh oh.”

Let me get this out there right now. I am a huge Darren Criss fan. I’ve seen every episode of Glee. I’ve watched him serenade Chris Colfer to “Teenage Dream” about a thousand times and swooned every time. Heck, I’ve watched — multiple times — A Very Potter Musical, which I think is pure satiric musical genius. But Hedwig? No way. He’s too young, I thought. He has no edge, I thought. A disaster in the making.

Well once again, Hedwig surprised the hell out of me. From the moment he descends from the rafters in full Hedwig drag, it’s clear Criss has got this, fully in command of the role and already interplaying with the audience in a confrontational way that’s crucial to the show’s success. Right away, you get the feeling that Criss — and Hedwig by extension — are fully living in this specific performance, with you as his her specific audience.

That clear sense of Criss’ comfort with the role was only reinforced the night I saw the show, when miking problems plagued the initial few moments. Criss not only worked around them effortlessly but turned them into a spontaneous opportunity for hilarious ad-libbing, quipping, “I thought this was supposed to be a Broadway show … not Doctor Zhivago.”

The first big surprise, though, for me came in the opening musical number. True Hedwig confession time: Hedwig’s opening number, “Tear Me Down,” has never been a favorite of mine. But Criss’ off-the-charts vocal chops and energy made the song new to me and a highlight of the show. The same was true of the other hard rock/punk numbers. If Criss was a bit more subdued (although still very good) on the ballads, he truly excelled on the more hard hitting songs in a way that made them as emotional as they are energizing. This was true of “Angry Inch,” but most especially of the finale number, “Midnight Radio,” where Criss fully becomes Hedwig’s male alter-ego, Tommy Gnosis.

While that song, and Criss’ performance there, are the strongest of the night, that’s not to detract from his performance in full Hedwig regalia. There was never a moment here where, as I feared, I’d see only see Darren Criss on stage in a wig and a dress, or Blaine for that matter, in some Vocal Adrenaline competition stunt, creeping into the performance. Instead, Criss was fully committed to — and indistinguishable from — Hedwig from beginning to end. And yet, also a different Hedwig than I’d seen before.

There’s perhaps no getting away from the age difference. Criss is younger than the actors who’ve portrayed the character before, and references in the show to the fall of the Berlin Wall and albums only reinforce the disconnect. But Criss makes his youthful energy work for the character. This Hedwig might lack NPH’s salacious leer, or JCM’s worldly weariness. But she’s a Hedwig in her own right, seizing her opportunity to be front and center before a live audience and clearly basking in their adoration. She’s the sweetest of the Hedwigs, and the audience eats her up like gummy bears.

[. . .]

When Criss and Jones joined the stage in their climactic duet — he looking jaw-droppingly hot in short shorts, she a confidently wigged Hedwig stand-in — the audience bursts into exuberant cheers. This is a Hedwig that can only fill one with glee.

-NewNowNext.com
May 7, 2015

The Wallstreet Journal wrote:
The casting of Mr. [Darren] Criss is interesting — he’s a lesser-known star than his predecessors, who include Neil Patrick Harris and Michael C. Hall. But producer David Binder says Mr. Criss, who attended the very first preview of “Hedwig” and saw each subsequent Hedwig (there have been four so far) was always a consideration for the role.

“We’ve been talking to him about this since day one,” says Mr. Binder.

— The Wallstreet Journal (x)

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