A millennial Hedwig? Darren Criss talks about a new generation rocking to this 'Angry Inch'Darren Criss needs to be reminded that he’s a millennial. The 29-year-old former “Glee” star is sitting in the gilded lobby of the Hollywood Pantages Theatre. Outside, banners proclaiming him the star of the rock ’n’ roll musical “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” line the star-spangled boulevard.
“I thought I missed the millennial thing,” Criss says, squinting and wrinkling his nose, as if the idea that he was the millennial Hedwig hurt his sense of pride. “I think I’m too old to be a millennial, or else I feel like I’m on the very front end.”
With a birth date in 1987, Criss falls squarely in the generation maligned for what is perceived as its maddening self-absorption. But it’s also a generation that has the most progressive attitudes toward gender fluidity and human rights for the LGBT community.
So having Criss play an East German singer who’s genderqueer — identifying with neither sex, or both sexes — when the show opens Tuesday at the Pantages seems particularly apropos.
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“I’ve never given it an ounce of thought because I’m not reinterpreting anything — the audience is,” Criss says, rapping fingernails painted a chipped black on a tufted lobby bench. “In the past year or two there has been this exciting boost in dialogue about the trans community, and I like to say the victory is in the discussion, whether it’s being led by millennials or not.”
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Criss puts it a different way: “One of the main characters of the show is the audience, and what’s so great about that is that character is played by a different actor every night depending on the vibe of the crowd.”
If the crowd is of the older, more white-bread matinee variety, Criss steers his performance in a more demure direction. If it’s a rowdy Saturday night, Criss might fan those flames.
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Growing up in San Francisco in the 1990s, Criss was a high school actor surrounded by young, gay actors working in professional theaters.
“They’d take me out to the diner or wherever, and they were just a part of my life,” says Criss, who is straight. “At no point did I go, ‘Oh, cool, I’m hanging out with all my gay buddies.’ You just don’t think that way at all.”
Mitchell liked Criss for the part of Hedwig because he had “this incredible queer straight-boy vibe about him.” Many of Mitchell’s friends are like that, he says, meaning, “they’re very relaxed about the idea of gender fluidity.”
It didn’t hurt that Criss was also a rock ’n’ roller at heart. He was always, as he puts it, “a guy with a guitar and a microphone,” rather than someone formally trained in musical theater. He says he would ruin a show like “South Pacific.”
Trask also wanted Criss for the role and approached him during a Broadway opening-night party. He admired Criss’ performance in “Glee,” in which he played gay teen Blaine Anderson.
“He just kind of jumped off the screen,” Trask says. “You’ve got this show with a certain amount of machinery around all the performances, but Darren just popped out of the machine. He was clearly operating on a different level.”
Interestingly, Criss remembers things a bit differently. He says he asked Trask if he could play the role. Playing Hedwig had been a dream since a 14-year-old Criss first saw the indie movie starring Mitchell.
Criss loved the story, with its brash David Bowie and Velvet Underground-inspired rock ’n’ roll soundtrack and subversive plot line. Later in life, Criss and his girlfriend dressed as Hedwig and Yitzhak for Halloween.
“I’ve always had my sights set on this,” he says. “This could very well be the greatest role I ever play.”
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Hope you love seeing Darren in Hedwig (I have a feeling, for some reason, that you will
), and have tons of fun seeing Darren in his old high school, St. Ignatius!
I can't believe, after all this time, that I'll actually finally be seeing Darren perform live. Eek. 
I hope today's day off will help his leg/knee recover from whatever happened yesterday. 
Cannot wait for the chat between Darren and Mr. Devine at St. Ignatius too. So much Darren goodness in a few days! 
then 
then 
then 
as I let it all sink in.
Is it just me?
I can't believe, after all this time, that I'll actually finally be seeing Darren perform live. Eek. 
I hope today's day off will help his leg/knee recover from whatever happened yesterday. 
Cannot wait for the chat between Darren and Mr. Devine at St. Ignatius too. So much Darren goodness in a few days! 
as I let it all sink in.
I apologize wifey! @hollywoodpantagestheatre