Fan Comments and Reviews, and Comments from others, who saw Darren in Hedwig and the Angry Inch on Broadway

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Darren was cast in the lead role in Hedwig and the Angry Inch on Broadway, from April 29 to July 19, 2015, at the Belasco Theatre.  


Please feel free to post comments about Darren in Hedwig and the Angry Inch on Broadway, that are not from the media.   To post in this thread ("Topic"), please select "Post Reply" and then type your post.


If you would like me to start a new Topic (thread) that is within the Category of "Hedwig and the Angry Inch on Broadway," please let me know. 


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I wanted to express my thoughts on what playing Hedwig on Broadway has done for Darren:
 
--It has helped him break out of the Glee-imposed mold of Blaine.
 
--It has shown the Broadway community and beyond that Darren is capable of carrying a Broadway production, that he is more than a "teen idol" from a TV show called Glee.   It showed how versatile he is in terms of convincingly inhabiting a complex character like Hedwig, who couldn't be more different than Blaine, all the while under the pressure of live theater.
 
--It showed the breadth and depth of his acting talent.  If an actor playing the lead role in a two-person show on Broadway, that is an hour and a half long, can carry that show, then that person must have talent.  This role required Darren to capture and maintain the audience's attention.  It required Darren to sing, to dance, and to improvise to what the audience tossed at him.  It required comic timing.  Most importantly, this role required Darren to touch the hearts of the audience with his dramatic acting, as they felt for Hedwig in her pain, sadness, anger, frustration, struggle to find hope, and struggle to accept herself.  And boy, did Darren prove to people that he had acting talent, in a way that Glee did not fully allow him the opportunity to display.  As others have said, he was breathtaking, mesmerizing, charismatic, and electrifying.   He brought so much heart and soul to the role.  Even though I am a fan of his, he surprised me--he blew me away--with how talented an actor he is.   It was inspiring to witness him shining on stage.
 
--It gave him the opportunity to show the strength of his live singing, as well as his versatility in singing both ballads and rock songs.  Also, it showed how Darren was able to convey Hedwig's various emotions through song.  Darren was able to move people through the emotion in his singing voice.
 
--It showed that Darren had physical endurance, including his singing voice.   He demonstrated that he was more than capable of maintaining the quality needed to act, sing, and dance in this physically challenging, two-person show, for more than a short 3-week stint (as in How to Succeed).  

--It highlighted Darren to important folks in the Broadway community and beyond.  Hopefully, any producers, directors, or writers (for theater, film, or TV) would think of Darren for future projects.
 
--It expanded other opportunities for Darren to receive positive exposure, such as co-hosting the red carpet at the Tony's, and at Stars in the Alley, that showed his talent at being a charming host.  
 
--It also allowed for an opportunity for others to see one of Darren's most special traits, that he truly cares about others, that he is a good and decent human being.   Darren  spent so much time with his fans at the stage door.  People at the café next door to the theater even tweeted about how Darren was a class act.   In addition, his caring nature was evident when he donated his time to show his support of the Voices for the Voiceless event (to help older kids and young adults in the foster care system find families).  He also was gentle and sweet to that shy little girl who he serenaded at that fundraising event.   
 
--Darren lived out yet another one of his dreams.  How many has he checked off so far?  Meeting and working with Stephen Sondheim, singing for Alan Menken and also performing one of Alan's songs from Aladdin ("Proud of Your Boy") on a Disney TV special, (ha!) doing a duet with Kermit, and . . . performing in a musical that he has loved since he was a teen (and working with John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask).   The other actors who performed Hedwig on Broadway were older, further in their careers, with more experience in theater, on Broadway and off-Broadway.  This is a role that truly challenged the actor playing the lead role of Hedwig, but this role also truly shined a spotlight on the actor.  That Darren was able to star in this wonderfully poignant, socially relevant, critically acclaimed work so early in his career, as a young actor, given the talented older men who have starred as Hedwig, is such a honor for Darren, one that he took to heart.

Here are some (non-media) tweets about Darren in Hedwig and the Angry Inch.


--Regarding his performance on April 28, 2015 (the night before opening night), for the dress rehearsal.





DCN

Note:  Lauren Moran is a Hedwig fan.





A couple of tweets from another long-time Hedwig fan:


Source






Source





Source
(via darrencrisshedwig)

I scrolled down Lauren and also Danni's twitter pages, for the period that season 6 of Glee was on, and I didn't see anything to indicate that either of these two Hedwig fans (Lauren and Danni) had followed Glee or Darren.






DCN

Note:  Kiera Bennett is a stage manager.







DCN





DCN


















DCN

Note Stephen Reich is an actor.
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I use abbreviations for the actors.  NPH is Neil Patrick Harris (Hedwig 1 on Broadway).  Andrew Rannells is Hedwig 2.  MCH is Michael C. Hall (Hedwig 3).   JCM is John Cameron Mitchell (Hedwig 4 on Broadway and the original Hedwig and co-creator years ago).   Darren is the 5th Hedwig on Broadway.  Taye Diggs followed Darren as the 6th Hedwig on Broadway.



This person was impressed with NPH when he played Hedwig.

There isn’t much that I’ve seen that exceeds @ActuallyNPH in @HedwigOnBway

Mr. Harris puts his whole body into that performance! 

— E_Dub  (@wewdie), August 3, 2014

Tonight I saw @DarrenCriss as @HedwigOnBway
It was the 1st time the score has moved me. Great show! Fantastic singing!   #LiftUpYourHands

— E_Dub (@wewdie) May 1, 2015

He apparently liked Darren's singing so much, that he tweeted this:

@DarrenCriss @HedwigOnBway Any chance, Darren’a Hedwig will record an album or EP of songs from the show?

— E_Dub  (@wewdie), May 12, 2015

May 2, 2015
DCN

Note:   John Shevlin is long-time Hedwig fan, and also is a fan of Glee.  He is a big fan of John Cameron Mitchell and has seen him in Hedwig several times, including on John's opening night.








May 3, 2015
DCN






@_whatshername is a Hedwig fan, who has seen 3 actors play Hedwig, as well as a fan of Darren.  She has seen JCM, but I'm not sure who the other Hedwig actor is.  Here, she is talking with a friend about Darren in Hedwig.  I assume "MR" is "Midnight Radio," one of the most emotional songs in the show.

Guys, Darren's Midnight Radio is my favorite. If just kills me. @takeyourlove I'm headed down to you!

— T. R. (@_whatshername), May 3, 2015

@yourgwyneth MR fucking kills me. By far my fav of the 3 Hedwigs I've seen and that's saying a lot.

— T. R.  (@_whatshername), May 4, 2015

She also discussed Darren's performance with another Hedwig fan, who asked how Darren was doing in the musical.

@_whatshername How was Darren, btw? Not that I could think he was better than JCM... After all, he's Batman  http://t.co/rWMTgoG8aU

— Ataru no Miko  (@atarunomiko), May 6, 2015

@atarunomiko lol well JCM's been doing Hedwig for 2 decades so it's hard to compare! He added like 20 minutes of patter/jokes to his show!

— T. R.  (@_whatshername), May 6, 2015

@atarunomiko Every Hedwig has benn a bit different. D has a very punk rock vibe (ditto RNJ) & he really knocks the dramatic parts out of...

— T. R.  (@_whatshername), May 6, 2015

@atarunomiko the park. That last run from the trailer scene through the end is amazing & his MR is my fav. Overall he's color able to NPH.

— T. R.  (@_whatshername), May 6, 2015

This person is a fan of Darren.  She had seen NPH in the role, and she saw Darren on his opening night (April 29, 2015), and returned to see him again on May 3 and Friday, May 8.

bhop529 wrote:
Okay. So I was going to wait until July when this whole world wind was over to write my thoughts/feelings/critiques etc down. However, after last nights performance, I NEED to say something now. As a preface, my first introduction to Hedwig was last summer when I saw NPH in it. I quickly fell in love. At the time I thought to myself, “I would KILL to see Darren in this. But it would never happen”. Then in November(ish) Stephen gave that interview where he said he would love to see Darren in the role and it both delighted and surprised me. The more I thought about it the more I wanted it. THEN it happened. The announcement came. Yet, instead of delight, I felt trepidation. I knew deep down that Darren could do. I knew that he wouldn’t do it unless he really believed he could. However, I was nervous as shit for him. My sister is a hedhead and when I told her the news she was so skeptical and thought there was no way Darren could do it. I immediately defended him and that’s when I realized YES THIS WILL BE AMAZING! (In the interim I saw JCM in the role).

I went to opening night, sat behind Max Adler, and enjoyed the heck out of it. Darren impressed me vocally, especially on the harder rock songs. I thought he did a great job but definitely needed some improvement, as is expected with an opening night. The two biggest shortcomings, for me, were It felt too rehearsed and the relationship between Hedwig and Yitzak just wasn’t really there.

I returned last Sunday for the matinee, (sat in the very last row of the theater) and already saw vast improvement. He seemed more comfortable and at ease, not just in the role but with the audience interaction as well. His physicality was spot on and his Tommy Gnosis, MY GOD!!! I could also see that Darren and Rebecca had figured out the relationship, which was a great thing to see.

I wasn’t planning on going back so soon, but when they announced the discounted tickets, I couldn’t pass them up. So I went again last night, Friday, and sat in the first row in the mezzanine and I have no words, yet was compelled to write SOMETHING. I was transfixed the whole time. I can’t even say Darren nailed absolutely everything, because Darren wasn’t on that stage AT ALL. Every critique I had for the past week vanished. This was the best I ever saw the show performed, yes including NPH and JCM. I couldn’t get over the physicality. Just the way he transitions from each character with not just his voice but physically, it’s astonishing. The part that amazes me the most is Wicked Little Town Reprise. Darren completely drops Hedwig and just becomes Tommy in that moment. Even in the way he sings the song. With, NPH and JCM, it almost as if they just drop the accent and sing the song in their normal voice, but Darren sings it as Tommy. I really don’t know how to describe it. It’s truly like Tommy Gnosis comes to life before your very eyes. Then when the lights come back up after the song, *poof* he’s gone and Hedwig is standing there now. It’s almost like a magic trick. I was in awe and completely speechless watching the last 10 min or so. Then curtain call happens and BAM there is Darren in all his glory. It’s the first time he graces you with his presence the whole night.

Before the run started I had tickets for 3 shows (opening, the end of May, and closing). I figured by the time I saw him at the end of May he’d have all the kinks figured out and would really be settling into the role. I’m so happy that I got impromptu tickets for this past week, because in just a week he has completely taken this role and owned the shit out of it. If it’s this great a week in, I can only imagine what’ll be like in 3 weeks when I sit in the front row and bask in the glory of this amazing, crazy, fearless, wounded, beautiful woman.

-bhop529

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Fan review from a fan of Darren, who also is a long-time Hedwig fan, who has seen NPH, Andrew Rannells, and JCM.

crissmedarren (now know as rarelyprettyneverhip): wrote:
Hedwig fan first, Darren fan second.

Seeing Darren in Hedwig tonight had me scared, I’ll admit. Hedwig is my favorite show/musical movie and having just seen it with John Cameron Mitchell, I was worried about how well two things I loved would mesh: for reference I have also seen it with NPH and Andrew Rannels.

I’ll start with the good - the score has never sounded better. Darren songs his goddamn face off and does not hit a bad note. He really puts his emotions into the song, and he makes the songs more personal than the last few Hedwigs have - perhaps because he’s a musician.

Physically, Darren is heartbreaking. He has a face that was built to act on stage. His physicality in the role was also amazing. He was all over that stage, running and jumping and rolling and licking and kick in and selling it to every seat in the house He carries himself really well - his Hedwig is sexier than any I’ve ever seen.

As for the bad, and there is one thing he can do something for and another that we need to watch. He needs to talk louder, especially during the “oven” scenes. It is just a little hard to hear, and that is an important part of the show.

Now. I am livid that I have to say this: PEOPLE DO NOT PAY MONEY TO HEAR FANS SING. I know this is ongoing criticism of fans during concerts, but this is Broadway. The girl beside us sang every song and said every line in the show. STOP IT. She actually yelled out during the show and Hedwig yelled at her and mentioned that HEDWIG was on the building and not annoying fan girl.

I don’t care how big of a fan you are or how many times you’ve seen the show: don’t sing along. Especially with someone like Darren who has the skills to change up the song every night with how he feels. It was only one person, but I think she will be back. I hope this post finds you.

May 5, 2015

Source:    rarelyprettyneverhip  (formerly known as crissmedarren)

(via gleekto)

rarelyprettyneverhip wrote:

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Anonymous:
How was he in the different roles?

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His Hedwig is a sexpot, plain and simple. She slithers around the stage and works those heels and the floor and the car more than any other Hedwig did.

His Luther was SO GOOD. I was worried about how his accent would come across, but he really did well with those lines and the constant switching.

His Tommy. I cannot with his Tommy. This is where, I think, he is light years better than every other Hedwig, including JCM. Watch him breathe as Tommy, watch his motions as Tommy, and you will see a masterclass. I was blown away by everything that had to do with Tommy - he took a character that was a little weak and really brought him to life.

The only character I wasn’t a fan of with him was Hedwig’s mother….I think that accent needs a bit of work.

Source:  rarelyprettyneverhip
May 6, 2015

rarelyprettyneverhip wrote:



Anonymous:
Other than the crazy fan lol, how was his interaction with the crowd? I heard that last night's crowd really loved him.

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You can tell he is a performer and has toured, especially if you compare him to the other Hedwigs - JCM withstanding (he didn’t have to do much to win the crowd, he had them). He can work the room so well, and it helped that he is all over the stage.

Something I found VERY interesting about the crowd is the sheer maleness of the crowd - so many men! So many men in the front row!

I feel like I’m gushing, but you can also tell how smart he is. Hedwig has to think on her feet, especially during the crowd interaction parts, and Darren was able to pull stuff that I don’t think many people could.

Source:  rarelyprettyneverhip
May 6, 2015

rarelyprettyneverhip wrote:
Anonymous:
Ok, so yes! My friend saw him on his third night and she said that his Hedwig is definitely more risque and sexy - and that the audience really responded to it (including some guys). She's seen JCM, Andrew & MCH, and she was blown away by that physicality.

I’m glad so many people agree! He is definitely doing his own thing and it looks so good!

-rarelyprettyneverhip
May 7, 2015

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(via darrencriss-news and darrencrisshedwig )
 May 6, 2015







May 7, 2015
(via darrencrisshedwig)







Some tweets from @laurenmoran,  who is a big Hedwig fan:

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

Note:  I scrolled down Lauren's twitter page, for the period that season 6 of Glee was on, and I didn't see anything to indicate she had followed Glee or Darren.





These were comments to The Backlot's Review (note:  Steven Frank is the reviewer of the article):

DexterSoma  
Thanks for this review, Steven. As a total Hedhead, I wasn't so sure when I heard Darren was cast. I think I need to start planning my trip now. I've seen Neil Patrick Harris, Michael C. Hall and John Cameron Mitchell on this Broadway version(unfortunately I was not able to make the trip east for Andrew Rannells). and loved every singly one of their performances. Of course, Hedwig is probably my favorite musical of all time.

I guess I should plan on some overtime to help pay for this trip!



Steven Frank 
As I've said, I've seen JCM, NPH and now DC. But for what it's worth, I struck up a conversation with a woman seated in front of me who had seen all of the Broadway Hedwigs. She said she had no idea what to expect of Criss (I got the feeling she didn't really know who he was but loved Hedwig so much she kept going), but after the show she told me she was, quote, "blown away."
May 7, 2015







Another tweet:

.@DarrenCriss as Hedwig was something I didn't know I needed until tonight. That exceeded any expectation I could ever have. #HedwigOnBway

— lindsay gray (@lindsaygray21) May 8, 2015

May 8, 2015
DCN

Note:  Ian Sheddan followed Glee. 






This person was touched.

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

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A review by a fan who has seen all of the Hedwig actors on Broadway at that time (who also is a fan of Darren):

mspracticalamanda wrote:
Darren as Hedwig May 9th

I’ve had the good fortune of being able to see all of the other Hedwigs too, so I thought I could write a little review of how I thought wonderful Darren compared to the rest of those wonderful gals. I took my mom for Mother’s Day and her reaction afterwards was just: “He is spectacular. He’s going to go far.”

1) As many have already said, Darren was BY FAR the most athletic of the Hedwigs. I was really blown away by his movement. Now I happen to be one of those annoying HedHeads that thinks JCM will always be in a class of his own haha, but especially having seen it twice with him in a knee brace, watching Darren use the whole stage in such a wonderful, lively way was extremely exciting.

2) I would probably most compare Darren’s portrayal to Andrew’s. Maybe it was an age thing or maybe it’s just a coincidence, but it was a very particular brand of world weariness. No matter who is playing Hedwig, if it’s done well, she has a real jaded/world weariness about her, but the way Darren played it she didn’t also come off hardened. She had a sweetness to her which I thought was a fairly brilliant choice on his part especially since he is a relatively young iteration of the character.

3) Others have said it already, but I second (third, fourth, fifth???) the fact that Darren was quite spectacular at differentiating the different characters that Hedwig has to portray in telling her story. While the way JCM EMBODIES Hedwig will only truly be achieved by him alone, I feel as if Michael C. Hall and Darren were the best “actors” to have played the roll. Darren has always been a very important musician to me, and it’s really nice to see him get to stretch his acting chops.

4) This is the big one. A co-worker of mine is close friends with the producers of Hedwig and before I left work on Friday he told me that the producer thinks Darren has the best “last 20 minutes” that he’s ever seen. Honestly, I didn’t think it was possible for me to be more affected by the climax and come down of that show than I already usually am, but the PRODUCER WAS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. I have never been so blown away by the “All Sewn Up/Wicked Little Town/Midnight Radio” ending.  Darren completely owned that show in that moment.

5) This is an extension of 4 I guess, but I don’t think I’ve ever been so emotional during a rendition of Midnight Radio. It’s probably something to do with the journey we’ve all watched Darren go on, and how it’s led to this point. Everyone else is right, during the whole show I basically completely forgot it was Darren, but when he strips down and starts singing in his “boy voice” and sounds more like we’re used to him sounding, there was definitely a moment of HOLY SHIT OUR BOY IS ACTUALLY DOING THIS. It was spectacular, and I think I’ll treasure that moment for a long time to come.

-mspracticalamanda-deactivated20

 (via darrencrissstarkid)
May 9, 2015





A few comments from members on BroadwayWorld.com message board:

This person had seen NPH and JCM (John Cameron Mitchell) in the role.

CenterOrchestra wrote:
Saw this last night. I thought Darren did a great job. Actually liked him better than NPH. I thought NPH played Hedwig too tough. Darren found a nice vulnerability and seemed into the whole drag queen persona. Saw it twice with JCM in the original production - thought Darren was more on par with JCM's interpretation. Also really liked how well he defined the other characters he played - Lester, Tommy - Hedwig's mother.

-CenterOrchestra
May 8, 2015.

This person had seen NPH, MCH (Michael C. Hall), and JCM in the role.

steven22 wrote:
Saw Darren and Rebecca last night. I was pleasantly surprised with Darren. He was wonderful. I've seen NPH, MCH and JCM before. All have been wonderful. Of course, Rebecca was fantastic. Glad she's back on Broadway.

-steven22
May 9, 2015

This person had said on the BroadwayWorld.com message board that he had  seen all the actors who played Hedwig on Broadway at that time, except MCH.  So he had seen NPH, Andrew Rannells, and JCM.   He also had seen Kevin Cahoon play Hedwig in San Francisco.  Based on his comments, he does not seem previously to have been a fan of Glee and had not followed Darren's career.  He  is a fan of Rebecca Naomi Jones (who played Yitzhak).
 

Yes, yes I did just book to see my fourth @HedwigOnBway , very excited to see @Rebeccasername take on Yitzhak. Loved her in Murder Ballad.

— Jarret Hastings (@jrmagicsandiego) May 8, 2015

Wow.  Once again blown away by Hedwig.  @TitsofClay @Rebeccasername @HedwigOnBway

— Jarret Hastings (@jrmagicsandiego) May 10, 2015

@babymama11108 @TitsofClay @Rebeccasername @HedwigOnBway @DarrenCriss he was great, just didn't follow here.  Powerful and emotionally raw.

— Jarret Hastings (@jrmagicsandiego) May 10, 2015

This person had seen all the Hedwig actors at that time, and had seen Hedwig 6 times.  She had seen NPH, Andrew (2 times), MCH, JCM, and Darren was her 6th time.   She is a fan of Darren as well.

mrnowack (formerly known as wickedtowns): wrote:
So, this happened.

First of all, Darren has already improved so much since opening night - this is now my 6th time seeing the show, and this performance is tied with Andrew’s for the number one spot. He was so emotional and raw, and I cried really hard at least 3 times. His improvisations were hilarious, and he captured Hedwig and her personality so, so well. He really became her, and it hit me really hard.

I knew what I had to tell him after the show. I’ve never been able to say any of this to him before, and I just felt like it was something I should do, and I was shaking and so nervous but I managed to get it all out. He replied with “aw, cool!” as well as touching my arm, then he said that the Hedwig plan had been cooking for a year or so. (Kinda hard to hear under my dumb voice so I just wanted to clear it up a ‘lil!) He looked directly in my eyes and really made me feel like he was listening and that he cared, and I’m just so grateful to have him in my life. He’s the best idol anyone could have. Tonight was amazing. (Also, I got home and saw that he retweeted pictures of my mom and I. That made me pretty damn happy, too.) :’)

-mrnowack
May 9, 2015

(via darrencrisshedwig)







This person is a fan of Darren, but had a few doubts about Darren as Hedwig.  She had seen NPH and MCH in the role.

freeyourmindandtherestwillfollow wrote:
i’ve seen a few posts worrying about the authenticity of darren’s performance because he isn’t queer, and at first i though, oh that’s ridiculous. his sexuality should have no bearing on his performance. but now that i’m thinking about it, it just might.

at first, i described NPH’s performance as “dirty” and MCH’s performance as “flirty” and i think what i was really trying to say was that NPH’s performance was DIRTY. it was darker and grittier and real and i cried and i still cry listening to the soundtrack because underneath the sparkly blue nail polish and dick jokes, it’s painfully REAL.

and while MCH was wonderful, his performance leaned more towards “fun.” it felt more like an act. i could distinguish the line between actor and character. it was missing that REAL factor. after i left NPH’s performance, i felt like i had dirt under my nails and my heart was in my throat. leaving MCH’s felt like the show had ended. the performance was over.

it might have to do with the differences of NPH and MCH’s techniques or takes on hedwig herself, but the more i think about it, the more i definitely think being queer played a role. you can play a hundred queer characters and have queer best friends and family members, but it’s so difficult to convey the struggle of being queer when…you’re not.

i have all the faith in the world in darren to deliver, but i will absolutely pay careful attention when i go see him this week.

-freeyourmindandtherestwillfollow

She then posted this after she saw Darren in Hedwig:

freeyourmindandtherestwillfollow wrote:
Last night I had the privilege of seeing Darren take on “Hedwig” and he was phenomenal. I was really blown away by his performance.

About a week ago, I made this post, but by the time the opening chords of Origin of Love were playing, all my concerns vanished. He played her so brilliantly.

She was…bitter. She was angry. She was tired. She was tired of being angry. Every joke had a caustic edge to it. Every time she got angry or distressed, she fell. Literally. She was exhausted. During Exquisite Corpse, she practically stumbled around the stage, shouting the lyrics and collapsing onto the floor.

NPH’s performance was spectacular, and Michael C. Hall’s was a lot of fun, but Darren’s portrayal spoke to me on a deeply personal level. Later, at the stage door, I thanked him for how he played her and told him he was amazing and he said Thank you, I’m so glad you enjoyed it, but I don’t think he, or really anyone, could grasp how much this performance meant to me.

When I first came to terms with my sexuality in ninth grade, I didn’t tell anyone. I indirectly told my best friend and then shut up about it until the beginning of this school year (I’m a senior now). I came out to my dad first, then my best friends, then my GSA. And I hated it. It was awful. Coming out, for me, was an incredibly uncomfortable experience and I hated my sexuality and resented it and I haven’t come out to anyone since September. And I was PISSED. I was really angry at society and myself and the powers that be that I was who I was, that I even had to come out in the first place, that I had to explain to my dad what pansexual meant, that I have to explain myself, that I had to be scared of being rejected by the people I love just because I feel things a little differently than they do. I was ANGRY. I still am. But recently, I’ve realized there’s no point. It’s not accomplishing anything. But I still am, nevertheless. Being angry at something that won’t change is exhausting. I am tired. I’m so sick and tired of being mad.

And Darren’s performance last night really HIT me. I loved the show with all of my heart for various reasons beforehand, but last night was the first time I really, truly felt a personal connection with the show as a whole. And I can’t thank him enough.

Thank you, Darren. Thank you, Rebecca and Lena and JCM and Stephen Trask.

Thank you, Hedwig.

-freeyourmindandtherestwillfollow
May 9, 2015

(via gleekto)

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tirpse:
Source:  HedwigOnBway Facebook page, May 10, 2015
(via DCN)






Source:  HedwigOnBwayFacebook page, May 11, 2015

Credit to tirpse



This person is a long-time passionate fan of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, having seen the show on  Broadway over 40 times.  She saw JCM in the show many times, and saw Darren four times, MCH three times, and Taye Diggs twice.  She also saw NPH and Andrew Rannells as well.   I browsed through her blog (for the time that season 6 of Glee was on) and did not see anything to indicate she had followed Glee or Darren.   Here is a review the second time she saw Darren in Hedwig and the Angry Inch:

no-sleep-till-bklyn wrote:
Saw Darren as Hedwig for the second time tonight. He has gotten so much better. Sadly I didn’t stagedoor because I wasn’t by the gate and Annie said he wasn’t going past the gates on the right side. I see no point in staying if I’m all the way in the back. ♡ I broke down in tears during Origin of Love. And again I can’t get enough of his physical movements during the show. I am living for them. ♡Rebecca was on fire tonight. She did some type of James Brown dance during Sugar Daddy. ♡During Sugar Daddy Darren car washed a guy and kissed a guy in the front row. After he told the guy “wow your glasses are foggy like the back seat of the car last night… remember” ♡other funny moments were during Tear Me Down (when Yitzhak says his part) Hedwig was humping Jacek’s guitar. Matt looked confused at first. (Matt looked extra hot tonight). ♡after Wig in a Box Hedwig would raise her arm and lower it in order to make the crowd scream louder and quite down. She did this a few times fast which made the audience sound like woo…woo. woo. Really fast. ♡musical references were “if I wanted to see a mess on stage I would have gone to Dr. Zhivago. after Wig in a Box hair outfit, Hedwig said I belong down the street in the Lion Queen (old joke) but Darren did a dance and raised the mic like simba. Then he said I could also see Something Rotten… like Kinky Boots! ♡ when he threw the shroud of Hedwig and girl got it and he said ” no give to to your friend so she can wipe the jizz of her face… it’s only polite" (it was the girl he spit on during heavy metal gesture). ♡ I also truly loved his Exquisite Corpse and Angry Inch. He was very angry at these points. His Wicked Little Town reprise and Midnight Radio were amazing. He’s really made them his own but it’s still so Hedwig. Can’t wait to see him again. Next time will be my 40th time seeing the show!

no-sleep-till-bklyn
May 12, 2015

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Here is a review from someone who admits upfront that she is a fan of Darren, but who also explains that she is a fan of theater.

theatrevicki wrote:
Darren is Hedwig, May 14th

It’s taken me some time to get my thoughts together so that I could construct a (hopefully) coherent and intelligent review of Hedwig. Although I realize there are several fan reviews out there, I want to add my voice to the mix, if not for anyone else’s reading, then well, at least for me and my sense of completion. For the record, I saw the May 14th (Thursday) show at 8pm and I was sitting in row B (4 rows from the stage) in the center section.

Anyone who knows me or sees this blog will immediately realize that I’m a huge Darren fan, and I’m not discounting that fact at all; however, fangirl bias aside, I am also a Theatre PhD student, a theatre scholar, and a theatre critic. For what it’s worth, I like to think that I know a little something about the theatre and I’m also incredibly critical of performance. That said, I am a Darren fan, but I also know what his weaknesses are (hell, Darren knows what his weaknesses are), so I went into this performance with the concern that he might not be able to live up to the hype I’ve read from other fan accounts.

I was wrong.

Darren is incredible in this performance. The hashtag could not be any more true–Darren IS Hedwig. So many fans have stated this already, but it cannot be overstated: Darren disappears into this role and he does not emerge until curtain call. It’s an incredible thing to watch. Having seen more live theatre than I can actually count, I can tell you that this is not an easy feat. This is not something that I’ve seen many times before. I’ve seen some people suggesting bias when it comes to Darren fans’ reviews, but the thing is, who else is better suited to judge how “Darren” Darren is in this performance? Let’s face it: we know Darren’s mannerisms, his voice, his inflections, his physicality (the list goes on), so of course, we can tell with the utmost certainty that at no point in time is that Darren on the stage. In fact, there were times when I completely forgot that I was watching Darren at all; I was just living in the moment with this tortured, funny, sexy, vulnerable, playful, angry woman. And she is fierce and amazing. 

For those of you who love this show, you already know the power that Hedwig commands, but for those of you who are newcomers to her story, this show will very likely change you. Now, I’d seen the movie before but never the show, and I must admit that the film never really did it for me. I thought it was good, but it didn’t change me. The live experience is so completely different. You go through this journey with her–you feel her pain, her anger, and her frustration. And Darren is so, so good at navigating a live audience. He gives everything to the audience and you feel it. It’s incredible to watch how quickly and deftly he is able to work with the audience and respond to not only the specific prompts the audience gives, but also the general “vibe” of the house. Amazing. 

Technically, I will concur with the many other reviews that say that Darren’s voice absolutely kills this score. He nails every single song, both vocally and emotionally. His physicality and embodiment of Hedwig is technically perfect without looking technical. Darren commits to this embodiment and is truly living as Hedwig during those 90 crazy minutes.

And it’s not just his performance of Hedwig, either. He fully commits to all of the characters he portrays. Seriously, I was blown away by his Tommy Gnosis. Since Tommy might have been the most “Darren” character in the show, he could have easily dropped into himself at that point; instead, he created a completely different character, and his ability to switch between all of these characters as quickly and deftly as he does is nothing short of awe-inducing.

I would be remiss in not mentioning Tits of Clay and Rebecca Naomi Jones, who are all incredible. Rebecca is amazing as Yitzhak; the range, power, and precision of her voice are stunning. She and Darren play off of one another immeasurably well. 

Finally, although it is not a spectacle-driven show per se, the final moments of the show are technically gorgeous and the designers and stage crew that are responsible for those final moments deserve recognition for their hard work.

I love the theatre. I feel so deeply in my soul that theatre is (capital “I”) Important. It can change you. So, if it is at all feasible for you to see Hedwig and the Angry Inch, GO! Do it. Not only will you be blown away by the power and commitment of Darren as Hedwig, you’ll also likely be changed by the story of this incredible show.

-theatrevicki
May 14, 2015

From someone who has seen Hedwig and the Angry Inch 4 times on Broadway.  I scrolled down her twitter page (during the period when Season 6 of Glee was on) and did not see anything indicating she had followed Glee or Darren. 

May 15, 2015
DCN





From a someone on the BroadwayWorld.com message board.

everythingtaboo wrote:
Saw the show last night and I thought both Darren and Rebecca were really good. I think now that the crazy fangurl crowds have seen the show, we he's performing to some regular audiences, that's given him a chance to settle his performance a bit. Based on some clips from his first shows I've heard, his control of the songs has improved quite a bit now. Many of his song performances are quite strong, and you can see his singer background informs his performances. I thought his book scenes were all around very good, though do I agree with Marway44 that it seems hard for him to get fully angry, his reactions to Tommy's performance down the street never really fully convincing. That said, he had no trouble reaching those dark places with Yitzhak, and it was quite chilling when they did happen. Away from those dark scenes, Darren's youthful enthusiasm was infectious and made for a really fun night.

Speaking of Yitzhak, Rebecca Naomi Jones continues to wow me. While never as convincing as a man as Lena was able to pull off, she was strong on her own, and when she sang, it was unsurprisingly a glorious sound.
-everythingtaboo
May 15, 2015

From someone who has seen Hedwig four times (with four different Hedwig actors?):

@admat97
May 17, 2015




Another tweet from her:

We're here for our 4th Hedwig @HedwigOnBway @DarrenCriss @TitsofClay pic.twitter.com/kckO3P3Kfn

— Deborah (@admat97) May 16, 2015

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I always enjoy reading comments about Darren's performances from people who don't consider themselves to be fans of Darren.  This person had relayed the impressions of her brother and his friends when they saw Darren on May 16 in Hedwig.  Her brother is also an avid theater-lover in NYC. 

morninggloww wrote:
Also, I never really said much about seeing Hedwig this past weekend on May 16th, but one thing that tbh kind of surprised me was how much my brother and his friends ended up loving it. None of them are Darren fans, my brother only knows about Darren because of me (he hates Glee and wasn’t really impressed by his performance when we saw H2$) and his friends had no clue who he is. But he and his friends all left talking about how amazing the show was, and how good Darren was and in a really difficult role (none of them realized he’d be on stage the entire show). My brother actually said that it was probably his favorite show that he’s seen, and he used to see them all the time when he worked in NYC. He said that while H2$ was alright, this showed him that Darren was a really good actor.
 
and idk, that made me really proud of Darren because while I knew I’d enjoy the show and Darren’s performance it was nice to hear people who aren’t fans and are unbiased praising his performance.
 
-morninggloww
Posted May 20, 2015

Flamingmuse is a fan of Darren.  She also had seen NPH in the role.

flamingmuse wrote:

coffeeandchocolate22 asked: Hi:-) Do you mind sharing your opinion of Darren's performance?

Sure! He was fantastic!

I’d seen Hedwig before and knew the beats of the show as NPH delivered them.  Darren delivered them, too, to great success.  He was snarky, sexy, vulnerable, angry, raw, ripped open, and glorious.  He was perfectly Hedwig, from boots to wig and everything in between.

He is absolutely a musician in a way NPH was not (the only other Hedwig I saw on Broadway - and I’m not in any way putting down NPH, who was also glorious and who has other strengths in the role Darren does not), and that shows in just how powerfully he commanded the stage in the songs. He didn’t sound like Darren; he sounded like Hedwig. He sang like Hedwig. But his knowledge of singing rock songs live - how to move, how to handle the equipment, how to work the crowd - made the show feel like a concert instead of a play exactly the way it is meant to.

I was in the third row, and I was totally wrapped up in the subtle shifts of his face and body throughout the performance. He is a very physically minded actor, and it’s impressive to watch. He moved like Hedwig, and perfectly.  I really enjoyed how he managed the instantaneous transformations of his body and voice to become other characters.

I tend to watch shows with two tracks of my brain: one is totally wrapped up in the story, and the other is pulling apart every detail of the acting and the set and all of the “magic” of how the show works.  Both tracks of my brain came away very well satisfied, indeed.

He was fantastic.  He’s a great choice for the role, and the role is a great choice for him.

-flamingmuse
May 17, 2015

She also wrote this:

flamingmuse wrote:I’m still in a post-Hedwig delirium, but what I can say about Darren as Hedwig is that (compared to NPH, whom I saw in the role last year and who was great but a showman instead of a musician) he gave us a really fucking good rock concert. You can see Darren's roots as a musician. He knows how to own the stage, and he knows how to fucking kill those songs.

But even more, he nailed the emotional and physical transformations in a way I can’t even describe. He is such a physical actor, and it was so impressive to get to watch him play the different characters Hedwig slips in and out of. There were so many subtleties to his voice and his body. It was absolutely enthralling. He was hilarious and harsh and heartbreaking. What a masterpiece of a show for him to show his range of talent.

[. . . ]

And then I got to walk out of the stage door and past all of the fans at the barricades, and man, that's a daunting sight. There were a ton of people there. What a blur of faces. I'm impressed at how he manages it each and every night.

-flaming-muse LJ
May 17, 2015

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Here is my review of seeing Darren in Hedwig and the Angry Inch on May 17, 2015.

WARNING to those seeing him in the L.A. or SF shows:  SPOILERS

So I saw Darren for the Sunday afternoon performance (May 17).   While waiting for the show to start, I chatted with the woman and her family sitting next to me.  She was a New Yorker who had seen Michael C. Hall in the role and thought he was great.  She brought her family who was visiting to see the musical.  At the end of the show, I asked her what she thought of Darren's performance.   Smiling broadly, she enthusiastically said that he was "fantastic!"   Her daughter agreed.  Later, I saw both of them at the stage door waiting for Darren.

I saw a bootleg of NPH and JCM in the role on Broadway (and a bootleg of JCM off-Broadway).    So even though I am a fan of Darren, I knew he was filling some very big shoes.  

But as it turned out, Darren exceeded all my expectations!
 
He was very funny.   I did think John's timing was better, but Darren's was very good too, and I knew he would get even better (which he did).    I laughed throughout the performance. 
 
I thought he sounded fantastic.   It was clearly evident his singing voice had improved a great deal.  I assume he had taken some vocal lessons.  If so, it really had worked in strengthening his voice.    He also was so good at changing his voice too, anywhere from slightly different from his own singing voice, to a great deal different, in order to fit the various characters.  I was impressed that he did this so effortlessly.
 
He sounded really strong in the rock songs.  He sung those songs with so much fierceness and passion via his voice (and his movements and facial expressions).  I could see why Stephen Trask was so impressed with how Darren sang the rock songs.    When performing Tear Me Down and Angry Inch, Darren completely sold to me that Hedwig is a fierce rocker. 
 
I loved his version of Origin of Love.  He acted out the lyrics of the song, by varying how loudly or softly he sang, by the inflection of his voice, by how he pronounced the lyrics, and by how he changed his tone throughout the course of the song.  I loved the voice he used for the part about Zeus.   Even aside from the visual images (the screen with the pictures), he told the story of "the origin of love" so well.  Really great story-telling through his voice alone.  
 
My favorite songs were the ones where I felt Hedwig's emotion, and thus where I felt emotional.  I loved the way Darren sang the beginning portion of Wig In A Box.   It was truly beautiful.  I could feel the longing in Hedwig's voice, the longing to be in a better place in her life.  Very emotional.   When the tone of the song shifted to more upbeat and uplifting, Darren made the song full of joy.  Wicked Little Town (Hedwig's version) was quietly emotional 
 
I truly was impressed how much his singing had improved and how he used the instrument of his voice so well to capture the ferocity of Hedwig the rocker, or the emotion of Hedwig as vulnerable and despondent, and later, Hedwig as inspired, whole and strong.   
 
But it was his acting that really, truly impressed me.
 
At the point in the musical, where it was extremely emotional (when Hedwig realized Tommy was "the one," was her soul mate, as well as everything that followed that scene), Darren's acting and singing merged together so seamlessly, creating a truly impressive performance.  As much as Darren impressed me with the strength and versatility of his singing voice, it really was his acting--including how he acted out Hedwig's and Tommy's emotions through his singing--that really surpassed my expectations
 
And as much as I love and adore Blaine (and I really am emotionally invested in Blaine), it is by seeing Darren as Hedwig (and Tommy) that I realized how talented Darren really is in terms of his acting.  I found his acting to be breathtaking.    Darren truly took me by surprise--even given how big a Darren fan I am--by the depth of the emotion with which he was able to infuse his acting.  Starting from the point where Hedwig realized Tommy is "the one" (her other half that completes her, after the gods separated the children of the earth, the moon and the sun), and everything that followed, I was transfixed.  I simply was mesmerized by his acting, by the story, by Hedwig, by Tommy.  I think the rest of the audience felt the same, because they seemed to be holding their breath.  The audience was silent and still during the most crucial part of the story.  Darren was so good at acting out Hedwig's anger, as well as impressive in acting out Hedwig's hurt and dejection, her deep loss. 
 
When Darren sang "Hedwig's Lament," I could hear and see how crushed Hedwig was.  The emotion swirling in that short song was so clear.  In Exquisite Corpse, you could see and hear Hedwig spiraling downward.  It was absolutely fascinating to watch on the merits of the story itself, but even more so because this was Darren who was holding my emotions in the palm of his hand.  I could not take my eyes off of him. 
 
I'm not going to talk about every one of those emotional parts, but I do want to say that when Darren sang Wicked Little Town (Reprise), his acting and his singing continued to touch me.  You could hear the emotion in his voice; you could see the emotion on his face and in his body.

Darren absolutely killed Midnight Radio.  I felt so emotional, so happy watching and listening to Rebecca and Darren performing that song.  The part where Hedwig/Tommy gave Yitzhak the wig, was so tender, so intimate, so poignant.  And of course, the part where both Hedwig/Tommy and Yitzhak sang the words "lift up your hands" was so inspiring.   Darren was just belting his heart out and you could hear Hedwig/Tommy's heart in his voice.  You could see the hope and self-acceptance on Hedwig's/Tommy's face and body.

What also was interesting to me was what I saw after the performance was over.  When Darren was portraying Hedwig, he just projected a large person, a large personality with huge heartaches and huge dreams.    At the curtain call, when Darren came out, he looked like Darren.  His posture (slightly slouching and humble) looked like Darren.    It was amazing to me to see how different Darren looked as himself, than how he carried himself as Hedwig, or as Tommy.

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This person had seen NPH and JCM in the role, and is a fan of Darren.

aubreyli wrote:
Opening and "Tear Me Down"

Darren also definitely knows his way around a rock song.  He’s got just enough grit to be convincing, and he does interesting things with dynamics and vocal flourishes that speaks to his background as a musician.

[. . . ]

Tommy Speck to “The Long Grift”

·       Again, I feel like I’m repeating myself, but Darren’s Tommy is fantastic, better than the others I’ve seen.  I’d thought that Tommy, of all characters, would show shades of Darren, but he really didn’t.  Darren’s Tommy is the first Tommy I’ve seen who actually looks, sounds, and acts like he’s a naïve seventeen year-old kid.  And the earnestness that Darren puts into Tommy makes the line “will you give me the apple” endearing enough that you do understand why Hedwig would find him compelling.

·       Hedwig in the scene before, and during “Wicked Little Town,” is the most alluring she is in the show.  She’s very seductive as she tells Tommy about her show, and there’s definitely something siren-like about her as she sings to him.  

·       The scene where Tommy reaches between Hedwig’s legs is probably the best scene in the show.  It’s set up beautifully, with Hedwig’s incandescent joy at having found her other half, only to have that dream destroyed when Tommy rejects her.  Darren’s version of Hedwig’s reaction is interesting – I remember when it was NPH, his Hedwig felt much more cynical and bitter, but with a veneer of resigned good humour, like she was trying, but failing, to put a brave face over an old wound. Darren’s Hedwig doesn’t even bother to do that; it’s like the pain is completely fresh.

[ . . . ]


“Hedwig’s Lament” and “Exquisite Corpse”

. . . Anyone who’s watched Darren as Blaine will know that Darren does vulnerability very well; up until now, Hedwig’s always been a huge presence on stage in a way that has nothing to do with her wigs and costume.  Here, she looks tiny, like she’s trying to shrink back into herself.

[. . . ]


“Wicked Little Town (Reprise)” to the end

·       The last ten minutes of the show are, without question, the absolute best . . .  but just the performance of that song is amazing. Just as it has been Hedwig, not Darren, on stage this whole time, it’s Tommy, not Darren, performing this song. The way the entire number is presented, with the raised platform, the smoke, the lighting as Tommy spreads his arms wide, it’s just incredible.  I don’t think this is always the case, but when I watched the show, you could have heard a pin drop when he finished singing.  Everyone was just staring, stunned.

-aubreyli
May 18, 2015

I find it very helpful to read comments by long-time fans of Hedwig, especially those who have seen a few of the other actors who played Hedwig on Broadway.   I looked at this person's blog, and I didn't see any indication of previously being a fan of Darren.

fdelopera wrote:
Well, I just finished watching Darren’s bootleg. He’s really, really good. Solid vocals, strong acting, an all around great Hedwig. No one will ever dethrone John as the queen and king of my heart and soul, and I still feel profoundly bereft that he is no longer Hedwig at the Belasco, but Darren does this production proud. I am definitely going to see him live at least once in June.

-fdelopera
May 19, 2015

I find what fdelopera says about how Darren captured a central moment of the show during "Midnight Radio" to be very illuminating (as well as extremely complimentary, coming from a long-time Hedwig fan, who reveres John Cameron Mitchell).  Note her response to another Hedwig fan (awildeanwithoutaclue):

awildeanwithoutaclue wrote:
awildeanwithoutaclue replied to your post: Well, I just finished watching Darren’…

i found his hedwig incredibly sweet! almost rannells-sweet. he wasn’t as natural as i’d hoped in the first part, but he more than makes up for it in the second one, i think.

fdelopera wrote:
Yeah, I think Andrew’s Hedwig feels the most similar to Darren’s, but I find that I much prefer Darren’s, actually. IMO his acting is more nuanced and more interesting. And yeah, his acting in the second half of the show really blew me away. Especially his Tommy/Hedwig dialogue. The build up to Tommy’s rejection was so powerful, and so painful (in a good way) to watch. And he did an excellent job of creating very distinct physicalities for Hedwig and Tommy.

Darren’s Midnight Radio was perhaps my favorite part of his performance. Each actor has brought something unique to Hedwig, and what Darren brought to this scene was a clarity about Hedwig’s realization that she is in fact not a broken half that only Tommy can make whole, but is instead a complete person unto herself. The realization that Hansel is still here, as well as Hedwig. The realization that they don’t need to shove themself into one box or another in order to survive, but can live in the grey area of self-definition as a unique gender of one. I thought Darren captured this epiphany amazingly well.

-fdelopera
May 19, 2015

A third person, who is a fan of Darren (notenoughtogivebread) enters the conversation.

fdelopera wrote:I’m watching the Darren Criss Hedwig bootleg. And he’s GOOD. Really quite good. I’ve decided that I’ll be planning a trip to see him this June.

-fdelopera
May 19, 2015

notenoughtogivebread wrote:
Yeah…it’s what word of mouth looks like these days. And I guess twitter mentions too? I’ve been getting excited reading/seeing the comments shifting from “Ew! A teen idol-bro who is just going to f– this up and be disrespectul!” to “I wasn’t expecting as nuanced a portrayal as he gives”, “A tortured bitter sarcastic energetic force of nature”, “Another must-see Hedwig.” Followed by “Argh! Now it looks like I’m totally going to have to see him!”

Can’t wait to see the box office reflect this! (also can’t wait to go myself–soon!)

-notenoughtogivebread
May 19, 2015

I am just so impressed that a  big Hedwig fan feels this way:

fdelopera wrote:
Wow. Darren Criss continues to impress. I was not expecting to be this moved.

-fdelopera
May 19, 2015. 

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This person went to see Hedwig because she knew her little sister was a big fan of Darren and of Glee.   It was interesting to see her (big sister's) reaction to seeing Darren in Hedwig.  

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

This person had seen Hedwig 12 times. 

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

— Armando  (@ArmandoGJR), May 20, 2015

Another tweet from Lauren Moran, a long-time Hedwig fan (as of May 8, 2015, she had seen the show on Broadway 19 times), about Darren in Hedwig and the Angry Inch.

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

— lauren moran (@laurenmoran) May 21, 2015

Some tweets from someone who is a long-time fan of Hedwig and also is a fan of Darren.  It was interesting that this Hedwig fan was aware that other Hedwig fans would not believe him in terms of his praise of Darren's performance, but he nevertheless felt it important to state the truth about how much Darren's performance touched him.

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

And a friend of @rainerpism also made a comment about Darren's performance:

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

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This person has so many insights into the character of Hedwig and of Darren's performance.  I only took an excerpt, but if you have time, I encourage you to read his entire posts.   He is a long-time fan of Hedwig and also is a fan of Darren.

ablurredrainbowconnection wrote:
The Big Bad Hedwig Post (round 3) May 22, 2015

So last night i got to see Darren as Hedwig for the 2nd time, I also saw opening night. I’m going to put most of this under the cut( no spoilers visible!), but a few things to mention first:

1. I’m a queer trans man. I’ve adored hedwig for almost a decade, and it’s influenced my life in so many important ways. I’ve been a fan of Darren going on 7 years, the same can be said for him

[. . .]


3. If I had to explain Hedwig in one sentence it would be this: An exploration of the intersection of power, gender/sexuality,agency; and there effect on the cycle of abuse.

OK! SPOILERS AND DETAILS AHEAD! 

more lists cause that’s how I organize myself. i apologize for my sometimes bad memory. 

1. First off, all of the issues I had with Darren opening night were completely resolved and then some. Like holy shit! He went from being really good, to being fucking off the charts. 

2.So on opening night, the opening number “Tear me Down” was a bit of a mess. Last night he was on fire from the second he dropped down on the stage. His energy and physicality is fucking incredible. The shit he does with his face and body is really remarkable.He’s literally jumping up and down for 90 min( and one point last night he even did a somersault)  If you have the change to get seats up close, do it- it’s totally worth it. Far away is great, but because it’s a character piece you miss a lot of the physical nuance’s he’s added to the character.

[. . . ]


6. So Origin of love is one of my fave songs of all time, and on opening I was kind of let down. I was just expecting more? But last night his voice was so fucking amazing. His voice sounded incredible. I literally just wanted to go “well fuck” after he was done. 

7. I have a lot things I could say about “Wicked Little Town”, but I’ll just say this- the first time I’ve cried in over a year was listening to him sing it last night.

8. Another thing that totally got fixed- the chemistry between Yitzak and Hedwig was totally there last night. They obviously are way more comfortable with each other and it really shows.

9. Darren is damn good at storytelling, and all his characters are vivid and distinctive. He really excels at making both Hedwig and Tommy seem believable. But more importantly he makes them both seem sympathetic- which is a hard balance to pull off.

10. I really like his characterization of Hedwig. Hedwig is very much an anti-hero. They’re really mean, but you feel for them because of their backstory. Darren is really good at portraying the part of Hedwig that just wants to be fucking loved and seen. The meanness and crudeness is shown to be very clearly a coping mechanism. There’s a real humanity he brings to the role, that’s really necessary to keep Hedwig from being just campy.

11.Midnight radio/exquisite corpse continue to be phenomenal.

-ablurredrainbowconnection
May 22, 2015

(via gleekto)










This person also is a long-time fan of Hedwig, as well as a fan of Darren, and had seen every actor who played Hedwig on Broadway at that time.

prettylightsbigcity wrote:
GUYS.

I met up with inkystars and macklinyousonuvabitch to see Hedwig tonight and I’m going to go ahead and say that was the best decision of the year. I mean, first of all, both of them are lovely and having never met any tumblr peeps irl this was a truly amazing way to start. <3

BUT THE SHOW. Oh wow. Being lucky enough to live in NYC, I have managed to scrape, borrow or win my way in to see every single Hedwig, and Darren took the freaking cake. I mean, my GOD. He blew the roof off it!! His voice was incredible perfection, and his acting choices were SO ON. I’ve loved every incarnation of Hedwig for different reasons, but what I loved about Darren’s performance was the way he balanced the darkness and bitterness of Hedwig with the showgirl comedian side of her.  Rebecca Naomi Jones deserves a shoutout as well, because girl can SANG. Anyway, bottom line, it was unbelievable and I’d recommend it to anyone who is lucky enough to be able to make it to NYC during the run.

-prettylightsbigcity
May 23, 2015

(via darrencrisshedwig)

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This person had seen NPH in the role . 

on-the-midnight-radio wrote:
Met Darren Criss today in Hedwig and dare I say I think he was just as good as Neil Patrick Harris. Definitely going back and seeing this as many times as I can.

-on-the-midnight-radio
May 11, 2015

She also wrote this after having seen Darren in the show again.

on-the-midnight-radio wrote:
I’ve seen Hedwig and the Angry Inch six times in just two weeks. It’s been an incredibly crazy past two weeks. Two weeks ago I wouldn’t even be able to fathom all the love and emotion this show has brought to me. Darren’s Hedwig is so much more real to me than any of the other Hedwig’s I’ve seen. I get chills every show and I never want it to end. With all that said, with all the emotions I’ve felt over the past two weeks. I’m incredibly exhausted but I wouldn’t change any of this for the world. Here’s to eight more weeks of Darren’s Hedwig!

-on-the-midnight-radio
May 25, 2015

(via darrencrisshedwig)






This person had seen all the actors who played Hedwig at that time.   He said he didn't know much about Darren.

@GrimRobot yeah, I'm planning on seeing them all. don't know much about him, but I'm interested in what his youthful energy will bring.

— Brandon Arroyo (@brandrroyo) May 24, 2015

WoW, had no ideas what to expect from @DarrenCriss in @HedwigOnBway, but he was freaking awesome! i've seen them all, & he's 1 of the best!

— Brandon Arroyo (@brandrroyo) May 27, 2015

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Another review by rarelyprettyneverhip (formerly known as crissmedarren), who had seen NPH, Andrew, and JCM.   She had first seen Darren in early May, 2015.

rarelyprettynevership (previously known as crissmedarren) wrote:Darren as Hedwig:   A Second Time Around


So tonight I saw Hedwig for the 5th time, my second time with Darren. I was blown away. As a warning, my review contains spoilers, but I don’t think I can do a read more on my phone:

Starting from the moment he descended from the rafters, I knew I was seeing a completely different show. This Hedwig was the Hedwig I fell in love with all those years ago on the DVD.

Darren becomes Hedwig in a way that is awe inspiring. I’ve seen Neil, Andrew, and John, and when I say that tonight’s show moved me more than any other rendition of the show I’ve seen, it would be an understatement.

[. . . ]


Darren’s voice sounded amazing - he was much, much better in Origin of Love - the first song of the evening to move me to tears. He was clearer, crisper, and his musicality once again shone through. His Wicked Little Town was the other to move me - the way he holds himself in that song….it is something you have to see to really understand. Though we did note that he drank a lot more tonight as well - so hopefully he’s taking care of those vocal cords.

The jokes tonight were hilarious - tons of jokes about Broadway, jokes with audience members, and the tried and true ones went off without a hitch. His timing has gotten SO MUCH better.

Darren’s acting broke my heart tonight. It’s amazing to see his character work, his physicality, and his acting chops when he’s given a good, well written character. Darren surprised me with the way he is able to move his body and his face. This is not the Darren we saw on television.

[. . . ]

On to my favorite part: the relationship between Yitzhak and Hedwig. There’s a line in Origin of Love that says “…and I could swear by your expression that the pain down in your soul was the same as the one down in mine.” I’ve never seen the line played this well: Despite it all, Hedwig loves Yitzhak and Yitzhak loves Hedwig.

-rarelyprettyneverhip
May 26, 2015

(vis tirpse)

rarelyprettyneverhip wrote:
Anonymous:
How do you rank the hedwigs?


Oh gosh, that’s hard because most of them I’ve only seen once so I don’t know if it was an off night or something. But this is my totally honest ranking:

1. John
2. Darren (after last night’s show, definitely)
3. Andrew
4. Michael C Hall (I didn’t see him live but I saw a quality boot)
5. Neil

-rarelyprettyneverhip
May 27, 2015

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Some posts from BroadwayWorld.com message board.





-BroadwayWorld: "Darren Criss in Hedwig," page 10






There were some reviews by audience members on TripAdvisor.  I thought this comment was interesting because this person did not even like Darren on Glee. 

Kathryn R. wrote:
So I know Neil Patrick Harris is obviously probably the best person for this role, but by the time we saw this show, Darren Criss was playing Hedwig. And you know, I totally disliked him in Glee, but he totally renewed all faith I had in him as an actor and performer. This is not a typical Broadway show but is a really well done show. Darren really carried it and I was really impressed

-Kathryn R./TripAdvisor
May 27, 2015

@HigherEdMike




@Jon_Israel

darrencrisshedwig:
May 29, 2015
(via tirpse)


Note:  Jonathan Mason also had seen Michael C. Hall in the role.





Review from a Hedwig fan (and is a big fan of JCM), who also is a fan of Darren.  She has seen three actors in the role of Hedwig on Broadway. 

thestaticinhersmile wrote:Darren’s Tommy just impresses me more and more every time I see it. Up close you could really appreciate every single physical tick and change he gives Tommy and how he just complete becomes him. (Ditto with Hedwig but it’s even more so with Tommy because he plays it so seriously.)

[. . . ]

The way he makes Hedwig’s lip quiver on the verge of tears and all the quiet “fucks” when she can’t do The Long Grift.

-thestaticinhersmile
May 29, 2015

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Holy Crom. @DarrenCriss brings it as #hedwigonbway. A King Lear-caliber challenge for a rock singer and storyteller. So stirring. Bravo.

— Robert J. Peterson  (@robertjpeterson), May 30, 2015

Note:  Robert Peterson is a novelist, screenwriter, graphic designer, and editor for film and TV.

Seeing @HedwigOnBway tonight 11times on Broadway, 7 w/ @DarrenCriss Hedwig has been part of my NYC life since Squeezebox. Rock! @TitsofClay

— John Shevlin  (@J2shevlin), May 30, 2015

Note:  I think it was in 1994, that John Cameron Mitchell performed a theatrical piece regarding a character called Hedwig, with songs written by Stephen Trask, in a night club called Squeezebox.   So John Shevlin was one of the original Hedwig fans.

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icollectnoveltysizedbananas wrote:Can we all just talk about how amazingly talented Darren is?  I went to see Hedwig and there were people there who had seen the show with all the previous Hedwig’s and said that his voice was the richest of them all.  There were people there who weren’t even “Darren fans” that couldn’t stop talking about how honest and powerful his performance was.


Guys. That is saying something.

People who don’t follow every move in his career, haven’t heard of Starkid, and don’t watch Glee can go into this show and come out just as flushed and amazed as we are…. That is a true success.

-icollectnoveltysizedbananas
June 3, 2015

(via darrencrisshedwig and gleekto)








@LEJerni13
June 4, 2015
(via tirpse)

Saw the show last night. Funny, sad, beautiful and powerful. @DarrenCriss you are a star!!! @HedwigOnBway pic.twitter.com/fu8IoWZ4eB

— angela ndeli (@akndeli) (@akndeli), June 4, 2015

I agree completely with this person.  I adored Darren as Blaine, but it was not until I saw him in Hedwig did I truly appreciate how very talented an actor he is. 

Thank goodness @DarrenCriss took the roll as Hedwig. I wouldn't have seen his true talent has without it! What an  amazing performance

— Shelly Johnson  (@Lausferatu), June 5, 2015

 A nice tweet from a Hedwig fan.

@DarrenCriss YOU SHOCKED ME!  Im a @HedwigOnBway purist from 18years ago... Seeing you this week changed my mind.  You were eRryThng!  N hot

— James Stress  (@JamesStress79), June 5, 2015

Here is a Hedwig fan, who also is a Darren fan.  Note what she said on April 30 about Darren.

@SadieEsperanto so most of us Hedhead have agreed he's pretty awesome. i feel he was great but he needs to get out of his shell a bit  more

— Day-Old Pastry (@LeeTonks) , April 30, 2015

And now note what she said on June 5.

@DarrenCriss @Rebeccasername and @TitsofClay killed it tonight!!! Everyone should see it cause you'll defiantly like it!! #22ndtimesthecharm

— Day-Old Pastry  (@LeeTonks), June 5, 2015

A conversation between John Shevlin (a Hedwig fan) and someone who sounds like another Hedwig fan.

Each time it's something different that slays me. Tonight a killer 'Midnight Radio.' @HedwigOnBway @DarrenCriss @TitsofClay @Rebeccasername

— gretchen (@yesitsgretchen), June 5, 2015

John Shevlin replied:

@sunnyhall @TitsofClay @slayedest @HedwigOnBway @DarrenCriss @Rebeccasername he kills this song every night.

— John Shevlin  (@J2shevlin), June 5, 2015

@J2shevlin @sunnyhall @TitsofClay @HedwigOnBway @DarrenCriss  @Rebeccasername no doubt, but man, some night there are standouts.

— gretchen  (@yesitsgretchen), June 6, 2015

And a nice comment about Darren being his usual kind and sweet self to fans.

Thanks @DarrenCriss for talking w/me about @HedwigOnBway & Squeezebox last night! You are kind & gracious. See you for performance 10 soon!

— John Shevlin  (@J2shevlin), June 6, 2015

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@llConiglioTigre
Photo
darrencrisshedwig:
(via tirpse)
June 7, 2015






@CircleTheatreGR
(via gleekto)

June 7, 2015


Note:  Circle Theatre GR is a theater group in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

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I ADORE this film and was blown away by how amazing the show was! Phenomenal job @DarrenCriss you should be proud! pic.twitter.com/bpFLDvnPEH

— Powerpoof Bear  (@arsenben80), June 9, 2015

Former contestant on RuPaul’s Drag Race | June 9, 2015
@ApriLcarrion
DCN







therockethouse: Huge #nyc #theatre trip highlight: #hedwigandtheangryinch. @darrencriss was magnificent. We’ve been fans of this show for ages (it’s @wheresnagy’s dream to play #Hedwig) but this revival was out of control. And, Joe, thank you for the backstage tour of the fly tower. We can’t believe nobody has asked to see the lines before. Maybe you’ve got to chalk it up to us just being two theatre production nerds. The tech in this show was seamless and a big chunk of the excitement. Thank you!
June 10, 2015
DCN

Note:  The Rocket House is involved with stage management, tech, design acting, and story-telling.






Interesting comments from a fan of Darren, who also is a theater tech major.

koryandr wrote:
Also, as a theatre kid, you can totally tell he favors Adler, which is action based acting, because seriously just watch the slinky way he moves his body around the stage, the way he hunches his shoulders and picks at his fishnets when he does Tommy’s lines in Wicked Little Town.

When Hedwig is nervous in Wikced Little Town, she strokes her forearm and brushes her hair behind her ears and it’s really adorable.

[. . . ]

Also, if you go see it look at him and the way he carries his body during Long Grift like, he tries to make himself smaller because she feels vulnerable and it kills me

-koryandr
(posted June 10, 2015)

darrencrisshedwig:
June 11, 2015
(via tirpse)




A review by a fan of Darren, who is also a fan of Hedwig.  She had seen it off-Broadway. 

pavarottisrevenge wrote:
June 12 Curtain call. (If you use, please credit me. Thanks)

They all did such a fantastic job!! I have been a major fan of Hedwig since I was 9 years old. My Yia Yia had taken me to see it off Broadway, and I fell in love with her instantly.

Darren’s portrayal of the East German rocker was breathtaking. From the moment Hedwig descended from the rafters, she had everyone in that audience by their shirt collars; refusing to let go until the very last second. It was mesmerizing and an honor to witness in the flesh. I will never forget it.

The complete and utter control this man has over his body and emotions is on some whole other level. Never in my 24 (almost 25) years of theatre have I ever witnessed something of that caliber. The smoothness of his transitions from Hedwig to Tommy was gorgeous. It honest to god felt like two people were on that stage- Hedwig and Tommy, rather than just one being. You never even saw the moment of change. (And I was right up on the stage so believe me when I tell you that he was that fucking good.)

My favorite number has to be a tie between Wicked Little Town (Reprise) & Midnight Radio. The rawness and absolute pain/ love he projected off that stage left me in tears. That man reached into my very soul, grabbed it, then left his mark. I could feel all her pain, regret, love, and relief. It just rolled off Darren in waves. Shook me to my very core.

Bravo Darren. I can’t say that enough. You were phenomenal tonight. Thank you for sharing your Hedwig with us, because she was heartbreakingly beautiful.

-pavarottisrevenge
June 12, 2015

This person is a big fan of JCM and of Hedwig.   I scrolled down on his twitter page during the period of season 6 of Glee and I didn't see anything indicating he followed Glee or Darren.   Here is his twitter conversation with Bass Hall, after someone from Bass Hall saw Darren in Hedwig:

Getting ready to see @DarrenCriss tear it up as #Hedwig. #LeagueSRC pic.twitter.com/0GCyn00WZj

— Bass Hall  (@basshall), May 12, 2015

@basshall @DarrenCriss hope he kills it! Seeing it in June and that's my all time favorite show. Better not disappoint!

— Connor John  (@ConnorJon_), May 12, 2015

@ConnorJon_ @DarrenCriss Oh, he did. Fantastic show!

— Bass Hall  (@basshall), May 12, 2015

Then he saw Darren in June, and commented positively on Darren's performance, as well as on how kind Darren was at the stage door.

connorjohn: Thank you @darrencriss for doing Hedwig so much justice. And thank you for being so kind at the stage door. You are the kindest soul I’ve met
June 13, 2015
DCN




One of his Hedwig friends asked him how he liked "Gigi" and how he liked Darren in Hedwig.  He responded:

@megaraamx Gigi was amazing! Darren is really good and one of the sweetest people I've ever met.

— Connor John (@ConnorJon_), June 13, 2015

His friend replied:

@ConnorJon_ I was really impressed by him too! His Tommy Gnosis was on point.

— Megara (@megaraamx), June 13, 2015