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gleekto wrote:
I am back in real life after a whirlwind week in SF - doing many things including Hedwig. Twice. (cue Hedwig twirl kick and cymbal crash).

I know people like to hear the uniquenesses of each show, and I did a little Tuesday night write up already, so this will focus more on Friday October 28 show and the whole thing…

So whether you like it or not…

1. It all must start and end with how truly incredible Darren is in this role. Sometimes I become so used to the lilt of his Hedwig voice that I forget what Darren sounds like. He is both very funny and truly heartbreaking.

2. Which brings me to Friday night - Absolute dead silence after WLTR. Which is interesting (and powerful) because they have changed the staging a bit to allow for the crowd to clap for Tommy if they are so inclined (as they did on Tuesday, followed by silence), as the transition between Tommy and Hedwig is longer. It was a long, heavy, mesmerized silence.

3. A general change from Broadway is that as Tommy changes back into Hedwig again after WLTR, there is a greater focus on her surprise at the ash silver cross (Tommy’s signature cross) on her forehead - like there is a now clear self awareness that she (Hedwig) has embodied Tommy. This favours the Tommy-is-really-Hedwig in WLTR interpretation of Hedwig that Darren himself has said is his interpretation. It was very effective.


4. So on Tuesday, as was posted by the guy himself, a gay couple was sitting in the front row and one of them (who is a big Darren fan) got the kiss. While Hedwig is routinely asking the kiss recipient about the person next to them - “do you two come together? Oh you do. Maybe we can come as a threesome later” - On Tuesday they actually were a couple and were both nodding enthusiastically, so Hedwig says after that line - “Oh he’s into it!” (pointing to the boyfriend) and then Yitzhak scowled and Hedwig turns to him “Oh, he’s not”. Was very funny. On Friday night the kiss recipient was a big burly guy in the front row. Also hilarious just because idiosyncratic.

5. Shout out to Wig In A Box which Darren has managed to make surprisingly heartbreaking and beautiful every time.

6. So obviously when you’re like many of us seeing the show many times, you know all the jokes that are about to come. On Friday night, there was a guy behind me who clearly had not seen it before and so I got this little gem at the Holocaust jokes:

Hedwig: “I lost an uncle at Auschwitz too. Mind you, he fell from a guard tower but we all suffered….” etc

Guy behind me to person beside him: “Oh my god they went there. Oh my god.”

Hedwig: “Too soon? Too soon, right?”

It was just SO meta. Perfect.

7. The fan experience - Had a lovely fun dinner with @yanks02, @klaineandbiscuits, @jenndesq, and @amelodysosweet and was at the stage door with @yanks02 and @klaineandbiscuits. As everyone has said, this stage door is SO chill compared to NYC. A+. DO recommend. When Darren got to us, I told him that I had come from Toronto to see him, he was amazing etc…, and he thanked all of us for coming from Toronto, which I was then like “just me” and @klaineandbiscuits “I’m from Nova Scotia” (impressed), and I pointed to @yanks02 and said “San Francisco” to which, as you’ve probably read in her post already, she said “I’ve seen the show fifteen times and he said thank you so much and put his head on her shoulder for a moment and yes, he just has sweetness flowing from him. He makes eye contact with everyone. That’s the thing he gives you. And it’s unique really.

8. And I gotta end with it too - He is such a talent, that Darren. Enjoy it, LA. Hedwig’s coming for you.

October 30 2016   (Source)