Hedwig: A Halloween Hair-Raiser

Imagine this: You're a gay German singer attempting to flee Europe, and the only way you see to do it is by marrying a GI.

Obviously, the only way to do that is to become a girl, but unfortunately, your doctor got his certification from Transylvania Community Hospital, and the operation doesn't go quite as planned. You get your pseudo-trannie self to the U.S., your GI leaves you, and your new underage boyfriend steals your songs and becomes a gigantic star. Now try telling that saga on stage.

This is the story of Hedwig and The Angry Inch, a mostly one-man show that debuted at a New York City drag bar some years ago before moving to Off-Broadway. It's co-creator, John Cameron Mitchell, adapted Hedwig into a film and the stage version comes tonight to Raleigh, in an offering by the Raleigh Ensemble Players, running through the weekend.

Because the piece is presented as a rock show, audience members are asked to stand for portions of the performance, which is being held at Legends nightclub.

Hedwig, despite its campy leanings, is an essentially uplifting story, visually arresting and thematically bold. Although the costume parade on Franklin Street might rival its eye-candy, a trip to Raleigh could be just as outrageous, and devoid of the traffic on the way home.

Still planning on Chapel Hill? Get the movie from Lilly and use it as costume inspiration--the movie features about 40 of them for Hedwig alone, including one made entirely of hair.