Six inches forward, five inches back

[cyrano]

For those who would know:I'm listening to Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and there's a lot of resonance with Arena Rock and Hair Metal with a hefty dose of Meatloaf thrown in.
Is this supposed to be a parody, like Spinal Tap?

Comments

[roseneko.livejournal.com]

Hedwig is a show that's far better experienced than explained. But the short answer is - no, it's not a parody at all, although I could see why you'd think that; it's very definitely an homage to various rock styles of the 70s, 80s and 90s. The show itself is the very genuine and very emotionally raw story of an East German boy (often dubbed a transsexual, although the script doesn't quite support that) and how he became Hedwig, minor-league American rock star and failed-post-op woman in search of his/her soulmate, told in the format of a rock concert.

I think I have a copy of the script if you'd like to read it. :)

[cyranocyrano.livejournal.com]

That sounds lovely. Is the movie anything like the show, in terms of emotional impact etc?
(I do not know if I have an OCR or a OST.)

[roseneko.livejournal.com]

I think the answer to that depends heavily on the version of the show you see. I personally found the movie to be quite a disappointment - it lacked the chemistry, energy and sense of cohesion that our local production had. But Perseverance was also extremely lucky with theirs; they had a band with amazing chemistry and the talents of a truly excellent local performer in the title role. (There was a reason I was trying to convince you to come see it when it was playing. :P) That said, I did read the script before seeing either version, and while it certainly didn't have the "Wow" factor of the show it did make the story much clearer.

[cyranocyrano.livejournal.com]

(You know the only reason I didn't go to see the show was that I delight in frustrating you.)
I saw the film once, and remember very little of it. There was a lot of shouting, I think.

[roseneko.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the film was pretty unmemorable. Frankly, I think the story as told works far better in show format - the movie tried to do flashbacks, but really it's an oral and musical history of the title character, which works best through his/her own mouth.

[wilson-lizard.livejournal.com]

I agree.. I've seen the film first, and enjoyed it quite a lot, but it was nothing compared to seeing it live. I think you'd like it.