Hedwig and the Angry Inch has been a Broadway sensation since its revival in 2014. As we previously reported, Taye Diggs (Rent, Chicago) will take over a 12-week run as the titular character, and I could not be more thrilled. This will be the first time we have seen Diggs on the stage since 2005, in A Soldier’s Play. Diggs is the sixth actor to schmear the glitter and strap on the heels, but he is the first African American to take on the genderqueer rock singer.
The press has started to ramp up in anticipation of Diggs’ debut as Broadway’s first black Hedwig. Diggs has handled it all with an air of grace that is only known to him. The press has not been known for their “gentle touch” when it comes to issues of race and sexual orientation but they seem to have put on the kid gloves this time. When Diggs was asked on “Entertainment Tonight” about how his son was reacting to him in this role, he had this to say,
“[Walker] is so damn adjusted. He’s unfazed. I think he’s on the path of being a really cool adult.”
Rebecca Naomi Jones took over the role of Yitzhak in Hedwig in April 2015, as we reported here. She has been the husband to Glee star Darren Criss’ Hedwig but now will be in support of the first Black man to take on the role. The two sat down recently at The Labs Club Restaurant to talk about being the first “chocolate” husband and wife duo for these roles and the flavor they are bringing to these characters.
Taye Diggs will take over the role on July 22, 2015 at the Belasco Theatre, 111 W. 44th St. New York, New York 10036. For ticket information visit Theatremania.com
