Friday, December 17, 2010

Follow My Voice: WIth The Music Of Hedwig (2006)


This is the story of the recording of "Wig In A Box", a tribute album featuring the music of the show and movie Hedwig And The Angry Inch, done as a benefit for the Harvey Milk School. The Harvey Milk School is a school primarily for gay, lesbian or trans-gendered kids in New York City. The story of the recording of the album is inter-cut with the story of four kids who go to the school.

I loved the show of "Hedwig" when I saw it in New York. It was an earth shaking, life affirming experience. The story of a transsexual semi-rock star looking for love is ultimately one that we all can relate to...who isn't looking for love? It has a score that is absolutely one of the best ever written for the stage. I turned on several people to the show by playing them the score. The music for me has become part of my life, so when the tribute album came out I snapped it up. Now to be able to see how the album came together is a treat. Here are people who understood what made the play, and the songs resonate through everyone who ever came upon them.

Adding a glorious dimension to the film is seeing the lives of four kids who are in their way Hedwigs. We see their lives and how they are just trying to get by and thrive in their worlds. It's a wonderful portrait of some kids who thought they were outsiders with nowhere to go, but who lucked out and who found a place to not only belong but to allow them to accept themselves.

It's moving beyond words.

SEE this movie. You will feel good.

For those of you who have never seen the show of "Hedwig", this is movie will make you feel the way the show did (not the movie, the show; this is what the movie should have been).

This is magical.

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