So, I've noticed that a lot of people have been doing write ups of their "Darren as Hedwig experiences," and I decided to give it a shot.

When I was ten years old, I saw the film Hedwig and the Angry Inch for the first time. In my decade of life, I had never seen anything like it, and to this day, I can still claim that I have seen few things that have had such a massive impact on my life. When it was announced that Hedwig was coming to Broadway, I was so indescribably happy. I thought, finally, I can see this beautiful story come to life on stage. Last summer, my family had originally planned on vacationing in New York City, but because of various circumstances, that did not happen, and my Hedwig dreams were crushed. After that I missed both Andrew Rannells and Michael C. Hall, because of school, as well as John Cameron Mitchell (I cannot tell you how much I cried over that), but on February 17th, 2015, my life was looking up.

When Darren was announced as Hedwig, I did not hesitate in calling my mother and begging her to take me to New York. Because my parents are awesomesauce, and understand my love for both Darren and Hedwig, they agreed (but only if I paid for as much of the trip as I could - which I did, gladly).

 The months before seeing Hedwig were filled with unabashed excitement and nerves. My first night in the city, I had the chance to speak with Darren about Bowie (squee), and my second and third nights I saw the show and met him, again, where we talked about his performance and my home state and he made me laugh so hard that my dad heard me from down the street.

Darren's performances on both nights were electrifying. His Hedwig was pure, raw punk and vulnerable in a way that was awe inspiring. I could feel her hurt in every moment. His Tommy Gnosis was the best of them all. The way Darren slipped from one character to the next was so graceful, it was almost as if they were played by different people. He killed it in every way imaginable, and I walked out of the theatre in a daze after each show. This character and this show has meant so much to me for the last nine years, that it was mind blowing that I got to experience a portrayal by the amazing man who has helped me through some of my toughest years.

He may not know it, but Darren has done so much for me throughout the last five-six years of my life. He helped get through one of the worst years of my life, and because of him, I have made some of the best friends I have ever had. (Oh yeah, did I mention that I got to meet my best friend from ITALY all because Darren took on this incredible role?!) I will always be grateful for him, his incredible talent, and his kind heart.

Thank you, Darren. And thank you, Hedwig.

x
Casey