By Ed Diokno
Darren Criss will put on the wig and heels again for the first few stops of the national tour of the Tony-winning musical, Hedwig and the Angry Inch.
“West coast be warned, Darren takes no prisoners!” said John Cameron Mitchell, who originated the role on Broadway.
Criss’ big show business break came in the TV show Glee, where he played Blaine.
A summary of Hedwig and the Angry Inch: Hedwig, born a boy named Hansel in East Berlin, fell in love with an American G.I. and underwent a sex-change operation in order to marry him and flee to the West. Unfortunately, nothing worked out quite as it was supposed to – years later, Hedwig is leading her rock band on a tour of the U.S., telling her life story through a series of concerts at Bilgewater Inn seafood restaurants. Her tour dates coincide with those of arena-rock star Tommy Gnosis, a wide-eyed boy who once loved Hedwig … but then left with all her songs.
Criss, whose mother is from the island of Cebu, said his favorite thing about being Filipino is the extended family … and the food. His favorite dish? “It depends because there are so many variations of lumpia and pancit but, hands-down, my favorite Filipino dish would be breakfast — with my garlic rice, tocino and bibingka for dessert.”
Ed Diokno writes a blog :Views From The Edge: news and analysis from an Asian American perspective.
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