A fresh serving of Hedwig at the Cobalt

Ryan Alexander McDonald and Lee McKeown rock it their way in Hedwig

I finally got to see Hedwig and the Angry Inch a the Cobalt last night and I’m glad I did.

Ryan Alexander McDonald stars in this Ghost Light Projects production and he’s very, very good. In a smart move, he approaches Hedwig on his own terms. McDonald is a straight guy and he resists doing a coarse imitation of a drag queen. Instead, he honestly inhabits the character’s emotional life and lets that speak eloquently through the filter of his own less sleazy, less flamboyant stage persona. It’s a sophisticated strategy and it works so well that, by the end of the evening, I had tears in my eyes.

The guy also has a fantastic, clear, rock ‘n’ roll voice. Spot-on pitch.

Lee McKeown is touching as Yitzhak, Hedwig’s husband. And the band’s great. Watch bassist Camille Fournier; she’s always in character, always got it goin’ on.

This ends on November 2, so get down to the Cobalt, which is, I’ve gotta say, the perfect venue.