If there’s one thing UW students are short on these days, it’s time. It seems like all we ever do is work, study and go to class, with no time left over for fun or extra-curricular activities.
This apparently does not hold true for everyone on this campus, however, as a group of 13 UW students has been diligently preparing since early on in the semester to put on a fabulous musical show for the Madison community.
So, what do you get when you combine an enthusiastic group of student actors and actresses, a critically acclaimed musical and a lot of hard work? You get an independent production of “Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” which premieres at the Orpheum’s Stagedoor Theatre in two showings this Friday night.
The Badger Herald recently caught up with participant Paul Vogelman via e-mail to get the lowdown on this student-organized production.
Badger Herald: Could you briefly describe the general plot of “Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” for those who may not have seen it?
Paul Vogelman: “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” is about an East German glam rocker on a search for love and her other half.
BH: Where did you find students to get involved in this project?
PV: This is a production by Yitzhak Theatre & Film Project, a theatre and film collaborative which has worked on many previous theatrical and film productions such as “The Rocky Horror [Picture] Show” last spring.
BH: Was it hard to generate interest?
PV: “Hedwig” has a natural following. It is an amazing love story and a story about someone searching for self-identity. Everyone can relate.
BH: Why did you choose “Hedwig” over other musicals?
PV: Marcus Peterson, co-founder of Yitzhak Theatre & Film Project, saw the film and decided that he had to play the part of Hedwig. The story was touching and the character’s journey was moving.
BH: Have you gotten a good response from the public so far? Do you expect the production to be a success?
PV: The production will be a complete success. We’ve received only good feedback so far.
BH: How long have you been working on this production?
PV: We began working on this production in February and have been in constant rehearsal for the past four weeks.
BH: Where did your funding come from? Was it hard to generate funding?
PV: We had three fundraising parties in order to raise funds. Also, ASM gave us a $900 grant; however, we have yet to see a penny of it. Total, this is a $2,500 production.
BH: What are your future plans? More showings of “Hedwig,” more productions of different plays/musicals?
PV: Yitzhak Theatre & Film Project will continue production and its mission to produce film and theatre in a collaborative fashion in an attempt to make the art of film and theatre more accessible to the people.
BH: Why would students enjoy going to this production?
PV: Not only is it an amazing production, but every member in the production is a UW-Madison student. It really shows what students can do when we put our minds to it.
“Hedwig and the Angry Inch” will be performed at the Orpheum Stagedoor Theatre, 216 State St., this Friday, May 2 at 7:30 p.m. (all ages welcome) and 10:30 p.m. (ages 21 and up). For more information, contact the Orpheum Theatre box office at 255-6005.
