The News and Observer from Raleigh, North Carolina • 52

THE NEWS OBSERVER SATURDAY JULY 13 2002 8E Entertainment Hedwig makes a spectacle of herself BY ORLA SWIFT STAFF WRITER in monologues and song with the occasional projected illustration apklEIGH pearing on a screen behind her John Cameron Mitchell's script and Stephen Trask's lyrics are clever but they're not always audible over the accompanying rock band and Leg-to ends' droning air-conditioning sysr tem So we're left only understanding part of the story REVIEW wthheomseeiosvbearsreiddinong WHAT Hedwig and the Angry Inch presented by Raleigh Ensemble Players WHEN: Today and Sunday Wednesday-July 21 24-27 8 pm Friday's performance audio-described and sign language interpreted WHERE Legends nightclub 330 Hargett St Raleigh COST $20 $15 student rush at 7:50 pm CALL 832-9607 wwwrealthe atreorg production But taken purely as a rock 'n' roll spectacle REP's "Hedwig" is worth exploring Matthews is more convincing with Hedwigr's vulnerability than with his bitterness but he has the glam-rock confidence nailed the slithering through the audience sneering and rubbing against strangers Hedwig's musical numbers are the play's high points dramatic explosions and sultry confessionals that command attention The band John Custer Francis Dyer Neal Chapman and Thomas Kobrick are well-rehearsed and Royals' backup singing is lovely The sexy "Sugar Daddy" alone is worth the ticket price as are Miyuld Su's fabulous costumes REP's "Hedwie is more spectacle than theater After hearing his tale you still may not understand why Hedwig is here But you'll likely be glad he came as a led- vs is li less ence eau- linst lum- dra- nfes- The )yer nick yals' sexy i the fah- lade tale why be (LsmX i -owl 1 13 r-- 40- ia: tia Lt '--o' 4 k11'' viii: i i RALEIGH Rock 'n' roller Hedwig has every right to be angry at his surgeon for a botched sex-change operation that leaves him with an inch-long remnant of what used to be But theater director Heather Willcox also failed to nip and tuck enough in staging THE Raleigh Ensemble Players' production of the fictional rocker's tale "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" As with Hedwig himself there's a lingering "if only" that pervades this production a sense of what might have been had things gone differently And yet what remains is peculiarly alluring Staged at the downtown Legends nightclub "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" is structured like a concert Hedwig (C Glen Matthews) is the lead singer a bitter transsexual ever in pursuit of the elusive "other half" that will somehow make her whole She tells her strange and tragic tale every irgeon ge op- inch- be Will- THEATER a speech by Aristophanes in Plato's Symposium Does Hedwig tell this tale every night to his audience? If so isn't his band sick of hearing it? Or is he just here because the lover who spurned him is performing nearby and he wants revenge or reconciliation? Why does his transvestite husband (Deb Royals) endure Hedwigr's indulgent pining? Is there something stubbornly irresistible underneath those fishnets and glitter? It's a bit vague what makes Hedwig tick and why he's here That drama isn't fully mined in Willcox's Yitzak (Deb Royals) and Hedwig (C Glen Matthews) play in 'Hedwig and the Angry Inch' Staff writer Or la Swift can be reached at 829-4764 or oswiftnewsobservercom Linda Thompson returns with 'Fashionably Late' BY JIM FARBER NEW YORK DAILY NEWS 1 i-t-tsa--1'- N(4) '4 '4' came a classic The tour went on to become a rubbemecldng milestone up there with Fleetwood Mac's double breakups of the '70s "It was strange" Thompson says of the tour with typical understatement "Thankfully I was high as a kite most of the time" That's honest "Well" says Thompson with a laugh "what's the point of lying?" Many less sturdy or good-humored souls might see a point especially if they had as interrupted and troubled a professional life as Thompson has had This month the singer will release her first solo album in 17 years under the dry title "Fashionably Late" Many factors delayed the follow-up to her 1985 debut "One Clear Moment" including rearing two children and a second marriage to movie executive Steve Kenis (its nearly 20-year duration has not brightened Thompson's view of mar NEW YORK Don't come to Linda Thompson looking for marriage advice "I don't think marriage is a good idea for the most part" says the singer who happens to be one of the most famously divorced women in rock "It was invented when people only lived to be 19 or 20 Now that people live to be nearly 100 you're lucky if you don't want to throw yourself out a window by some point' Thompson almost did just that 20 years ago In 1982 Linda and her then husband and musical partner Richard Thompson were going through a terrible split after he fell in love with another woman To make matters worse the breakup came as this first couple of British folk rock was touring to promote one of the most admired albums of that year "Shoot Out the Lights" The recording went on to be riage any apparently) Yet the most depressing culprit behind the delay was the singer's vocal problems "It began with my first pregnancy" Thompson explains It got exacerbated by the divorce and the stress that followed When that stress ended I still found I was having problems And the more you think about them the worse they become" For a while Thompson feared she had nodes in her throat or cancer But eventually a doctor diagnosed hysterical dysphonia a psychological disorder "It was good to have a name for it but what a silly name!" she says "Hysteria is a pejorative word that they apply to women" Of course many people don't take psychologically based problems seriously "They say why can't you pull yourself she says "But it's real" Regardless the result left Thompson "sad and angry I thought 'This is stupid The orie thing I know how to do I can't do'" But friends told her that an impaired Thompson voice was su Though Linda admits "it's not easy working with your mother" she points to the long folk tradition of families playing together She and Teddy began writing more material and eventually the project became a full album The result sounds like it was cut seconds after "One Clear Moment" It also honors the style of Linda's six classic albums with Richard in the '70s stressing slow sad ballads led by her beautifully uncluttered voice Richard himself plays guitar on the opening track One of the few redemptive numbers on the album "No Telling" offers the tale of a suicidal man who decides on life at the last minute after hearing a woman's beautiful singing voice in a local pub "No telling what a love song will do" Thompson croons "A song can turn you around" she explains "Like the song 'Last Night a DJ Saved My Life' They're powerful things" And the reverse is true "You can listen to a song and say 'Right there really is no point in going on' she says with a laugh Thompson explores that hopeless side in "The Banks of the Clyde" an autobiographical tale of a small-town Scottish girl who comes to London seeking fame and fortune only to end up a poor prostitute The singer takes pains to point out that the prostitution part is metaphorical The album also includes her strongest anti-marriage song "Weary Life" while the closing cut "Dear Old Man of Mine" bitterly addresses her split with Richard The singer says she doesn't mind if people know who the song is about "I was thinking at one point of putting brackets after each song saying who they were for" she says wryly Credit that to Thompson's honesty even if at times it's hard to tell when that quality ends and self-deprecation begins Throughout the interview Thompson expresses surprise that she has any audience left About her upcoming fall tour she says "I must be mad Who's going to come?" People of taste of course those who will recognize "Fashionably Late" as a work welcome at any time perior to most other singers in top form Gradually she began to listen performing limited vocal work in British theater productions She was also writing lyrics sporadically Two and a half years ago her son by Richard Teddy (a solo star in his own right) said he had a melody for her "His stuff is usually more poppy than mine but these songs sound much like those old Richard melodies" Thompson says before adding with a chortle "He'll probably kill me for saying that Of course he's terribly original" 4 VT ililittlit r' 4 1 A4 of 0100 -44g -4-Vo URN 4 bnivie I 11 --4aan idi li 1 TTE-ATT mEIMPORTANCE0EBEING 7:00 pm I MAX 0 z-Ti 6r-111 xpo I LUMINA THEATRE eV() Mork SI Chope HO NC (919) 932-90113 I tiMINA THAW PARK PLACE 16 gb25 Chnoe01Fict 489686 (two PIMMINAX AEt RALIEGH GRAND Hw SOUTHPOINT CINEMA 16 8030 kon000 Pcificw0v 222000 LLETTETTT TETATETT THE LTTEL APT5 GARNER TOWNE SQUARE 10 2600 Inof Lot 1792231 LC MAME OR Clef TURF GRIMM FOR CA0MME CINEMAS CARM1KE 15 5501 Am Angs ad CONS01 InATFco CROSSROADS 20 140 acds MAOSTONE THEATRES THE RIALTO THEATRE BOO South MAynare Road 1620 (4onwood Ave (Corner el IOU Cary Toe BMI 6560111 q19 411 siblit I 4L1 GREAT MOVIESIIMIXO SIMS SPIDER-MAN 11 ABOUT A BOY 71 UNFAITHFUL ICE AGE ET 3:: Call 847-0326 0 For ShowtImes ArT" Pleamodirminattolinowsisso or 7 I -i- 0 GAME TONIGHT at the 7 DURHAM MIS FMK ree( ttl 1 ADVENTURES IN WILD CALIFORNIA 01001011 130 11 30 3 00 SC 30 11 30 3 00 5 00 00 000150N 1 30 3 30 5 30 SNACKLETON'S ANTARCTIC ADVENTURE 01014100 10 30 12 30 2 00 4 00 FRASAT 10 10 12 30 2 OD 4 00 6 De 0 DOISUS1 12 30 2 30 4 30 6 30 919834-4040 wwwexploritorg TOM CRUISE MINOTUTY REPORT TOM CRUISE MINTOTUTY ItEPORE' 956-BuLL 1141AMo''111- wwwdurhambullscom 112 p99999999 LT- -14 1ii1-fial) porrrunrs all screens lull ROAD TO PERDITION MINORITY REPORT MEN IN BLACK 2 LIKE MIKE (PG) POWERPUFF GIRLS (PO) 12:50 REIGN OF FIRE (P613) KID SHOW-ROGRATS IG) (rues Viedl CONSOLIDATED RALEIGH GRAND (9191768-8000 NOW SHOWING COMAE CINEMAS CARMIKE 15 (919) 87B-8178 CONSOIJOVED CROSSROADS 20 (919) 226-2000 UNITED ARTISTS GARNER TOWNE $0 10 1919) 179-2201 AMBASSADOR MISSION VALLEY CINEMAS (919)834-8520 CASIM1KE CINEMAS PARK PLACE 16 i919) 481-9686 I 1-rhOilli-Trerillb" irf IDIGAL iNTEITAINIIIID CreaTEMEI: upor Saverettip1 AFINER0110 Timtmorwri AUSTIN POWERS IN GOLDNEMBER (P6-13) alet tkets Now On Sale HALLOWEEN 8 (R)- ID REQUIRED 235440) 730 950 REIGN OF FIRE (P6-13) ma (1205 225 445) 710 935 ROAD TO PERDITION (R) ID REQUIRED DIG (100 400) 700 940 LIKE MIKE (PG) (1210 230450 720 945 MEN IN BLACK II (PG-13) DIO(1240 250 500) 715 920 POWERPUFF GIRLS (PG) (loop 220 430 HEY ARNOLD! 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OF THE CIMARRON (0) 12 30 2 30 4 30 111 THE SUM OF ALL FEARS (P0-13) 11:50 230 510 755 1030 Located at 140 and Fayettville Rd At The Streets At South Point ROAD TO PERDITION (R) 12:00 1:30 2:45 4:15 5:30 7:15 8:20 10:00 CROCODILE HUNTER (PG) 1230 240 4:45 6:50 9:05 HALLOWEEN: RESURRECTION (R) 1:45 3:50 5:50 7:50 9:50 REIGN OF FIRE (P0-I3) 12:15 2:35 5:15 7:45 10:15 MEN IN BLACK II (P0-13) 12:00 I 210 3:10 4:35 5:45 6:46 800 9:15 10:10 LIKE MIKE (PG) 12:10 2:25 4:46 7:00 9:30 POWERPUFF GIRLS (PG) 11:40 1:30 3:20 MR DEEDS (P0-13) 12:35 2:45 510 7:40 9:45 ULO AND STITCH (PO) 11:45 1:45 345 5:45 7:45 MINORITY REPORT (P0-13) 1245 3:45 7:30 1025 THE BOURNE IDENTITY (P0-13) 1:25 4:00 7:00 9:50 SPIDER-MAN 7:30 10:05 S000EW4300 (PG) 12:15 2:20 THE SUM OF ALL FEARS (P0-13) 12:50 3:20 7:05 9:40 DIVINE SECRETS OF THE VA-VA SISTERHOOD (P013) 510 740 1005 STAR WARS: EPISODE 2 (P0-13) 1000 1 000 1000 1000 ROAD TO PERDMON (R) 11:30 12:50 2:10 3:40 5:00 6:40 7:40 930 10:25 REIGN OF FIRE (PG-IS) 1:30 4:10 7:20 10:00 CROCODILE HUNTER (PG) 1240 300 520 7'30 9:40 HALLOWEEN: RESURRECTION (R) 12:20 320 5:30 8:10 10:30 MEN IN BLACK II (PG-13) 11:40 I 00 1:50 310 430 5:30 7:00 8:00 9:10 10:10 LIU) AND STITCH (PG) 12:30 250 5:10 7:35 945 mtNoRrry REPORT (P0-13) 12:10 3:50 7:10 1015 THE BOURNE IDENTITY (P0-13) 110 4:10 7:50 1030 MR DEEDS 4:00 6:50 9:15 SCOOBY DOO (PG) 1:40 4:45 LIKE MIKE (PG) 11:50 220 450 7:15 955 DIVINE SECRETS OF THE VA-VA SISTERHOOD (P0-I3) 7:551020 THE SUM OF ALL FEARS (P0-13) 1255 3:45 640 920 STAR WARS: EPISODE 2 (P0-13) 12:15 3:15 6:40 940 POWERPUFF GIRLS (PG) 2:40 440 650 HEY ARNOLD! 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