Lake Country production an outrageous rock musical 

Lake Country production an outrageous rock musical 

Fred Skeleton Theatre Company’s Hedwig and the Angry Inch is Oct. 11-13 and 18-20 

MORNING STAR STAFF 
Oct. 7, 2018 5:30 p.m. 
ENTERTAINMENT 

Fred Skeleton Theatre Company presents their first musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch at the Creekside Theatre in Lake Country on Oct. 11-13 and Oct. 18-20. 

This outrageous and unexpectedly hilarious rock musical tells the story of Hansel Schmidt, a slip of a girly boy from communist East Berlin who — after a botched sex change operation — becomes Hedwig Robinson: “the internationally ignored song stylist barely standing before you.” Kicking off the first stop of her “Last-Minute-Canadian-Tour,” Hedwig (with the help of her band, The Angry Inch) recounts and rocks her way through the journey of her life; a journey over the Wall, from East Berlin to Junction City, Kansas; a journey from man to woman in search of her other half. 

The original Off-Broadway production opened in 1998 and recently was remounted on Broadway starring Neil Patrick Harris and Lena Hall. The musical was turned into the cult-classic film of the same title in 2001. 

For Fred Skeleton’s upcoming production, artistic director Rob Mason-Brown has teamed up award-winning directors Chantal Ethier and Shannon Mason-Brown to bring this show to life. 

“I was nervous because musicals are a beast and this material was so personal to me as an ally to the LGBTQ community,” says Ethier, “but in working through the material, the discovery was simply that this is a universal story. In the end, it’s a story about self-acceptance and self-love with gorgeous imagery.” 

Related: Play poster censored by Facebook 

Playing the title role of Hedwig is Thomas Fournier. Fournier is a recent graduate of the Ryerson School of Performance’s BFA Acting program, and, though he is now based primarily out of Toronto, the Kelowna local is excited to return to his hometown to don the infamous wig. 

“There is an immense responsibility that comes with being the caretaker of a role like this,” says Fournier, “stepping into Hedwig’s shoes is not a comfortable fit. Pain, anger, and loss plague this character and yet somehow, they’re witty and begrudgingly loveable.” 

Fournier’s previous performances in the valley have included New Canadian Kid, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare [Abridged], La Cage Aux Folles, and Brighton Beach Memoires. 

Celebrated musician Sammi Morelli takes on the role of Yitzhak, Hedwig’s backup singer, dresser, roadie, and husband. Morelli returned to BC in 2017 after a Canadian Tour and has been busy since performing at the Vancouver Jazz Festival and recently opening for Elise Trouw at the Creekside Theatre. In addition to her music career, local theatre-goers will recognize her from such productions as 9 to 5 and Spamalot.

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