2026/03/01 by Hunter Plummer · 1 voice
Arts and Humanities · Psychology · #Musicology and Musical Analysis #Sound Studies and Aurality #Theater, Performance, and Music History
paper · doi:10.1386/smt_00217_1
openalex publication_date 2026/03/01 · openalex created_date 2026/06/04 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/05
Since its premiere in 1998, John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask’s musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch has been the subject of regular debate and interpretation regarding the titular character’s gender and the musical’s position as a trans narrative. However, Hedwig and the Angry Inch is not a conventional trans narrative and is better understood as a Camp drag metaphor for the non- or anti-binary world its creators envision. During a period of antagonism towards trans and broadly LGBTQ+ communities, presenting the musical in ways that clearly outline this theme is incredibly important. After establishing the textual evidence for this reading, this article argues that casting beyond the conventional cis-male actor for the role – including by applying the words and performances of cis-female, non-binary and trans actors as Hedwig – and reimagining the staging of the finale offer a way for the musical as a whole to be understood as a celebration of the non-binary.