Hedwig and the Angry Inch

The formula for musical theater can sometimes feel a bit confining. Sure, as a genre of performance the stage is completely spoiled with immense talent and heart. But you can show up to most theaters knowing the sequence of emotions and songs you're going to encounter. Which is why the disjointed, confident strut of the beloved "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" felt like a breath of raucous air when it hit Philadelphia last week.

The set up for the show is simple. Two actors and a band on stage pretending to put on a rock show in a dive just down the street from a more popular singer's stadium show. Hedwig begins to detail exactly how close she came to having that stadium show, and how much she resents the tiny stage she shares with her mostly mute lover, Yitzhak.

Hedwig's sad tale is unveiled through a series of rock songs which she peppers with anecdotes, monologues, or self-congratulatory proclamations until her on-stage therapy culminates in a life-altering realization.

If it sounds like a bit too simplistic of a storyline to support all of the praise heaped upon it over the years, it is! But that is because the show is more than anything a chance for its lead to interact with, antagonize, and woo the audience. Euan Morton plays Hedwig on this tour, and it is with vigor and an at times blinding sense of confidence that he can elevate the show to the electrical firework that it deserves to be. While he hilariously ensures that he is the only one the audience likes or can hear, any vestiges of previous Hedwigs began to vanish.

This show being such a star vehicle by composition sparked a series of high-profile actors to don the wig for its revival in 2014. Among those were Neil Patrick Harris' charismatic take, Andrew Rannels' easy comedic chops, Michael C. Hall's musculature and catharsis, as well as the creator and original Broadway star John Cameron Mitchell's definitive version of the character.

As I pictured all of these different actors playing this somewhat singular character and how so many alternate approaches could work, the real heart of the show began to take shape. This heart and the ultimate message of the show is that Hedwig is a moment in time for any of us.

The final scene of the show has Hedwig removing her wig, suddenly comfortable in herself and what she has, and hasn't, accomplished. It is then the frequently maligned and disrespected Yitzhak takes up the wig for himself and transforms into a punk rock queen, ready to find her own headlining way. It ties one's own liberation to the tall wig, despite showing a somewhat irresolute Hedwig disappearing in the background.

The final scenes are so hectic and over-produced regarding lighting and set changing that it wasn't an easy conclusion to find my way to, and oddly not as satisfying as one hoped all of the bleakness of Hedwig's past would unveil. I appreciated the show's dedication to delving into a fascinating character who routinely gave up more than they got, and this revival and the subsequent tour has done a terrific job in its casting to show the diversity that this multi-faceted character can support. But after the high of this extraordinarily entertaining show had worn off, I was left more with a feeling of an incomplete story than anything else.

I can't say that I feel that the show drove its message home as well as it should have. With only two characters and a dozen songs over its hour and a half runtime, "Hedwig" could benefit from the editing of superfluous songs and a touch more exposition. But still, I had a blast through the entire show and this touring cast is strong enough in the characters' convictions to have left me thinking about their stories in the days to follow.

If you're looking to experience a modern theater classic brought to life, then strap your best punk rock wig on and head to the Forrest Theatre.

"Hedwig and the Angry Inch" runs through April 23 at the Forrest Theatre, 1114 Walnut Street in Philadelphia. For tickets or information, call 800-447-7400 or visit http://www.forrest-theatre.com.