To get to JK Entertainment's new production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, start by going 'round back to the alley. Walk past the dumpsters. Skirt the piles of cardboard. Climb the rickety two-by-four staircase and enter the freight elevator for a creaky ride up a floor to the funky, gritty, newly repurposed Catalyst Ranch space on West Randolph Street—where the semi-immersive production makes its short run through the end of July.
JK Entertainment is a new entry to the Chicago non-profit storefront theater scene, where art often runs on big ambition, limited resources, and a willingness to take on titles that demand creative approaches. Their production last year of John Patrick Shanley’s autobiographical Prodigal Son showed they are up to the challenge.
Unfortunately, their production of Hedwig is less of a success.
A quick confession: I love this show. I love Hedwig’s comic monologues, written (and originally delivered) by John Cameron Mitchell. I love the gritty, moving story of a person searching to become whole. And, above all, I love Stephen Trask’s beautiful, soaring rock-and-roll score.
JK Entertainment and director Arlo Kiss are trying something new with this show: introducing a rotating‑cast structure. The three leads, company co-founder Kyle Reid Hass, Sage Reid Priest, and Zo, trade the three principal roles from performance to performance. Perhaps you would need to see the show three times to know whether it’s effective, but I can say from the one performance I saw (with Reid Hass in the lead) that all three have the musical chops needed.
A possible downside of this rotating cast is what appeared to be under-rehearsal. On Sunday’s opening night, Reid Hass’ mic didn’t work for his first song, the band missed some cues and—most glaring—what was meant to be a clever on-stage costume change dragged into a minutes-long slog that eventually resulted in the audience participating in a Jeopardy! theme sing-a-long. Yes, really.
In addition, the show’s overall pacing needs some attention. Hedwig’s monologues make up half of the show, and they require tight direction to work. The comedy depends on exact pacing and clean transitions, and without that control the spoken sections can sag between songs. This production needs a firmer hand. Several jokes missed their timing, and the momentum of the monologues slipped more than once, leaving stretches of the show that felt flat until the music returned.
The production’s most serious mistake is the decision to cast Tommy as a separate role. While this mirrors the film, the movie made that choice for cinematic reasons. The stage version does not operate on that logic. In every authorized stage production, the actor who plays Hedwig also plays Tommy. That structure is central to the piece. It defines the narrative and drives the final section. Removing it breaks the show, eliminating the identity collapse the script builds toward. I’m afraid this artistic choice signals a misunderstanding of the material.
Hedwig and the Angry Inch plays through July 26 at the Catalyst Ranch, 648 W. Randolph St. The show runs two hours without an intermission. Tickets are available at www.jkentertainment.org. The show is recommended for ages 16+.
For more information on this and other productions, see theatreinchicago.com.
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