Andrew Rannells Talks About Taking On HEDWIG

Two weeks ago, it was announced that Andrew Rannells will be taking over Neil Patrick Harris' role in Hedwig and the Angry Inch on August 20. However, it wasn't until today that he finally had the time to talk about it. He told The Star, "It's scary and exciting and every kind of wonderful imaginable."

Click here to read BroadwayWorld's original announcement and click here to read the full article from The Star.

Rannells commented, "Michael has this idea that I should replace Neil when he left. I came in and saw it that weekend. Neil was so amazing I didn't think I could possibly do it."

However, after talking to John Cameron Mitchell, Rannells changed his mind. Mitchell told him that he and Harris actually have something important in common: inner sweetness. Rannells realized, "That's the beautiful and deceiving part of the show. People think it's just a punk rock musical about a trans performer. It's something else. It's about feeling lost and looking for love and wanting to feel complete inside."

Rannells has had a lot of success over the years. He is most well-known for originating the role of Elder Prince in The Book of Mormon. He also starred in Broadway's Hairspray (2002) and Jersey Boys (2005); and, he toured with Jersery Boys in 2006. Rannells also stars in the TV show Girls.

He joking said, "On a certain level, I guess I'm waiting for the shoe to drop. I've been extra carerful crossing streets lately, waiting to see if I get hit by a car. You know, it's Catholic guilt. Things are going so well that something bad has got to happen."