Mason Alexander Park Will Star In HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH at Olney Theatre

Helen Hayes Award-winning performer Mason Alexander Park (they/them/theirs) returns to Olney Theatre Center in November to play the title role in Olney's production of the internationally acclaimed rock musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Nov. 26, 2021 - Jan. 2, 2022).

Known for portraying Hedwig in the Broadway National Tour, Park in 2019 starred as the Emcee in Olney Theatre's critically acclaimed production of Cabaret, for which they earned a Helen Hayes Award for Best Leading Performer in a Musical. Park later made headlines when it was announced that they would be playing Gren, a nonbinary character in the upcoming Netflix live action adaptation of Cowboy Bebop, a beloved Japanese anime series. Park can also be seen as Desire in the upcoming Netflix adaptation of Neil Gaiman's The Sandman, as well as in Amazon's Critical Role: The Legend of Vox Machina.

Said Olney Theatre artistic director Jason Loewith, "Since stunning DMV audiences as the Emcee in Cabaret, Mason's rise has been so phenomenal, not even the pandemic could slow them down. We're lucky and grateful to find an opening in their schedule to fulfill what I know is a passion project for them. This production of Hedwig will allow them to put their own stamp on the character, and I for one can't wait to see it."

Hedwig and the Angry Inch follows the story of a genderqueer East German singer who fronts a fictional rock and roll band. Caught in the crossfire of cold wars and culture wars, Hedwig is a survivor, and not just of the botched sex-change operation that left her with the aformentioned "Angry Inch". Transported to America, she is chasing rock stardom, as well as the (much more successful) rocker Tommy Gnosis, her one-time protege and lover. Described as "groundbreaking and undoubtedly ahead of its time" by Entertainment Weekly, Hedwig and the Angry Inch is a rock 'n' roll musical that incorporates a cabaret confessional, drag, and a heart of gold, guarded by barbed wire and sequin spiked heels.

Hedwig will open at Olney Theatre Center on November 26, 2021, and run through January 2, 2022, in the 1938 Original Theatre. The production will be directed by Broadway veteran Johanna McKeon. McKeon has been Associate Director on five Broadway musicals, including Hedwig and the Angry Inch, American Idiot, War Paint, Grey Gardens, and King Kong, as well as multiple national and international tours. Her directing credits include the West Coast premiere of Noura by Heather Raffo at The Old Globe, Mona Mansour's Unseen (Old Globe New Voices Festival), and Anne Washburn's I Have Loved Strangers (Clubbed Thumb and Williamstown Premiere). Her independent feature Auld Lang Syne received the Audience Award for Narrative Feature at the 2016 Indie Street Film Festival and her newest feature My Address is Still Walton Have You Forgotten? created with playwright Karinne Keithley Syers, has recently begun a screening tour. McKeon is the recipient of Drama League, Boris Sagal, and Fulbright Fellowships, and received her MFA from the University of Texas, Austin.

Masks and proof of COVID vaccination are required at all Olney Theatre performances. Those under 12 who are not yet eligible for the COVID vaccine must be masked and accompanied by a vaccinated adult. However, Hedwig and the Angry Inch is recommended for ages 18+. We do not accept proof of a recent negative COVID test in lieu of vaccination. Visit OlneyTheatre.org/vax for more information.

Tickets begin at $64 at olneytheatre.org or 301-924-3400

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