By Bri Ng Schwartz
I climb the stairs three times backstage at the Lyceum Theater on Broadway, home of Cole Escola Oh! Mary. My breath catches as I approach a pale pink room at the end of a long corridor, John Cameron Mitchell’s dressing room. Michelle is the current Mary Todd, Escola’s quirky comic image of Abraham Lincoln’s elusive First Lady. As I settle into the dressing room of my dreams, John explains that the spectacular space was designed by comedian Amy Sedaris for Cole Escola at the beginning of her Broadway run. Coincidentally, Mitchell ran into Sedaris on his way to the theater.
“I told him ‘I’m adding some things to your dressing room.’ Michelle points to the set of candles on the wall behind me. “I put up these candles and that flower lamp. There’s a picture of Lincoln being shot on the wall.” We delve into the ghosts of green rooms and dressing rooms past, where he shares stories of green room hookups and unconventional theater dressing rooms from his younger days on TV. “I was a student in the Huckleberry Finn musical in the ’80s. It had such a big cast that the students had no place to stay. They had no dressing rooms. So we’d hang out in the Chinese restaurants and bars next door, which made me think, ‘Oh, less students means drunker.’
We talk more about the unique features of the Lyceum and how it has performed in old Broadway theaters over the years. “I love these theaters. I love how old they are. It’s the oldest theater still operating on Broadway, and they’re kind of falling apart. Look at the carpets. They’re dirty, but we love it. We love how much has happened here. We love all the shows that happen here. And you just come and try to absorb it for the shows.”
I look down at the carpet, and back to the large vanity. At the age of 11, when I decided that I wanted to make theater my career, it stuck in my mind and I dreamed of such a dressing room. Watching Mitchell while preparing a cup of tea, I was taken to the Belasco Theater just a few blocks away, where I saw the Broadway revival of Mitchell. Hedwig and the Angry Inch At 17, I moved to Chicago a few months ago to pursue a BFA in Theatre.
I got a tattoo of artwork after 3 years in a dirty Chicago tattoo shop in the afternoon Hedwig and the Angry Inch Dear Power Song “The Origin of Love.” I saw the touring production of the show on Broadway in Chicago last night and once again, I was so moved by the musical that I had to put a piece of it on my body. The poorly placed tattoo on my wrist faded after a year and I finally covered it up when I moved to New York. I debate sharing this fact with Michelle, because I don’t know if it would make the case for me as a fan or if it would be seen as an insult that her imagination has obscured what I believe to be one of the best love songs ever written.
As I shyly turn my wrist to Michelle, we get into a discussion about the times I’ve seen Hedwig actors who have played her over the years, including Jinx Monsoon and Mary Todd of London, Mason Alexander Park. The end of Mitchell’s time as Mary Todd coincides with the 25th anniversary of the film version Hedwig and the Angry Inch. I ask Mitchell what he thinks Hedwig would think of Mary Todd, and vice versa, seeing if that would include me in the fan fiction of my dreams.
“I think they’ll see each other as sisters, but maybe also rivals. You have your friend who’s loud and crazy and you say, “Oh, you have to meet my other loud and crazy friend.” But that never works, does it? Because they want a low-key friend. They don’t want the same thing. But Hedwig and Marie have a lot in common. They’ve been pushed into oblivion by society, because of a number of secret affairs. These two They both want to be seen and ultimately make space to do so.
I couldn’t help but think of Hedwig as I watched Michelle front and center that evening, delivering Mary Todd’s physical comedy and vulgar line delivery. As the play progresses, it is surreal to see the connection between Mary’s cabaret aspirations and Mitchell’s rich history on stage, especially during Mary’s cabaret moment at the end of the play. We are proud to have renditions of Barry Manilow’s songs like “Copacabana” and “She’ll Be Coming Round the Mountain When She Comes.” Michelle as Mary Todd is a vision from head to toe in white and silver glitter, accompanied only by a piano. That’s when it hit me: I’m seeing a great man in his natural habitat, and I’m so lucky to be here.
I found myself holding my wrist to a subway pole on my way home. I see the iconography of “The Origin of Love” coming to a head through my new linework. It’s a stark reminder that the work of Hedwig and John Cameron Mitchell lives in my body as a theater artist, music lover, and perpetually angsty teenage girl. I’m still kicking myself after spending time in that iconic pink dressing room with one of my heroes.
As soon as John Cameron Mitchell puts one wig on the shelf, another is put back on his head. You can catch her as Mary Todd Oh! My Until April 26, and then on the road for the 25th anniversary Hedwig and the Angry Inch film.
