Dear Friends, Supporters and Theatre lovers,
My name is Keith Fernandez. I'm a Queer South Asian professional musical theater director and producer based in Tiohtià:ke/ Montreal. I'm producing and directing the musical , Hedwig & the Angry Inch - Text by John Cameron Mitchell, Music and Lyrics by Stephen Trask, with a marvellous all queer creative team!
Whats Hedwig and the Angry Inch?
Hedwig and the Angry Inch tells the story of Hansel, born in Communist East Berlin who has dreams of finding his other half and becoming an American rock star. He meets an American G.I & is coaxed by his mother to undergo an illegal sex change operation. The operation goes wrong and Hansel is left with a one inch mound of flesh. She moves halfway across the world to Kansas only to be divorced by her American husband at a trailer park. While making ends meet she encounters a young and talented artist Tommy Gnosis who becomes a rock sensation with Hedwig's songs. Hedwig and her band, the Angry Inch, follow Tommy on his national tour and try to capitalize on their tabloid-created reputation as Tommy's ex-lover.
Why Contribute?
Queer stories and stories of non-binary people are rarely told in the musical theatre world. Whenever I have had the chance to tell a story on stage, I have centered the work around queer identities. The visibility of these characters on stage provides much needed representation for our stories! Its no secret that queer and trans people are facing harmful legislation in Canada that prevents them from accessing health care and violates their basic human rights. While Hedwig is not a trans character, the themes and experiences of the character can sometimes be reflective of many journeys experienced by the LGBTQIA+ community. Our creative team is very much a reflection of the ethos of this musical and as such your contributions directly impact a community immediately affected by these changes in our legislation and the ongoing hurtful & false rhetoric. The show is also a drag musical featuring both a drag queen & a drag king! A rock and roll rollercoaster of hit songs that tell stories of love and life's struggles will have you humming "I'm pulling the wig down from the shelf" long after the show is done!
Where does my money go?
- Artist Fees - Your contributions go directly towards the LGBTQIA+ artists working in the production!
- Show Production Expenses - Contributions help pay for the royalties, set and costume expenses, & the venue Rental.
Our creative team is made of incredible queer people - all local artists based in Tiohtià:ke/ Montreal
Music Direction by Zoé Dupont-Foisy .
Stage & Costume Design by Sabrina Miller.
Lighting Design by Aurora Torok .
Stage Management by Ava Bishop.
Directed and Produced by Keith Fernandez.
Presented at La Balustrade in The Monument National - June 11th to 20th 2024 as a BYOV at The Montreal International Fringe Festival 2024.
Spread the word about the show! Tickets for the production will go on sale via The Montreal International Fringe Festival platform the first week of April 2024.
