John Cameron Mitchell, the mind behind Hedwig and the Angry Inch, is making his Melbourne Recital Centre debut this September.
The two-time Tony Award-winning actor, writer and director brings I’m Afraid of Americans – A Bowie Song Cycle to the Elisabeth Murdoch Hall on 9 September at 7:30pm. John Cameron Mitchell’s production fuses rock concert, cabaret and theatre into a single performance, blending David Bowie’s darker, more dystopian tracks with gentler, more introspective material. It runs for approximately two hours and 30 minutes including an interval.
Also known for writing and directing the 2006 film Shortbus, Mitchell uses I’m Afraid of Americans to trace the deep connection between Bowie and Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Bowie was an early supporter of the stage musical, and the show explores how the late rock icon’s work anticipated the state of the world today – a full decade after his death in January 2016.
John Cameron Mitchell
- 21 August – Melbourne International Film Festival (25th anniversary screening of Hedwig and the Angry Inch)
- 22 August – Festival of Dangerous Ideas, Carriageworks, Sydney
- 23 August – Festival of Dangerous Ideas, Carriageworks, Sydney
- 6 September – Enmore Theatre, Sydney
- 9 September – Melbourne Recital Centre (Elisabeth Murdoch Hall), Southbank
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Joining Mitchell onstage are Australian vocalist Jude York and Amber Martin of Scissor Sisters, with musical direction from Blondie’s Matthew Katz-Bohen and lighting design by Jojo Franjoine. The production doubles as both a celebration of and reflection on Bowie’s creative legacy, and is presented by Melbourne Recital Centre and David M. Hawkins in association with ArKtype.
The Melbourne date sits within a broader Australian run. Mitchell first appears at the Melbourne International Film Festival on 21 August for a 25th anniversary screening of his film Hedwig and the Angry Inch, before heading to Sydney for appearances at the Festival of Dangerous Ideas at Carriageworks on 22 and 23 August. A performance of I’m Afraid of Americans at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre on 6 September precedes the Melbourne show by three days.
Tickets for the 9 September show are on sale now. B Reserve starts at $79, A Reserve at $99 and Premium at $119, with transaction fees between $4 and $8.50 applying to online and phone orders. A limit of six tickets applies per online transaction.
For more information, head here.
