A communal sigh of relief was heard throughout the southland as Cygnet Theatre launched its debut production, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, on Aug. 8. Two of the biggest sighs were heard from Sean Murray and Bill Schmidt, Cygnet and life partners, who have poured their energies into this project to provide San Diego with a new mid-sized performing arts space.

The show is like a two-for-one grand opening special; a rock concert and a play all in one glittering package.

Artistic Director Sean Murray cast Jeremiah Lorenz, most recently seen in Cabaret at the North County Rep as the Emcee, in the role of Hedwig. Lorenz is a dynamo, singing his heart out in pop-soliloquy.

Hedwig is John Cameron Mitchell’s story of an individual so desperate to flee communist East Berlin that he opts for a sex change operation to legally cross the border with his military husband. Unfortunately the operation was not a total success, resulting in the “angry inch” and a strange male-female, transsexual, androgynous identity.

Abandoned by his military man, Hedwig soon finds himself trailer trash in Junction City, Kansas, and becomes a mentor to a young man, teaching him how to rock and roll, among other things. Hedwig’s protégé steals his songs, forms his own band and becomes a full-fledged star. Hedwig and his band are now mere shadows of his former lover’s fame, following headliner “Tommy Gnosis,” playing in dives wherever they can get work. It’s a sad story but someone has to suffer, and this time out it’s Hedwig.

This docu-musical rock opera is served up quite well with a four-member band: Brian Dall, Steve Gouviea, Linda Libby and Jim Mooney. Jenn Grinels plays the character of Yitzak, a male band member who wants to be a drag queen who turns out to be a female. It doesn’t matter what sex Jenn chooses; she has a voice that will blow you away.

The music and insightful lyrics were composed and written by Stephen Trask. Beneath all the glam, glitter and razzmatazz we find the theme: a search for identification. In her search Hedwig narrates and screams out her anger with rock music as we watch her heal herself. Mitchell based part of the story on Plato’s Symposium, where he writes about two individuals who were joined as one, and then broken apart. Many of Trask’s songs are full of separation metaphors.

Lorenz deftly portrays Hedwig as a bitter, resentful, out-of-control character — like a bit of androgyny gone bonkers. Lorenz commands the stage, not only with make-up, boots and one-liners that any drag queen would die for, but with enough legitimate dramatic attitude to easily draw you into the pain of the character beneath his/her Maybelline tears.

Something tells me that the new Cygnet Theatre Company is here to stay. The wait was worth it: comfortable theatre seats, a plush lobby and a more-than-ample stage. Its marquee proudly announces its place along the 6,000-block of El Cajon Boulevard, tucked neatly beside a pawnshop, laundry, a tanning salon and a music store. As Hedwig says, it’s one-stop shopping, just 10 minutes from Hillcrest. So what are you waiting for? Go and meet your new neighbors!

Hedwig runs through Sept. 14. Cygnet Theatre is located at 6663 El Cajon Blvd. For more information, call (877) 597-7258.