There were 16 people on the waiting list at 10:23 p.m. The staff of Tucson’s Live Theatre Workshop’s late-night series, ETCETERA, began to count the no-shows and set up extra chairs with about five minutes until curtain. “”Hedwig and the Angry Inch,”” a sordid story of love (and length) lost, has been touted as the “”greatest rock opera since ‘Rocky Horror.'”” At least, that’s what the program says. Leading actress Danielle Dryer introduces the show, and should you forget to read the name in the program, you’d never suspect her five o’clock shadow was stage makeup.

“”You may have purchased seats with us tonight,”” she warns the audience, “”but you will only be needing the edge!””

For the audience members in the front row, sitting on the edge of your seat means risking actor Christopher Johnson’s glitter or lipstick make its way onto you. He recounts the exploits of Hedwig in a combination of standup comedy and scripted songs. They’re the stuff of which your favorite daytime soap is made, but the acoustics leave something to be desired, as do the vocals of Hedwig herself. Chris Robinson makes a convincing cross dresser as Hedwig, but hasn’t quite gotten the breathy in-tune tenor tone perfected yet. This actually makes it slightly less disappointing that he’s often drowned out by the sheer force of the rock opera’s title band, The Angry Inch.

If you’re familiar with “”Rocky Horror Picture Show,”” or the more recent “”Party Monster,”” you already know this type of cult classic. The energy and electricity amplify the experience exponentially. Even if it’s not your usual scene, if you think you can handle 90 minutes of a man in sequined spandex, the spectacle is worth your 10 bucks.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Live Theatre Workshop
Runs through January 24