John Cameron Mitchell is looking back on the life and legacy of David Bowie. Best known for his 1998 stage musical _Hedwig and the Angry Inch_ and its subsequent 2001 film adaptation,

Mitchell took a page from Bowie's book when it came to breathing life into Hedwig, a glam rocker reminiscent of Bowie's alter ego Ziggy Stardust. Now, he will pay homage to the

late English singer-songwriter once more when _Blackstar Symphony, The Music of David Bowie _— featuring songs from Bowie's final album — makes its world premiere in Charlotte, North

Carolina, Sept. 16 and 17. Mitchell will guest star in the two-night event. "This is a no-brainer," he tells PEOPLE, adding that _Blackstar_ served as a "memorial" or

_in the late 1990s. "Thank God I didn't know he was there until after — and he didn't come up to the dressing room — [so we thought] maybe he hated it," Mitchell says.

That night, however, Bowie had a few friends who were also in the crowd, including Jayne County, rock's first openly transgender singer. "It was only later — my boyfriend was

working at Complete Music [Studios], where [Bowie] would rehearse — and I think he told me to come on over because he was there, and [late photographer] Mick Rock was there, too,"

explains Mitchell. "David kind of swiveled his lighthouse smile upon me and said, 'John, you got it right.' And I was like: Wow, I can die now," says Mitchell. _NEVER

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STORIES._ Bowie was such a fan of _Hedwig and the Angry Inch_, he went on to co-produce the Los Angeles production of the show and even tried to tap Mitchell for a possible collaboration in

the vein of _Hedwig_. "He actually asked me to look at [adapting] Ziggy Stardust for the stage, which my one great regret is I didn't do it because I was burned out on

_Hedwig_," Mitchell reveals. "But he's always inspired me in everything that I do. His spirit and way of working — way of collaborating — is a model for my life." Without

Bowie, a Ziggy Stardust musical adapted by Mitchell will not come to fruition, but the _Joe vs. Carole_ star says it was "nice to be thought of." Mitchell is instead working with

frequent Bowie collaborator, saxophonist and Blackstar Symphony Artistic Director Donny McCaslin, who played with the legendary rocker himself on _Blackstar_. "I felt like I was

observing rock 'n' roll history," McCaslin tells PEOPLE of working on _Blackstar _alongside Bowie before his death, calling the experience "transformative." Mitchell

hopes to "honor" Bowie's work with _Blackstar Symphony_, which McCaslin is aiming to tour internationally following its performances in North Carolina. Adds Mitchell:

"[Bowie] was not only a great artist, but he was a model for living, a design for living. And he even designed his exit. How often do you do that? Only a king does that. But he did it

as a poet king." For more information on _Blackstar Symphony, The Music of David Bowie_, visit CharlotteArtsFest.com.