Spring Awakening Tour- Page 3

[SeanInTheSpotlight]

Posted: 7/24/09 at 10:24am

The rumors are over and done with the SA tour blog Totally Trucked posted the new cast members up...

http://totallytrucked.blogspot.com/2009/07/spring-awakening-cast-changes.html

[taylorPHENOMENON2]

Posted: 7/24/09 at 11:46am

Wow, it's so sad to see so many of them leaving. I am surprised that Steffi D is still with the show, many people were predicting she'd be leaving with Kyle. Poor Kimiko! I hope she's better soon, and that's pretty random that Claire's coming back.

[EVIE]

Posted: 7/24/09 at 1:24pm

I feel so embarrassed but I'm totally excited about seeing Jake! I'm ahem several years older then the tweens that watch Degrassi but I'm a huge fan. I hope I catch his performance when the show heads to San Jose.

[jigblob]

Posted: 10/21/09 at 2:55am

Saw the tour earlier tonight and I'm sad to say that as much as I loved the show my first time with the OBC (minus JGJ but I saw bashoff), I was really underwhelmed tonight. I thought Christy A. as Wendla was absolutely wonderful as an actress, one of the best most convincing performers on the stage, but while her voice is pretty, I was really wanting more in the vocal department.

Actually, instead of harping on each and every cast member for this, I'll just say that I was pretty much completely disappointed with the score. The band sounded great, but almost every singer (minus Steffi D) had major issues trying to sing above the music. Either nobody in the cast knows how to project, or their mikes needed to be cranked up bigtime. Songs that I really looked forward to like Mama who bore me reprise, touch me, and bitch of a living fell kind of flat because of this.

Another qualm I had was with the Melchior, Jake Epstein. I can't even really put my finger on what it was with him, but I really didn't like him. I didn't like how he looked, how he talked, and especially how he sang. He was okay at parts but I felt like he alternated between deadpan and goofy at the wrong times.

Taylor Trensch was pretty good as Moritz. I really liked him in Act 1, especially the scene where he tells his dad he flunked out of school. His vocals were acceptable...nothing impressive but no problems.

Angela Reed as the Adult Women was one of the best parts of the show.

Another random but notable mention was Sarah Hunt as Martha. I was shocked to see in the playbill that she has no theatre experiences listed...but during "Dark I Know Well" I was convinced that she was an amazing actress. Her rendition was not only haunting but incredibly honest.

Sorry this was so scatterbrained and all over the place!

[threetwoone]

Posted: 10/21/09 at 3:04am

I saw the original tour cast twice in Seattle and San Diego, and my immediate impression walking away from both shows was your exact impression of Sarah Hunt! I really was drawn in to her performance both times. Steffi D is a cutie too.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 10/21/09 at 3:09am

Sarah Hunt is convincing in such a small role. You could see her tears well up during "Dark I Know Well," and it was authentic...didn't look forced.

The same thing happened during "Left Behind." After the song, some cast members sit on the steps in front of the stage and face the other actors. I sat onstage, and Sarah was still wiping tears from her face minutes after the song had ended. She does a good job of getting into character.

Updated On: 10/21/09 at 03:09 AM

[Gobstopper]

Posted: 10/21/09 at 12:40pm

I found Christy, Sarah, and Jake to be (by far) the best parts of the tour cast when I saw them in Chicago. The rest of the cast is kind of a mixed bag (especially if you saw the OBC), but those three made it worthwhile.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 10/21/09 at 12:56pm

I saw the tour a year ago and will be going again this Halloween. I really loved the cast last year, so let's hope they're still just as solid!

[Shunterk]

Posted: 2/10/10 at 6:36pm

I've got free seats to see the tour while it is in Durham at the DPAC, they're stage seats.

Now, I've heard a lot of different things about onstage seats. I've seen the show already, but I'm taking five friends and they haven't even done as much as listen to the cast recording. So, what exactly am I missing from sitting on stage? I know that I'll be behind the action every-so-often, but is there anything really important? Do they give you lockers like in NYC, or do they just trust you not be answer your phone?

Is there anything especially interesting about the onstage seats? Other than the fact that the actors are right near you.

Also, I haven't heard anything lately about the current cast, except local newspaper raves. Are there any really truly bad performers? good performers?

Finally, what about the set and the lighting is different on the tour? I, contrary to the greater populace, really like the set and I'm curious as to what is different.

Edited: For a typo
Updated On: 2/10/10 at 06:36 PM

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 2/10/10 at 6:47pm

Cast recording, not soundtrack.

I've sat on stage once -- you'll actually miss some of the lyrics and maybe some the dialogue. Mostly because the sound system is meant to amplify towards the audience, not towards you.

[FeelingElectric2]

Posted: 2/10/10 at 6:51pm

They give you lockers to put yourself stuff in. I saw the show onstage for the 1st time, and later on saw it in the orchestra.

The action is all in front of you, you see alot of the actor's backs (and spit). You don't really miss anything from the show (story wise). What you do miss in the incredible lighting and the sound. You don't hear the overall unity (is that the correct word?) of the voices, an it's much more easier to distinguish voices from each person onstage.

Sitting onstage, there are moments in the show where the cast goes behind and sings to you. Steffi D sang right in my ear during Touch Me, during Totally F*CKed, Sarah and Anthony were in my face flipping me off. And I think it was the guilty ones where Ben Moss kept on accidentally hitting me with his elbow.

The cast is great. Very enthusiastic and energetic. No one is bad, but I disliked Melchior ( his name just slipped from my mind, but it's the guy from degrassi). I found him to be too old for the role, although he did give an adequate performance. I'm just being picky.

[FeelingElectric2]

Posted: 2/10/10 at 6:53pm

I have to agree with LizzieCurry. There are moment you have to really pay claw attention, or you will miss some dialogue because of the sound system, like she explained. But it's not much to take you away from the story.

[SeanInTheSpotlight]

Posted: 2/10/10 at 7:11pm

When I saw the show in New York for the first time I sat on stage and the only thing that I feel I really missed out on was the Don't Do Saddness/Blue Wind scene, but was still balling during Left Behind. I heard everything fine, you are on stage with the actors so you will hear them just fine. Enjoy the show!!!

[jake6970]

Posted: 2/11/10 at 5:21pm

Does anyone know why an ECC was just put out for this show? I was under the impression the equity tour was ending in May and a non equity tour was starting next year. Are there still required calls so close to when a show is closing?

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 2/12/10 at 3:14am

I saw the tour last weekend. Take into account that I am not the biggest fan of this show, but overall I wasn't impressed with a lot of the actors. There was either no passion in their roles or their singing was very flat (in regards to selling the song). Also, they slowed down "Bitch of Living" which I didn't really like.

My biggest disappointment has to be with Melchior played by Jake Epstein. Now, I don't know if it was because there was something wrong with his microphone but it was hard to understand a lot of what he was saying. Also, he overplayed it in some parts and underplayed others. It's like he couldn't find the balance of the fun and heartbreaking moments. And some of the guys couldn't hit the higher notes well at all.

With that said.....the kid who played Moritz (I think it was Taylor Trensch but it could have been his understudy) was AMAZING, as well as "The Woman" (Angela Reed) and Martha (Sarah Hunt). They were the only ones, IMHO, that I felt got into their characters head and lived the parts. The second half was A LOT better than the first but overall I give it a 2.5 out of 4 stars.

Updated On: 2/12/10 at 03:14 AM

[wendilin622]

Posted: 2/12/10 at 5:36am

I was thinking about catching the show whem it came to Hartford in a few weeks, I loved it on Bway. But after reading your reviews etc, I think ill skip it. I'm a lil low on cash... Is there a rush for the tour? Should I save my money from my theatre slush fund? So many things opening soon...conundrum!

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 2/12/10 at 9:30am

The tour usually has some kind of rush.

And FWIW, I really enjoyed Jake Epstein.

[erinrebecca]

Posted: 2/12/10 at 10:37am

How is Jake too old for the role? He just turned 23 last month.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 2/12/10 at 11:06pm

The character is suppose to be 15.^

There were rumours about them going non equity...but to the best of my knowledge, we never got verification.

They could be auditioning because someone is leaving.

[erinrebecca]

Posted: 2/13/10 at 1:50pm

dramamama, I'm aware of how old the character is supposed to be. Actually, in the original play, they're even younger than that. The comment to which I was replying said that Jake was too old, implying that being age 22 or 23 was too old to be cast in that role. If she truly believes that, then every actor who has played the role has been too old.