Deaf West's Spring Awakening Broadway Previews — Page 7

I also saw tonight's performance (Monday). It's a great production with a wonderful cast. Very different presentation from the original, which altered the message quite a bit. Really interesting use of ASL with some powerful moments. The audience LOVED it. It was really energetic for a Monday crowd. I won the lotto and sat left box, but some winners were front row center for any interested. Highly recommended.

MaddieBB12 said: "Saw the show last night and am still reeling. I really hope to see Austin P. McKenzie do more professional theatre; in a cast of standouts, he still manages to shine brightly.

I could not have been moved more by this production. I know the show inside and out, and yet, I had to sit down and actually write out everything new I had discovered about the story and the characters.

My mother cried every time every time Krysta Rodriguez held the spotlight; she was marvelous. Having seen this and Hamilton back to back, I would say the Tony for director just changed hands. I really hope the show doesn't get forgotten come April; I'm anticipating seeing Arden, Rodriguez, and McKenzie's names on Tony Tuesday. "

Couldn't agree more. Arden's direction is flawless and innovating. I too am still reeling after seeing it yesterday. What an incredibly moving piece of theatre. I don't care what anyone says- this production for me, far surpasses the original. The lighting design too is top notch. Also, can I just give a huge shoutout to Aly Stroker? She is freaking awesome, and I hope this is not the last we see of her. The whole show has made me think of things in such a new perspective. I love theatre so much, but we are a terribly ableist bunch, not to mention buy into the beauty standard constantly. We insist time after time on depicting the world on stage--especially on Broadway in a way that the world simply isn't. And I'm starting to get really tired of it. Yes--it is getting better. A lot better. But, what if every show on Broadway was like this? Why can't deaf actors/actors with other disabilities simply play roles written for able bodied people like in SA? Why must it be only in these specialized productions that we see these incredible actors?

Sorry for the rant. I'm not necessarily looking for concrete answers; after all, I believe that what theatre should do best is ask questions to its audience that aren't easily answered. I have to say though, all in all, a fantastic, inspiring and wonderful evening. Deaf West has done an incredible job. I wish I could've seen their Pippin or more their other work--they should really establish another Deaf West (although if it were here I guess it should be called Deaf East) in NYC, unless a similar variation already exists.

feedpuppy said: "Am I alone in thinking Austin McKenzie is just so so? His performance was solid, but his singing was pretty bad. Several songs he was quite off key... Someone who went to a different performance had the same impression.

Katie Boeck as the voice of Wendla was lovely.Kathryn Gallagher also has a nice, kind of Adele like voice. Also didn't realize Russell Harvard was in it, he was fantastic in Tribes.

"

I was at the first preview, and I found most of his performance to be really strong. He did seem to struggle with Left Behind a little (although to be fair, I have seen multiple Melchiors- including Jonathan Groff- completely destroy the end of that song on different occasions).

What I liked about Austin McKenzie was that he, like Krysta, played his role in a brand new way. I remember seeing a video where he said he was much more of a Wendla or a Moritz and that he was nothing like Melchior and was shocked when they wanted him for the role. I always think of Melchior as strong, confident, cocky to an extent, but Austin didn't really play him like that. He played him much lower-key than most, and instead of being completely in control all the time (or seeming to be), he seemed just as lost and vulnerable as Wendla and Moritz.

I wouldn't say he's my favorite ever to play the role, but I did like his take on the character. It was fresh and new, and I loved the way he reacted immediately at the end of Totally F*cked. I know earlier someone said they didn't like that part, but it was really powerful to me and something not really seen in theatre that much altogether. Despite the fact that there were minutes of loud roaring applause, he (and by extension, the rest of the cast) didn't pause to let it happen. He immediately went into full-on rebellion mode, and I don't know why, but I just liked that.

I share similar sentiments with most of you here. I very much disliked the original production and saw it a few times, each time hoping to like it a little more. I appreciate the music but always felt the show itself fell flat. It tried too hard to be groundbreaking as an endpoint rather than be a good story.

This production totally changed my mind. I connected to the characters more. The ASL fit in perfectly and in now way was a distraction. Every choice enhanced and clarified the story. Superbly done.

Here is an idea; maybe they could film the production, rather than record an album. A filmed version is inclusive of everyone and allows this production to be captured and remembered forever.

I saw this last night and it was my first experience with Spring Awakening, other than having listened to some of the cast recording. I'm sure I would have a different take if I had seen the original, since I don't know how different this staging is, etc.

I was incredibly moved by the production and beautiful integration of ASL into it. I knew there were roles that had been double cast with hearing and deaf actors, but I didn't realize that ALL of the actors would be signing throughout. I found that to be such a unique aspect and I appreciated how the signs were so well-woven into the choreography. The scenes that were completely silent - done only in ASL - were gut-wrenching. It's amazing what silence like that can do in a theatre. I almost didn't need to read the projections to understand the scene.

I was particularly impressed with how the two Moritz and Wendla actors integrated with each other - there's such a synchronicity there and I really felt that the voice actors both did an excellent job being a shadow almost.

I was also impressed with Krista Rodriguez' Ilse - having not known her character's fate, I still picked up on the fact that she was somehow an outsider or observer from the beginning. Her scenes in the forest were heartbreaking. Daniel Durant as Moritz was one of my favorite portrayals of the night, so beautiful and painful. On the way home my sister and I discussed how natural the ASL seemed for Austin McKenzie and how passionate his portrayal was. Of course I hadn't read in my playbill yet how he has studied interpretation, etc. Bravo to that newcomer.

Austin McKenzie went to university to become an interpreter. He's actually fluent (if that's the word you use for sign language idk) in asl. If you see some of the interviews where he's with Sandra Mae Frank and Daniel Durant he's signing and speaking simultaneously. I think in character Melchior is just not deaf like Wendla and Moritz and thus their actors.

Totally moved by this show, and can't wait to see it again --- add me to the list of people that love Boeck's voice, and it might be Kathryn Gallagher, but one of the females sounds a lot like Joss Stone !!

And believe it's Alex Wyse that blew me away during "Touch Me"

I just want to pick Arden's brain apart s badly. I want to know why he decided certain characters to be deaf and not others. I hope to find an in depth article soon because there is so much meat to this show!

Kad, I think your description of Melchior makes so much sense, how his thoughts and opinions on ASL and the deaf community are parallel to his progressive views on sex.

I walked away from the production taking that a number of the characters were deaf. From that schoolroom scene, to smaller details like Patrick Page's doctor talking louder to Wendla, the production seemed to me to indicate that was the case .

Updated On: 9/15/15 at 05:16 PM

I haven't had a chance to see this yet but if the characters are being prevented from signing, it very much sounds like those characters are now deaf characters, since that's a very real thing that schools (some up until very recently) did. I know many people who are 40+ and didn't learn to sign until they were older or had to learn in secret because the schools forbid it and told their parents also never to let them learn. It's a very important part of deaf culture and it sounds like with that being integrated into the storyline, they've made those characters deaf.

Regarding Melchior being a hearing character while Wendla and Moritz are deaf:

I believe I read in the original notes from the Inner City Arts production, that Arden decided to leave Melchior as a hearing character because he understands the world as it is. He can communicate and manipulate and do anything he wants in the hearing (adult) world. Wendla and Moritz are lost in the hearing (adult) world, so that's why it's a stronger choice for them to be deaf while having Melchior being hearing. Similarly, Ernst is a deaf character and is naive, while Hanschen, who knows how to play the game, is hearing.

^ Agreed! He was GREAT!