Is Spring Awakening the new

[antonijan]

Posted: 5/1/07 at 4:46am

I don't know if it has been asked before and know it's kinda stupid to compare the two but it kinda crossed my mind that Rent was kinda very 90'ish and it is now being replaced by SA in a sense with it's "cutting-edge" and innovative story-telling of coming of age issues to contemporary sounds of indie-rock for the younger broadway generation.

(I haven't seen SA yet but I plan on it sometimes....or maybe when the tour comes to my area :P)



Updated On: 5/1/07 at 04:46 AM

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 5/1/07 at 6:28am

In regards to what you described, yes, I would say SPRING AWAKENING is the new RENT.

[coolkid11776]

Posted: 5/1/07 at 6:59am

nothing will EVER replace RENT

[Faigs]

Posted: 5/1/07 at 7:11am

LOL, Spring Awakening isn't good enough to replace Rent.

[Jon]

Posted: 5/1/07 at 8:26am

It sure aint selling like RENT. At this time in 1996, RENT was sold out a month in advance.

[EdmundOG]

Posted: 5/1/07 at 8:53am

If in ten years, Raja Gosnell makes a movie of it with the original cast and half the music, then sure, why not?

[misschung]

Posted: 5/1/07 at 8:59am

I agree with what you said about their similarities, but I dont really think one show can ever be "the new" anything - if that makes sense

Updated On: 5/1/07 at 08:59 AM

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 5/1/07 at 9:01am

The only real thing the shows have in common is their pop-rock score and the teenage audience. And also some of the coming of age issues. Yet, based on that, I wouldn't call it the "new Rent."

Updated On: 5/2/07 at 09:01 AM

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 5/1/07 at 9:05am

RENT is better.

[withoutlovewithoutU]

Posted: 5/1/07 at 10:07am

I guess that could be said, but I jsut don't like saying it. I love them both, but for totally different reasons.

[C is for Company]

Posted: 5/1/07 at 10:18am

I would agree on terms of selling the music to the culture in a specific time with the current indie-rock setting and the 90's rock. However, whereas I feel Rent is grounded IN that time period, Spring Awakening has origins in 1800's Germany! It doesn't necessarily attach itself to any particular "time" persay but rather the youth generation of any time. It shows that issues present back then still are here today!

I think people are just so willing to find a "new Rent" and are always looking for it, but nothing seems to have come close to that sort of experience. It left a big mark on theatre and Spring Awakening hasn't even touched that phenomenon. So in technical terms the shows warrant the same traits, but are two seperate monsters.

Updated On: 5/1/07 at 10:18 AM

[slimandslam]

Posted: 5/1/07 at 1:30pm

Note to C is for Company:

[W]hereas I feel Rent is grounded IN that time period, Spring Awakening has origins in 1800's Germany! It doesn't necessarily attach itself to any particular "time" persay but rather the youth generation of any time. It shows that issues present back then still are here today!

Actually, Rent is grounded in 1890's Italy. Or, if you prefer, 1830's Paris.

The issues present back then, too, still are here today.

(Exit Mr. Obvious into the wings, bowing.)
Rent's source

[misschung]

Posted: 5/1/07 at 1:34pm

that's true, but I think she meant in terms of the references in the show itself. but you are right.

Spring Awakening is popular, but it definetly has not had the same insane frenzy that Rent did. I mean, you can actually get a ticket to Spring Awakening

[C is for Company]

Posted: 5/1/07 at 1:54pm

What I mean is the time setting of the musical itself. I'm aware of Rent's origins, but what you see on stage is obviously not 1890's Italy OR 1930's Paris. Spring Awakening does set it in the actual time period it is based off. Rent updated the material while Spring Awakening barely did.

[TannerONbw]

Posted: 5/1/07 at 1:57pm

Damn! I forgot about the AIDS epidemic in 1890's Italy or 1830's Paris.

[antonijan]

Posted: 5/1/07 at 3:04pm

maybe another edge of Rent was the dynamic multi-race cast. Any idea if the SA is exclusively white/caucasian? Just wondering.
Updated On: 5/1/07 at 03:04 PM

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 5/1/07 at 3:08pm

SA is not exclusively white.

SPRING AWAKENING is the new SPRING AWAKENING.

[gymdudeva]

Posted: 5/1/07 at 3:09pm

Any idea if the SA is exclusively white/caucasian?

One of the girls in SA is African-American, I think, and one of the ensemble is half Hispanic.

However, one of points of Rent was diversity, whereas in SA, one of the themes is that that society was too repressed, intolerant, and homogenous.

[C is for Company]

Posted: 5/1/07 at 4:14pm

Thank you Tanner, you understood my point. Cause you know, I totally remember those Parisians were so developed with their AZT and such.

[gymdudeva]

Posted: 5/1/07 at 4:26pm

I was just thinking that...Rent is full of topical references and has a specific time and place. Despite the 1890s-Germany setting, SA has a more universal, timeless feel to it. And Rent, although I like it, hits you over the head like a sledgehammer....SA is more subtle, in a way.

[dramaqueen2]

Posted: 5/1/07 at 4:59pm

i see what you're saying in that SA is being recieved in a similar way that rent was, and that it is being taken by a younger, fresher audience.

and shut up all you rentheads. you don't know that spring awakening isn't better as of yet. spring awakening is the best thing to happen to broadway in quite some time, i don't care what anyone says. it doesn't need to be compared to anything really. it's wonderful all on its own. best of luck to the show. =)

[istillbelieve24601]

Posted: 5/1/07 at 5:15pm

Spring Awakening and Rent are definitely cut from the same mold. However, there are a few differences. I'd say Spring Awakening has a teeny bit more depth in its music. There's a lot of very nice string orchestrations you won't see in Rent. While SA has pop/rock music, it's not really presented in Rent's fashion of "this is a loud rock musical with lots of drums and electric guitar..." Also, Spring Awakening is about teenagers still in school while all the characters in RENT are in their twenties- trust me, it's a huge difference.

I love Rent, but I really doubt it would have been as popular if it wasn't for the Jonathan Larson story. Whereas... Spring Awakening doesn't have a fantastic news story to keep it going.

However, once SA gets out there, it's going to hit strong. I think a lot of teenagers can relate to Spring Awakening more than they can relate to RENT, and you know how many teenagers love/"can totally relate" to RENT. Because SA focuses on the troubles of school, I can see songs like "All That's Known" becoming really popular among high-schoolers.

[BroadwaySinger2]

Posted: 5/1/07 at 6:01pm

Rent appeals to all ages and seems to bring in all types of audiences (making it more popular when it first came out). Spring Awakening, on the other hand, appeals to the younger teen audience. Personally, I believe that though the music is similar, Rent is superior musically.

[trinaaron]

Posted: 5/1/07 at 8:14pm

"Rent appeals to all ages and seems to bring in all types of audiences (making it more popular when it first came out). Spring Awakening, on the other hand, appeals to the younger teen audience."

I do not agree with this statement at all. There is plenty in both of these musicals to appeal to people, no matter what their life experiences. I was in my 20's the first time I saw Rent and in my 30's when I saw Spring Awakening a couple of weeks ago. They both touched me in a way that few things in my life have. If young people can find something in Spring Awakening that speaks to them, then that is wonderful. However I don't believe that many of the underlying themes can be truly appreciated by a lot of them. Most just haven't experienced enough to be able to look further than the things that reflect their own lives.

Also, just as a VERY limited sample, the vast majority of the audience I saw it with were well into adulthood, and it was very well recieved.

[uncageg]

Posted: 5/1/07 at 8:24pm

My best friend and I are both in our 40's and we loved Spring Awakening. The evening I saw it at the Atlantic, the audience was 99.9% adult.