#1
Posted: 11/29/06 at 10:47pm
Gays. Sex. Suicide. Child Abuse. Abortion. Musical? No it’s not Rent, or any other show with pseudo-rock ballads, bound to be spread by trendy teenagers. This new production is based on a play by Frank Wedekind that was written in 1891. The original Spring Awakening first appeared in English in 1917, and was promptly shut down because of the nature of the plays content, which caused the New York City Commissioner of Licenses to call the play “Pornographic.” Almost 90 years later, playwright and lyricist Steven Sater and Alternative Rock musician Duncan Sheik decided to rework this coming of age story into (could it be?) a rock musical. After a sell-out run at the Atlantic Theatre off-Broadway, the play made the transformation to the Eugene O’Neill Theatre on Broadway for previews on November 17th, with opening night scheduled for December 10th.
At first the idea of Alternative Rock teamed with classical playwriting seemed mismatched. Yet, through clever direction, storytelling, and astounding lighting design the songs end up serving as internal monologues, expressing the angst and anguish felt by many of the teenage characters. The staging and structural work by the director and creative team allow for a seamless transition between the late 19th century play and 21st century music.
The play focuses on two main characters; Wendla, Lea Michele, a budding teen who’s naïveté about her sexuality and physical development come back to haunt her, and Melchior, Jonathan Groff, a hunky rebel who’s radical ideas and sexual conquests lead to his expulsion from school and society. All seems to go wrong after the two engage in a spicy love-making scene that caused some of the older audience members to adjust their spectacles and loosen their ties.
While the majority of the plot focuses on the tragic romance of the two leads, it is the various sub-plots that maintain the interests of audience members. First there’s Moritz Stiefel, John Gallagher Jr., the poor boy who struggles with his schoolwork and his hormones, pressured heavily by his father and shunned by his teachers and headmasters. Gallagher’s awkwardness and raw energy make each one of his songs and scenes crowd favorites. Thrown into the mix, is a theme of child abuse. One of the female characters, Martha, played timidly by Lilli Cooper, speaks to her schoolmates about the horrific welts her father makes on her body with his belt. This causes some friends to shriek, while others claim that “Discipline” indicates love. Somehow, from this abrupt sequence springs another random theme in which Wendla toys with the idea of sadomasochism. Then, the other prominent subplot about sexual experimentation and gender crisis is introduced through the eyes of two schoolboys, Hanschen, Jonathan B. Wright, and Ernst, Gideon Glick. Wright seduces Glick with his arrogant Aryan demeanor, while Glick succumbs after being taken captive by the machismo of his lover. This scene is possibly the most well acted and humorous scene in the show. Another showstopper is Hanschen’s masturbation scene, which also features the character Georg, Skylar Astin, who is oddly obsessed with his piano teacher’s lady parts. This all occurs while the female cast members sing the ballad “Touch Me.”
What shines the most in this production is the score. Duncan Sheik’s anthems “I Don’t Do Sadness,” and “Totally F*****” bridge the gap between the 19th century German schoolboys and girls and modern day school children, helping to highlight the relevance and timelessness of the play and its themes. The acting is much stronger on the male side, with Gallagher Jr., Astin, Glick, and Wright working phenomenally in supporting roles. While Lea Michele has a superb voice, her acting tends to be dry, and her diction crunchy and overdone. Although some may be put-off by the racy subject nature of this play, and the unorthodox score, I am certain that this show will find its audience. More likely than not, it will be teenagers who frequent this new production. However, it won’t be as bothersome when chorus kids and theatre geeks start belting “The Bitch of Living” in the hallways, because they’ll be advertising a play that represents everything we have to go through during our teenage years.
-Zach Fuhrer
At first the idea of Alternative Rock teamed with classical playwriting seemed mismatched. Yet, through clever direction, storytelling, and astounding lighting design the songs end up serving as internal monologues, expressing the angst and anguish felt by many of the teenage characters. The staging and structural work by the director and creative team allow for a seamless transition between the late 19th century play and 21st century music.
The play focuses on two main characters; Wendla, Lea Michele, a budding teen who’s naïveté about her sexuality and physical development come back to haunt her, and Melchior, Jonathan Groff, a hunky rebel who’s radical ideas and sexual conquests lead to his expulsion from school and society. All seems to go wrong after the two engage in a spicy love-making scene that caused some of the older audience members to adjust their spectacles and loosen their ties.
While the majority of the plot focuses on the tragic romance of the two leads, it is the various sub-plots that maintain the interests of audience members. First there’s Moritz Stiefel, John Gallagher Jr., the poor boy who struggles with his schoolwork and his hormones, pressured heavily by his father and shunned by his teachers and headmasters. Gallagher’s awkwardness and raw energy make each one of his songs and scenes crowd favorites. Thrown into the mix, is a theme of child abuse. One of the female characters, Martha, played timidly by Lilli Cooper, speaks to her schoolmates about the horrific welts her father makes on her body with his belt. This causes some friends to shriek, while others claim that “Discipline” indicates love. Somehow, from this abrupt sequence springs another random theme in which Wendla toys with the idea of sadomasochism. Then, the other prominent subplot about sexual experimentation and gender crisis is introduced through the eyes of two schoolboys, Hanschen, Jonathan B. Wright, and Ernst, Gideon Glick. Wright seduces Glick with his arrogant Aryan demeanor, while Glick succumbs after being taken captive by the machismo of his lover. This scene is possibly the most well acted and humorous scene in the show. Another showstopper is Hanschen’s masturbation scene, which also features the character Georg, Skylar Astin, who is oddly obsessed with his piano teacher’s lady parts. This all occurs while the female cast members sing the ballad “Touch Me.”
What shines the most in this production is the score. Duncan Sheik’s anthems “I Don’t Do Sadness,” and “Totally F*****” bridge the gap between the 19th century German schoolboys and girls and modern day school children, helping to highlight the relevance and timelessness of the play and its themes. The acting is much stronger on the male side, with Gallagher Jr., Astin, Glick, and Wright working phenomenally in supporting roles. While Lea Michele has a superb voice, her acting tends to be dry, and her diction crunchy and overdone. Although some may be put-off by the racy subject nature of this play, and the unorthodox score, I am certain that this show will find its audience. More likely than not, it will be teenagers who frequent this new production. However, it won’t be as bothersome when chorus kids and theatre geeks start belting “The Bitch of Living” in the hallways, because they’ll be advertising a play that represents everything we have to go through during our teenage years.
-Zach Fuhrer
