**SPOILER** What is the original ending to the play SPRING AWAKENING?

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 11/29/06 at 1:51am

**SPOILER**

So apparently the ending of SPRING AWAKENING was changed early in previews Off-Broadway, from what was initially was the ending of the original play. What was the original ending, and what was specifically changed for the musical, and why?

Updated On: 11/29/06 at 01:51 AM

[enjolrasissex]

Posted: 11/29/06 at 7:35am

Here's the original play ending, but I have no idea why it was changed for the musical. Maybe it was too confusing?
Ending of the Play

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 11/29/06 at 7:38am

Wendla dies, Moritz dies. Melchior goes to the cemetary to visit Moritz and he has a conversation with his spirit. Then, a headless guy comes, has a philosophical conversation about life and all is absolved.

Notice how Wendla doesn't come back like in the musical. She wasn't a main character in the play.

[enjolrasissex]

Posted: 11/29/06 at 8:15am

I don't think they made her THAT much more of a "main" character in the musical. I believe the only scene they added her into was the end.

[InfiniteTheaterFrenzy]

Posted: 11/29/06 at 8:59am

In early versions of the musical, there was a masked man/ narrator, and now there's not. (Which is good.)

[flaemmchen]

Posted: 11/29/06 at 9:25am

Yes, Moritz was headless because he shot himself in the head when he committed suicide. The Masked Man is supposed to have all this symbolic value...I'm glad to hear they did away with that.

As for the Wendla/Melchior sex thing, better to not get me started.

[LimelightMike]

Posted: 11/29/06 at 9:52am

Honestly, having researched and researched this whole show (from the original text from so many years ago) to the innerworkings of the musical numbers msaterfully-crafted by Duncan and Steven, I feel that the rehashing they did to the end of the show helps it even more so. Honestly, do you think that the 'everyday audience' would grasp the concepts that are discussed just by having kept The Masked Man in the show? I certainly don't. If you were to fill the house with intellectuals, then that's a whole differenet ballgame. They would go above and beyond and dig deep with their understandings. I think that with this 'happy ending' (of sorts), it brings about a mainstream appeal that will garner a (more) solid fanbase. But hey, that's jsut my humble opinion.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 11/29/06 at 10:25am

Very well said, LimelightMike. I'd prefer to call the revision a "content ending" rather than "happy". But yeah, I agree with you. The original ending is haunting to read about, though I do not think it would have wrapped up the musical well.

[lite2shine]

Posted: 11/29/06 at 10:26am

I agree, bringing the Masked Man suddenly at the end of the show to rescue Melchoir would leave the audience puzzled. But then I'm not sure I like the current ending either. Because the meaning of the ending is totally different.

By being rescued by the Masked Man (an adult figure), I think even though Melchoir has been acting like he knows everything already and not a kid anymore, he accepts the guidance from the Masked Man at the end.

The current ending where Wendla comes out, he decides not to die by himself. Making a grown up decision, IMO. (I needs to get the CD to read the lyric of the song to interpret more though)

BTW, in one of the workshop, the Masked Man was played by Roger Bart and at the Lincoln center reading, it was Michael Cerevis. I think it's very interesting that in the beginning, Roundabout was involved with a workshop, but they decided not to produce the show (b/c they don't produce a new musical any more, just revivals), I don't see any reference to Roundabout in any of the Spring Awakening articles.

[LimelightMike]

Posted: 11/29/06 at 10:28am

Hey, "content" works for me -- That was an off-the-cuff first response...and of course, I'm ever-so-willing to make the quick change. Hehe! I love making decent points on this board, haha, they're always well received!