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

**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?

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

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.

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

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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.

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.