SPRING AWAKENING

[AvenueQ_81]

Posted: 5/29/06 at 4:20am

Has anyone see it? I have read Frank Wedekind's play and like it very much.

I want it to know opinions on the show...

Thanks

[Chrysanthemum62001]

Posted: 5/29/06 at 4:26am

Wasn't Michael Cerveris involved with this at one point?

[kidmanboy]

Posted: 5/29/06 at 9:48am

I saw it last week and thought it was wonderful. The songs are spectacular and take you out of the time period for a moment to comment on the action. I can't say I've ever seen anything quite like it, but it kind of reminded me of a mix of Bare and Hair. I'd truly reccommend it. The audience seemed very positive, and there's been many positive responses over at ATC as well.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 5/29/06 at 9:57am

I'm so glad you started this thread, because I was about to start one. I saw it Friday night and words cannot describe the beauty of this show. The music is GORGEOUS. It's such a unique story and the actors are lovely. And man, can these kids sing! Wo! Just amazing. Very intense, innovative choreography as well. This is a brilliant show and I hope it gets a huge following! Go see it now before it opens to raves and becomes impossible to get tickets to!

Updated On: 5/29/06 at 09:57 AM

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 5/29/06 at 11:30am

I'm glad you guys liked it; I saw it and thought it was God-awful. I wanted to scream when the actors pulled out HAND HELD MICS. That's just a freaking disgrace. The cast is admirable, but Michael Mayer's direction is non-existant. Skip it.

[QMAN03]

Posted: 5/29/06 at 12:42pm

I'm someone who is not so fond of musicals but loves the well made ones with good scores and are thought-provoking. Would you guys recommend that I see this?

[kidmanboy]

Posted: 5/29/06 at 3:53pm

non-existant direction? I've never quite understood what people mean by this, but I think this was one of the most "directed" shows I've seen of late. It was very high on concept and the staging was always inventive.

As far as the hand-held mics are concerned, the whole concept of the show is to draw parallels between the time period of the show and the present between the book and the musical numbers, respectively...the hand-held mics were a choice which emphasizes the concept and point of the production.
Not your cup of tea, maybe, but anything with such clear intentions that are successfully executed can hardly be called "god-awful"

[senortenor]

Posted: 6/6/06 at 11:58pm

I saw it tonight, and I really didn't like it. The handheld mics. didn't bother me, as I recognized that it was part of the "couture" of the style they were creating. However, I found that the musical was so disjunct, I could hardly follow what was going on. There was a song here or there that was nice to listen to, but I had no emotional or visceral attachment to the music or the story. I'm curious what the play actually is about, because I just couldn't understand it in this setting.

[uncageg]

Posted: 6/15/06 at 12:40am

I saw it last night (Wednesday the 14th) and I loved it. The hand held mics really didn't bother me but I wondered why they were used since everyone was miked. The RENT type headsets may have worked but then again, it could have caused a comparison. The music is wonderful and the story, though not complex, it told in a straightforward manner. Clever staging and Oh my God....those voices! BARE kept running through my mind. I got a chance to chat briefly with Duncan Sheik and Steven Slater (Who gave me a BIG hug when I said I was enjoying the show at intermission) and Mr. Sheik said that they are thinking of recording the show. As well they should. Every song is good. I heard people talking in the theatre about the show changing venues and I heard Mr. Slater say he hopes so. I took that as a positive thing and that it may move to a larger venue. But the intimacy of this show was a big positive and I hope it does not lose that if it moves. See it at the Atlantic if you can!

[uncageg]

Posted: 6/15/06 at 12:41am

I saw it last night (Wednesday the 14th) and I loved it. The hand held mics really didn't bother me but I wondered why they were used since everyone was miked. The RENT type headsets may have worked but then again, it could have caused a comparison. The music is wonderful and the story, though not complex, it told in a straightforward manner. Clever staging and Oh my God....those voices! BARE kept running through my mind. I got a chance to chat briefly with Duncan Sheik and Steven Slater (Who gave me a BIG hug when I said I was enjoying the show at intermission) and Mr. Sheik said that they are thinking of recording the show. As well they should. Every song is good. I heard people talking in the theatre about the show changing venues and I heard Mr. Slater say he hopes so. I took that as a positive thing and that it may move to a larger venue. But the intimacy of this show was a big positive and I hope it does not lose that if it moves. See it at the Atlantic if you can!

[Esparzafan]

Posted: 6/15/06 at 9:40am

I agree completely! I saw it at the end of May (on a night with Duncan Sheik filling in on the guitar) and loved it. I didn't find the hand-held mics a disconnect at all. The music is gorgeous and DS did mention that they're considering recording the show.

The seats on the stage ($10 discounted seats) are amazing and a great experience to see the action from that vantage point. I definitely recommend seeing it. Love to see it hit Broadway one day.

[daredevil]

Posted: 6/15/06 at 5:47pm

I think the reason that there are so many varying opionions of Spring Awakening is that the material itself is so varied in quality. I found myself entranced by parts of the second act--I feel the quality of the music is much more inventive in this act, and the monologue of the boy who....is also very affecting. However there were times when I thought I was watching "Rent redux", the first act, the hand held microphones, the band, the young and extremely talented cast standing at the front of the stage, all seemed very similar in concept to Rent. There was even one song in Act II, that seemed to be orchestrated similarly to "One Song Glory" . It will be interesting to see what the critics say in tomorrow's papers, the way I see it, they could love it or destroy it. I hope it has a nice run; I love the cast and want to see it again, but as for it taking off....