Spring Awakening

Ok. I will be strongly opposed on what I'm about to say, but I want to be enlightened.

In my opinion, Spring Awakening has nothing going for it but shock value. The story is sad, but if thats all it takes to win a tony for best musical, anyone can produce a hit broadway show.

Now admitedly I have not seen the show, but I have heard the music and read a detailed synopsis. I have also read the broadway abridged version of the show(www.broadwayabridged.com), and I whole heartedly believe that there is nothing special about this musical.

So tell me, my fellow posters, why is Spring Awakening so great?

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Great acting, fantastic singing and songs. What more can you ask for? It doesn't matter what you've read until you've seen it you can't really form a valid opinion.
Go see it and if you still have the same feeling then that's up to you. I enjoyed it. It did have shock value for me, but I'm still listening to the songs a month later so it has something going for it.

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You haven't seen it, therefore your opinion is moot.

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you're so wrong SM! You can develop an informed opinion based on the advertisements. I see people do it all the time so it must be ok.

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Yes I believe that it does have something going for it, that something being good music. The lyrics, not so much. The story, not so great. And what could be funnier than someone masterbating on stage?

Maybe I've been misinformed, but the synopsis I read does not seem like a happy ending. It maybe at best is not as sad as the rest of the play.

As for having everything a musical should have, there are plenty of better musicals that meet the aforementioned qualifications. Spamalot, Chicago, Curtains, RENT, the list goes on and on.

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Updated On: 8/19/07 at 11:16 AM

the music works better when performed in the show... it isn't terribly shocking... it's sad but has some funny moments as well

See it. It's a great show. The songs are amazing the characters are amazing the set is amazing the script is amazing the choreography is amazing...SEE THE SHOW!!

I actually agree with Parsley. Intellectually, I appreciated the work, but the whole thing just left me cold, somehow.

Spring Awakening has holes and things that are less than great about it, but it also has a lot of aspects that are very worth seeing, including the cast. There was a recent thread, though, about how there are some ideas and plots for musicals that sound AWFUL on paper yet are good shows. I know my mom has no desire to see SA after hearing a summary, but that other thread makes some good points: https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?boardname=bway&thread=936675#3231251. You usually can't form an opinion of a show from a summary or name (as mocked by Urinetown, the musical with the worst name in recent memory). In fact, I didn't even think SA is all that shocking (for the most part)... I definitely appreciate it's based on being written in the 1890s, when it WAS so shocking, but after enduring so many after school specials, I saw most of the plot points coming from a mile away.

Ha ha, and I'm sure Gil is proud about his abridged having more authority than the actual show, but he does address that in his FAQ:

"I'd like to think that this website serves as a sort of a replacement for people not getting to see a show...
But eventually I learned that I just don't buy that. That's like watching Austin Powers 1 and not having ever heard of James Bond."

Another good SA parody to check out though is the current medley skit in Forbidden Broadway-- spot on!

Updated On: 8/19/07 at 01:23 PM

Midoria, I agree. These sorts of posts should be deleted. They are ridiculous. Especially this one. They make a farce of this board.

im with frank....whats this so-called "spring awakening" ? never heard of it. hmmm....


:)

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ashbash, your post was thoughtful and I was going to respond and add some thoughts...why did you delete it?

sleepy, that is a very good question. Some of these kids have been with the show since its inception many years ago and have really come to inhabit the characters and the world that, IMHO, is so brilliantly evoked.

I think it's going to be like Rent in the future, hit or miss depending on the cast. However, I think it's the music and lighting of SA that really shapes it, so if it's sung well and the staging doesn't get sloppy, it should hold up. But like all these things, probably nothing is going to quite equal the original cast again.