Spring Awakening - Great music but homophobic?

I recently saw Spring Awakening (luckily before the strike) and the music brought me to tears at times, "Left Behind" and "Those You've Known", and sometimes made me have lots of fun. I loved the utter edginess of the show and could fully relate to the depiction of the 1800s society. I am definitely a very liberal kind of person.

However, being a gay male, I was unsure about the gay scene in the show. I had listened to this music a bit before-hand, "The Word of Your Body Reprise", but had not expected it to be quite the same as it was on stage. It seemed out of place, random, and almost seemed to be a mockery. At one point, I remember both of them looking dramatically (and over-exaggerated) towards the audience at the same time, as if to mock the situation. It seemed to be for comedy. I don't understand why a gay director would include this in a show that had seemed to be quite liberal and society-changing.

Overall, I loved the music from the show and it clearly was a show that would advance society - it is a shame that it is dark right now because of the strike. There were definitely some improvements needed and the show could've been less choppy, but for the most part, I feel the actors were fantastic for their age range and the music was near flawless.

However, I am still confused about the underlying homophobic messages I felt.

Any thoughts?

that always confused me too. I guess it was to lighten up the depresing second act a little, but they could have picked another scenario to work with.

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Seriously? Do you know how many gay guys I know just like those characters, especially young gay guys who are still finding themselves. Sometimes the mirror isn't politically correct, and it's hard to see what's really there. You could also say it's too bad parents and teachers are portrayed so stereotypically overbearing and closed minded. But that's not the point.

I really, really, really don't think the writers are homophobic. This is musical theater that they're in after all...

I echo jake6970's statement: "Word of Your Body (Reprise)" is Spring Awakening's "Officer Krupke."

But it's also playful and fun for a reason. How many of us (meaning gay guys) can remember the chills and thrills of our first taboo? Original sin can be very silly! Do you deny you may have been all-grins during that sequence?

It's not mockery in my eyes. It's "Oh! Boys will be boys!"

I thought it was really uneeded, random, and out of place.

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Straight: Composer
Gay: Director
Book and Lyrics: Well. whatever.

It's not homophobic, IMO.

And all the gay boys?

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This scene, in Wedekind's original Spring's Awakening, is not terribly similar. Some of the dialogue has been pulled from the original piece, however there are actually many more homoerotic undertones in the original.

I would suggest a read to everyone who has seem the musical but doesn't know what it is based on. It will likely clarify the marjority of your questions. It's a pretty brilliant work.

I believe they have just had some kind of sexual relation, and as best as I can remember they are eating grapes as well.

Being in theatre myself there are alot of gay men. So I think that is part of the humor in the scene. Then there is the contrast between Ernsnt and Hanschen. Even if this scene were with a woman and man then it still would be funny if say the girl was shy and akward while the male was outgoing and a little outrageous. So the scene is a little random but Melchior and Wendla and some of the other characters were very depressed after the Moritz scene (as well as the audience) so they took two characters that would have the moods to perform a comedy scene and that needed more characterazation. Then they took the scene from the original play and added it in for a comedic relief scene. I completly understand your view and the others that are opposed to the scene though.

"I loved the utter edginess of the show"


I stopped reading there.