Spring Awakening - Great music but homophobic?

[broadwayfan3]

Posted: 11/20/07 at 9:08pm

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?

[jake6970]

Posted: 11/20/07 at 9:11pm

It serves as sort of an officer krupke for spring awakening. but i agree, it's a shame that the gay couple had to take the blow.

[MrSweetNAwful]

Posted: 11/20/07 at 9:26pm

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.

[DMsquared2]

Posted: 11/20/07 at 9:30pm

Underlying homophobic messages? Oooooooookay.

[jbdc]

Posted: 11/20/07 at 10:36pm

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.

[gymdudeva]

Posted: 11/20/07 at 10:59pm

There's been lots of discussion about this on the various boards (search here and esp. All That Chat). I've seen the show 5 times, and that scene doesn't bother me. Actually, the two gay guys are the only couple who are not majorly messed up. And Jonathan B. Wright really makes the scene work. (Although I always wondered why Hanshen was masterbating earlier in the play to a heterosexual thing?)

I think one issue is, given the dialog (which I assume is close to the original), could the scene be played seriously? Possibly, but I think it's better as is. The comic mocking look is posibly gratuitous, but I think the dialog lends itself more to a lighter take. (e.g., Ernst's surprise and naivete contrasted with Hanschen's cold calculations....that wouild be really creepy if played seriouisly, IMHO). Plus, as said above, it's a good chance for some comic relief.

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 11/20/07 at 11:01pm

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

[Roscoe]

Posted: 11/20/07 at 11:03pm

Also the scene in the musical directly echoes the original scene in Wedekind's play. I've never been entirely sure what it is doing there, either. The only sexual relationship in the musical not marked by tragedy is the gay one, but it hardly seems to be an endorsement of homosexuality, does it? Does anyone know what Wedekind had in mind?

[EugLoven]

Posted: 11/20/07 at 11:46pm

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!"

[TulitaPepsi]

Posted: 11/20/07 at 11:57pm

The gay couple are far more prominent in the original play.

I do wish that the musical adaption had not turned the gay couple comic relief. They should have made it serious. When I saw it again, the scene was definitely played for laughs. I'd love for the writers to experiment and have it played "straight" as it were - and see how the audience reacts.

The implicit message of that scene the way it is played now is "Hetrosexual passion is to be celebrated. Homosexual passion is to be laughed at."

[BroadwayEnthusiast2]

Posted: 11/20/07 at 11:58pm

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

[blaxx]

Posted: 11/21/07 at 12:24am

But, please, everyone in that creative team is gay...

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 11/21/07 at 12:31am

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

It's not homophobic, IMO.

[jpbran]

Posted: 11/21/07 at 12:32am

Supposedly aside from Duncan Sheik.

[blaxx]

Posted: 11/21/07 at 1:22am

And all the gay boys?

[gymdudeva]

Posted: 11/21/07 at 3:17am

Maybe it's heterosexist? The two (for the sake of argument) heterosexual relationships are majorly f*cked up and end tragically, yet the brief gay one is lighthearted and sweet, and the main gay character is the only one who seems like he knows what he is doing and understands the consequences.

In any cae, we don't have a big enough statistical sample to say the gay characters were singled out. It's not like there are 50 straight relationships handled (or played) one way, and one gay one handled completely different.

*****SPOILER AHEAD

And imagine if the whole thing were reversed. Moritz as the classic tormented gay youth who commits suicide, and another gay couple that results in a tragic death as well, say to ignorance, uncontrolable lust, and AIDS (and let's not forget the S&M in the woods). And the one heterosexual scene being relatively lighthearted and the characters well-adjusted, with even possibly a happy future. I think that in that case there would be many more cries of homophobia!

[jchaseg]

Posted: 11/21/07 at 3:30am

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.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 11/21/07 at 3:31am

Doesn't the original play have that scene taking place after Hanschen and Ernst had sex? It's pointed out in the footnotes by Eric Bentley in the translation I have.

[jchaseg]

Posted: 11/21/07 at 3:42am

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

[Steve2]

Posted: 11/21/07 at 6:39am

It's not homophobic. Do you even know what the word means?

[mizzfit24601]

Posted: 11/21/07 at 7:53am

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.

[broadwayfan3]

Posted: 11/21/07 at 1:10pm

Thanks for the responses. I guess it was just an interesting take on the scene. I haven't fully read the original book translation yet so I should get to that. Thanks again

[Liverpool]

Posted: 11/21/07 at 3:37pm

"I loved the utter edginess of the show"


I stopped reading there.