Spring Awakening Over Rated?

#1

Spring Awakening Over Rated?

Posted: 6/11/07 at 12:45am

Ok... Does anyone feel like Spring Awakening is such a huge thing only for the fact that is different and a little shocking? I saw it, liked it, and that is it. The cast, and music is great and everthing, I totally agree, but as a show overall, I feel it lacks "Broadway". There wasn't a spectacular thing in it at all. No crazy amazing performances, drab costumes, minimal sets, long drawn out story of depressed teens. I know I'm in the minority, but that's my thought.

#2

re: Spring Awakening Over Rated?

Posted: 6/11/07 at 12:47am

Yes. I respect it as a show and I respect the performers, but I don't care for the music at all. And I don't think that the show is as revolutionary as so many people are making it out to be. It's not like sex and bad language have never been on a Broadway stage before.

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There wouldn't be lights bright enough!

#3

re: Spring Awakening Over Rated?

Posted: 6/11/07 at 12:47am

Trust me, you're not in the minority. I actually am glad it's on Broadway, it is different...but I think it is WAY over rated.

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I mean, Denzel Washington? Gun to my head..of course.

#4

re: Spring Awakening Over Rated?

Posted: 6/11/07 at 12:47am

it's a new era in musical theater history--being redefined once again...

#5

re: Spring Awakening Over Rated?

Posted: 6/11/07 at 12:49am

I think the score is overall unimpressive (a few of the songs are downright bad) and the lyrics are terrible. Not to mention that I don't care a whit about teenaged angst.

Also, I hate how all of the songs are introspective and none carry any action whatsoever. Honestly, thinking about it, I can't even really consider it a musical.

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Jimmy, what are you doing here in the middle of the night? It's almost 9 PM!

Updated On: 6/11/07 at 12:49 AM

#6

re: Spring Awakening Over Rated?

Posted: 6/11/07 at 12:50am

Yeah. I'm a teenager and I don't even care about teenage angst.
Well not, theirs at any rate.

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I mean, Denzel Washington? Gun to my head..of course.

#7

re: Spring Awakening Over Rated?

Posted: 6/11/07 at 1:02am

I dig teenage angst. I was an angsty teen, I listened to emo and had a blog. But this... made me twist in my seat. Not in the good way. In the "aw geez this is bad" kind of a way. I saw it very early in the run, and I had no idea it would get this kind of a response. It came across as self-important, the lyrics were bad/trite, the book was lame... These, of course, are merely my opinions. Is it really that different? I concur with the "Amish Rent" comment. I felt like I'd seen it and heard it all before. But, if it brings in more young people to the theater, then I guess I'm going to have to tip my hat.

#8

re: Spring Awakening Over Rated?

Posted: 6/11/07 at 1:05am

I think it's a very good show, with a great score and a fantastic young cast. It certainly does have a lot of overly rabid fangirls, and the reviews were a bit incredible in terms of their exuberance, but I think it's become somewhat demonized because, well, so many people like it.

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"Why, I make more money than... than... than Calvin Coolidge! PUT TOGETHER!"
~Lina Lamont


My name wasn't, isn't, and will never be Scott.

#9

re: Spring Awakening Over Rated?

Posted: 6/11/07 at 1:05am

HA! "...and I had a blog."
Sorry, I've never heard that used for association with teen angst. But it was cute.

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I mean, Denzel Washington? Gun to my head..of course.

#10

re: Spring Awakening Over Rated?

Posted: 6/11/07 at 1:05am

SPRING AWAKENING winning Best Book of a Musical will go down in history as one of the biggest travesties in the history of the Tony Awards.

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"If you are going to do something, do it well. And leave something witchy." -Charlie Manson

#11

re: Spring Awakening Over Rated?

Posted: 6/11/07 at 1:05am

Agreed about the lyrics.
I feel like I could go sit in my highschool and see similar things going on and not have to sit through the unimpressive music. But that's just me.

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There wouldn't be lights bright enough!

#12

re: Spring Awakening Over Rated?

Posted: 6/11/07 at 1:09am

I agree munk. I'm still shocked about that.

I think it's a good show, with great music, an excellent young cast, and mediocre book and lyrics.

I do think it's overrated, but it's not the worst thing to come along.

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I am a firm believer in serendipity- all the random pieces coming together in one wonderful moment, when suddenly you see what their purpose was all along.

#13

re: Spring Awakening Over Rated?

Posted: 6/11/07 at 1:09am

There's nothing innovative about it. Everything in it has been done before: rock score, nudity, cursing, use of mics.

#14

re: Spring Awakening Over Rated?

Posted: 6/11/07 at 1:11am

I'm not shocked it won best book, just disappointed.

SPRING AWAKENING is certainly innovative. Absolutely.

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"If you are going to do something, do it well. And leave something witchy." -Charlie Manson

#15

re: Spring Awakening Over Rated?

Posted: 6/11/07 at 1:13am

I was shocked when it won the book.

#16

re: Spring Awakening Over Rated?

Posted: 6/11/07 at 1:14am

Here's my question: why is it so popular?

I'm relatively uninformed about the whole thing. I wasn't impressed with the story (sounded overly tragic and lame), and I didn't partucularly like the music. Their bit at the Tonys tonight wasn't memorable (I liked Christine Ebersole's performance from Grey Gardens much better).

There must be some reason why it is popular. I'd like to know. Does it play very well onstage? Is it strangely affecting? What is it?

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"The art of Illusion is the art of love; and the art of love is the blood-red heart of the world." - Tony Kushner, "The Illusion"

#17

re: Spring Awakening Over Rated?

Posted: 6/11/07 at 1:15am

I'm not gonna say it's a crappy-ass show, because I don't think it is. But it is absolutely overrated (at least based off of the Tonys and how voter's choice polls have gone)

Great music, crap lyrics, bad book, good cast, fine production as a whole. And I don't find it all that innovative.

Grey Gardens was the best musical to come out since The Light in the Piazza, I may even like it more than LITP.

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Theatre is a safe place to do the unsafe things that need to be done. -John Patrick Shanley

#18

re: Spring Awakening Over Rated?

Posted: 6/11/07 at 1:18am

I think I am STILL in shock Doug Wright lost for Best Book. That was truly a TRAVESTY.

#19

re: Spring Awakening Over Rated?

Posted: 6/11/07 at 1:18am

Thanks Anna It's true! There was a Xanga going on!

Munk- how, specifcly, is it innovated? I've heard people saying that but I can't agree or disagree if I'm not sure exactly what parts they're talking about. Is it that they took an old play and and made it into a musical, discussing things that we would normally discuss today but wouldn't in old school Germany? Is it that the cast is mainly very young and is attracting other young people? Anything about the choreography, score, etc?

#20

re: Spring Awakening Over Rated?

Posted: 6/11/07 at 1:19am

That's a VERY good question, fabala. I feel like the only people being asked to defend their position on the show are the so-called haters. Those who dislike the show consistently come up with valid reasons while the only explanations I've heard for loving the show are 1) it's a show that gets me; and 2) it's so innovative

Never have I heard how or why it "gets people" or in what ways it is innovative.

I'm waiting.

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artistic dominion

Updated On: 6/11/07 at 01:19 AM

#21

re: Spring Awakening Over Rated?

Posted: 6/11/07 at 1:20am

I saw SA in the previews, so before all the rave reviews were out, and I'm still trying to figure out whats so "shocking" and "Groundbreaking" and "moving" about it. Yes, there are a few songs in the show that I enjoy (being 4 I like, and 2 others I don't mind) but I see nothing earth shattering about this production. If you ask me, out of everything it won, the travesty was Choreography. There is no good reason that show won Choreography.

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And hang on, when did you win the discus?

#22

re: Spring Awakening Over Rated?

Posted: 6/11/07 at 1:24am

For the record, I'm not a champion of SPRING AWAKENING. I think it's severely overrated and severely underwritten (and I would have voted for GREY GARDENS), but I can see why it's innovative.

The innovation comes in the form of transcending time and space with the musical numbers. These are kids in 1890's Germany, yet through music, the kids of 100+ years ago are able to communicate their feelings via song to present day people. When a musical number begins, it's not 1890 any more. The singers are floating somewhere in space with their thoughts, showing, clearly, that the feelings of a person are timeless and transcend everything.

Not an innovative notion, but it's ABSOLUTELY an innovative way of telling a story.

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"If you are going to do something, do it well. And leave something witchy." -Charlie Manson

#23

re: Spring Awakening Over Rated?

Posted: 6/11/07 at 1:25am

You know what I love... I love how people were treating it as though rock music had never been brought to a Broadway stage before.

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"I am and always will be the optimist. The hoper of far-flung hopes and dreamer of improbable dreams." - Doctor Who

"Yes, the brutalities of progress are called revolutions. When they are over, men recognize that the human race has been harshly treated but it has moved forward." - Les Miserables

#24

re: Spring Awakening Over Rated?

Posted: 6/11/07 at 1:27am

No one is acting that way.

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"If you are going to do something, do it well. And leave something witchy." -Charlie Manson

#25

re: Spring Awakening Over Rated?

Posted: 6/11/07 at 1:28am

Absolutely. It is extremely overrated. I think I have been very vocal about how much I despised this show. Too bad I'm in the minority.