Spring Awakening- 12/9/06 Review

[jacobtsf]

Posted: 12/10/06 at 1:07am

First, I read the script of the play last year, and LOVED it. When I found out it was being made into a musical I was excited, but confused. How would this material translate to music in a way that could appeal to audiences. Well, what is on the Eugene O'Neill stage is perfection.

The majority of the script that I first fell in love with is in the show, and I believe that that is the key to what makes this show perfect. It remains a play from 1891 but at the same time it uses angsty rock/emo music to relate the story to current times. The music is where I believe the majority of ticket sales are going to come from. It is just perfect for the story. The use of the microphones (both handheld and on stands) to separate the 1891 play, and the music of today, is one of the best directorial choices I have seen in a long time, it just works.

Jonathan Groff as Melchior was great. His voice was not perfect this afternoon, but his acting was incredible, and the feelings he showed while singing covered up the fact that his voice wasn't top par (at this performance).
Lea Michele as Wendla delivered a powerful performance that had me in tears (I get very emotional at the theatre, but this was the first time in a long time that I actually cried while watching a show). Her voice was incredible, powerful and belty when needed, but soft hurt and innocent at times.
John Gallagher Jr. as Moritz gave an amazing performance. His voice, though not my typical favorite type of voice, was perfect for this part. Moritz is hurt, confused, and looking for answers and Gallagher really personified these traits.

The other 'kids' were all amazing, the ensemble feel of this show reminded me so much of Sweeney, in the sense that everyone worked together to make this show an amazing journey for the audience, and for themselves.

A review of this show could not be complete without talking about Christine Estabrook and Stephen Spinella who played all of the adult roles in the show. They brought both much needed comic relief and heavy emotional scenes.

I must also mention the lighting. I don't usually pay too much attention to lighting, but the lighting in this show was just perfect. I can't really explain why, but it just felt like it was an organic part of the story.

I only had two problems with this show, and they both deal with lines that have been cut from the original script. This said, if I had not read the script I would have never missed them.

I know the majority of this review was vague, but it is 1:00 in the morning and I'm tired. If you want to know my feelings on anything else regarding this show, feel free to ask me.

Oh, and I need to add 1 more thing. I did student rush, paid $25 and got a seat in the second row, in the middle of the center section. Probably one of the best seats in the house. I highly recommend this to all students, and adults, it is a message which, sadly, still needs to be told.