Before I get into this, just a bit of a warning: lots of sexy in this show and quite a bit of profanity (seriously, the biggest show stoppers are "B***h of Living" which is a song about masturbation/sex drive of teenage boys and "Totally F**ked"). So, if that's not your cup of tea, I suggest that this might not be the show for you.
Introduction
In a small town in the 1800's. a group of teenagers try to navigate their changing bodies and desires with no understanding of what is happening, nor any support from their parents in this area. We see them deal with teenage sex, pregnancy, suicide, homosexuality, sexual, physical, and mental/emotional abuse, all in the context of a town where the adults tend to take more of an authoritarian approach to parenting, rather than creating a more nurturing environment.
The Soundtrack
When I first bought it, I listened to the soundtrack nonstop. I really loved the show and the music. I read the play soon after and was amused and disgusted by the person who wrote the introduction and how they reacted to the musical. It seemed like their main complaints were that 1) they changed the play to make it more relevant to a younger audience (how DARE they!?) and 2) how could such talented people end up as depressed as Moritz and commit suicide? They would probably be super happy to be so talented!
Person obviously 1) doesn't know about how musicals (or adaptations, for that matter) work in general, and 2) doesn't know the first thing about how Depression works. Cuz, you know, you can't be sad if you have talent. Nope. Neeeeevver.
Idiot.
But back to the soundtrack! The talent in this cast is amazing. They are all so young and manage to do an amazing job. I love the combination of slower, almost gospel music like songs ("I Believe" and "The Song of Purple Summer") and the upbeat, jump up and down (literally!) songs ("B***h of Living" and "Totally F**ked"). The medley they performed for the 2007 Tony Awards was great and really showcased three of the best songs from the show.
I got into this show right before Glee started up and Lea Michelle (Rachel in Glee and Wendla in Spring Awakening) being one of the main characters got me really excited (though I have since stopped watching the show because I got bored). The talent in this cast is amazing. They are all so young and manage to do an amazing job.
The age of the cast is actually something important to consider in releasing amateur rights and in some places the minimum age requirement needs to be raised as performances with underage performers could be considered child pornography.
Favorite Song
Much as I love the big showstopping songs, I feel like what really pulls me into this show emotionally are the slower, sadder songs. My favorite song on the soundtrack is "Whispering." Wendla, after finding out she is pregnant (but before she undergoes a black-market abortion that ends up killing her), sings a quiet but powerful song about her decision and her love. It's beautiful.
The Show
I managed to squeeze the show in on a brief visit home during college. I actually convinced my mom to have my dad's 50th birthday party the same weekend the tour was in town so I could see it while I was home. And it was SO worth it.
The set was minimal. The band was in the back (some of the instruments even played by the actors), there were two sets of bleachers (one on the left and right of the stage) with a trellis behind each set of bleachers. And kind of an industrial looking brick backdrop with a ladder. That was the majority of it. Desks, chairs, a "barn loft," and other assorted props were brought out as the show went on, but it was very minimal. It was interesting at the show I saw because they brought some young (teenage) audience members up on the stage to sit in the bleachers. At least I assume they were audience members. I thought when it started that they were just members of the cast, but they never came off the bleachers. The cast members would sit amongst them when they were "offstage." It was really interesting and I think kind of shows how much the show is meant for a younger audience, not "in spite" of the strong language and dark, serious subject matter, but because of it. As an educator, I really see this show as something that carries an important message for adolescents and parents of adolescents as well.
The sex scene was really a bit more graphic than I would have wanted to see with the two elderly women sitting next to me and you can understand the concerns had for not having underage cast members. However, I am glad that they decided to change Wendla's rape (as it is in the original play) to a kind of consensual act. I say "kind of" because while Melchior understood what he was doing, she had no idea of what sex was or the possible consequences it could have. In fact, when her mother reveals to her that she's pregnant, Wendla laughs and says, "But I'm not married!" So, I still view what Melchior did as rape because Wendla was incapable of consent in this instance. And I wish that had been better addressed in the show as the idea of what constitutes consent is a huge part of what I view as a comprehensive sexual education.
Favorite Part
I really liked "Totally F**ked." I love how upbeat and jump up and down energized it is. I also like how as soon as that line comes out of Melchior's mouth, "There's a moment you know: you're f**ked." The entire audience erupts in uncomfortable laughter.
The video is a bit of crappy quality and it was Jonathan Groff and Lea Michele's last performance so the audience is kind of nuts (and Jon is grinning up a storm), but I like seeing it live. They also performed part of it in their medley for the 2007 Tony's (the first video I posted in this).
I've heard talk that they are making a movie of it. A lot of people seem really against it. I'm personally all for movie adaptations of musicals! Though I personally hope that they still get hand held microphones to sing into. How about you? Think the world is ready for a Spring Awakening movie?
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