Spring Awakening, currently running at the Kennedy Center’s Eisenhower Theatre, provides a fresh perspective on teenage sexuality, masturbation, rape, faith, child molestation, physical abuse, and suicide—and those are the high-level themes. This extremely smart and inventive Tony Award-winning theatrical treat, with music by Duncan Sheik and book/lyrics by Steven Sater, is based on the 1891 German play by Frank Wedekind.
The music in this production is completely unique—part rock, part folk. When this show first premiered in NY, I couldn’t listen to the CD. I just couldn’t get into it; the sound seemed strange, forced in a way, and not at all melodic. However, once I saw the show the first time and had some context for the music, I couldn’t get it out of my head. It’s brilliant.
There are many things that make this show a standout, starting with the choreography. Thanks to Bill. T. Jones, the cast is put through a very demanding workout at each performance—body parts flying, feet stomping, awkward dance steps and movement that seems, at times, almost violent. We see the young characters take out their frustration and anger through movement, and the energy is phenomenal.
Director Michael Mayer, has masterfully pulled Christine Jones’ set design, Kevin Adams’ lighting design, and Susan Hilferty’s costume design together in a magical and deliberate way. The simple, abandoned church-like set, is full of surprises. There are relics strategically placed on the back wall which at first glance, mean nothing—these are simple stage decorations. But during the show, one by one, these relics become highlighted and take on a much deeper meaning. At times, this subtlety is as haunting as the dark secrets that emerge through the music and the story.
The show is filled with anachronisms, in a delightful way. It is late nineteenth century Germany, yet the characters talk about, “turning up the stereo” and sing lines like, “Get real Jose, by now you know the score.”
There are several bright talents in this cast, starting with Blake Bashoff who plays the troubled and tragic Moritz. Bashoff brings incredible life and energy to the role and his rendition of And Then There Was None is both chilling and foreboding. Later, Don’t Do Sadness, a duet performed with Ilse, brilliantly played by Steffi D, allows both actors the freedom to be completely expressive in a performance that feels almost out of control. The irony is that both actors are in complete control, and every spontaneous gesture is extremely measured and perfect.
Jake Epstein, as Melchior, shines in Totally Fucked. Epstein’s co-star Christy Altomare is an innocent and vulnerable Wendla. Together they become a sweet couple who explore love, pain, and each other.
Spring Awakening is extremely complex. Typically, when I see a show, I have tremendous recall for abstract elements—lighting cues, timing, the location of entrances and exits, how and when scenery moves, etc. I credit my years as a stage manager for being able to recall specifics about actor movement and choreography. However, with Spring Awakening, I am challenged and can only recall a few moments. Throughout the show my senses became so overwhelmed, my eye struggled to know where to focus next. But that didn’t matter much because anywhere I looked, I saw theatrical magic—whether it was an actor somersaulting across the stage, a student vigorously berating his teacher only inches from his face, or the person next to me pulling a microphone out of his vest pocket and becoming part of the action.
Spring Awakening is not for everyone. It can be vulgar, abrasive, raw and gritty. It can also be warm, innocent, and sweet. For me, the best of all theatrical events mixes all of these elements to touch its audience. Spring Awakening doesn’t just do that, it excels at it.
Sorry for the lengthy delay in new posts, but I’ve been busy! Since I’ve been renovating my house, I’ve had more than enough excuses to get out and see some theatre, but haven’t had the time (or energy) to write about them. I’m woefully behind in my reviews, so I’ll give you mini-reviews of the nine shows I caught in June. I’ll be back on track in July, starting with Spring Awakening at the Kennedy Center.
Giant – Signature Theatre (VA) Giant, based on the 1956 film of the same name, was billed as a “Texas-Sized Musical.” It was a monstrosity of a production weighing in at almost 4 hours. This show is best described by the words of a friend who also saw it, “There was enough material in that show to make 3 bad musicals.” I couldn’t agree more—although, it wasn’t nearly as bad as I expected.
Turandot-Washington National Opera (DC-Kennedy Center) Who decided it would be a good idea to ask opera singers (already known for overacting) to do a Kabuki-style Turandot? The result was a production with performances so over-the-top that is was difficult to watch, including a Princess who was just downright laughable.
Hedwig & the Angry Inch-The Warehouse (DC) I had such high hopes for this production. The cast and creative team of this tale of this German “girlyboy” who suffers a botched sexchange, hails from my alma mater, the North Carolina School of the Arts. I expected the production to be wonderful—filled with talented new-comers. Maybe we would see the work of the next Joe Mantello or Mary-Louise Parker. Well … ok…maybe this was an off year for NCSA. This was not their best work. (Sorry Pickles.)
Arcadia – Folger Shakespeare Theatre (DC) Outstanding. Never have I seen Tom Stoppard’s work take on so much life and energy. The cast including Holly Twyford was absolutely top-notch. Finally, after a run of a few bad shows in a row, someone hit one out of the park!
Looped—Arena Stage (DC-Lincoln Theatre) Valerie Harper stars as Tallulah Bankhead. The show started strong—when she made her first entrance, the audience wanted to love her. But after an hour of witnessing a recording session where Tallulah is trying unsuccessfully to record her one line for one of her films, I was ready to give up on Looped. I really just wanted to go grab a drink and a snack with her sister, Brenda.
The Last Cargo Cult (DC-Woolly Mammoth Theatre) Mike Daisey, the noted monologist was in town recently. I got to experience a rare treat. He appeared for one night only at the Woolly Mammoth Theatre to debut his newest work, The Last Cargo Cult. Daisey is genius and demonstrated his master story teller ability in this first telling of his new monologue. Woolly has announced that this piece will be in their next season—tickets are on sale now and I urge you to buy quickly. Mike Daisey has a huge fan base and the run will sell out.
Fever/Dream-(DC-Woolly Mammoth Theatre) What a joy! This fast-paced romp through the ugly underbelly of corporate America was a theatrical treat. Everything about it—performances, direction, design—perfect. I absolutely loved it.
A Fox on the Fairway (VA-Signature Theatre) It’s a rare treat to see a staged reading of a brand new play by a noted playwright, read by a first-rate cast, and directed by Tony Award-winning director. Such was the case when I saw the premiere reading of A Fox on the Fairway, by Ken Ludwig (Lend me a Tenor), as directed by John Rando (Urinetown). The experience was better than the play, which was read for an audience for the very first time. With some strategic edits, Ludwig will have another hit. I’m betting that Signature Theatre scores the official premiere.
Design for Living (DC-Washington Shakespeare Theatre) Ugh … another drawing room comedy. This pointless story features uneven acting at best, and bad acting at worst. A lobby sign indicated the running time as 2 hours and 50 minutes. The performance started on-time, and nearly 3 and a half hours later we finally hit the curtain call. What a mess! The best part of this experience was the tapas and beer at Jose Andres’ Jaleo next door—and even that didn’t make up for having to sit through this show.
Now you’re up to date. Next up on the show list, Spring Awakening at the Kennedy Center.
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