REVIEW: Spring Awakening

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.