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.

And on to 2009 – A Theatrical Preview

There are some exciting shows coming up in the first half of 2009. In January, I’ll be commenting on Mike Daisey’s How Theatre Failed America at Woolly Mammoth Theatre. Daisey, a master story teller (who appeared in If You See Something, Say Something at Woolly in 2008) is back with a new monologue. His return is highly anticipated and is likely to be a sold-out run.

The Signature Theatre has three more shows this season, The Little Dog Laughed, See What I Wanna See, and Giant. The Little Dog Laughed, starring the amazing Holly Twyford, is a brand new production following the hit Broadway run. Signature is taking a risk by closing the season with two musicals from the same composer, five time Tony nominee Michael John LaChiusa, best known for The Wild Party, which starred the late Eartha Kitt. Giant is billed as a World Premiere, and See What I Wanna See is listed as a Washington Premiere. Giant is produced with the assistance of the Kennedy Center Fund for New American Plays and is the first of the three original productions resulting from the Shen Family grant to the Signature for the development of new American musicals.

Arena Stage is remounting Crowns, and recently announced an open casting call for the new star of this year’s production. DC audiences love this show, and I’m looking forward to seeing it in the spectacular and historic Lincoln Theatre in DC.

The Kennedy Center has several highly anticipated musicals coming through the Opera House and Eisenhower Theatres. Spring Awakening and The Color Purple will bow in July. Having seen both productions in New York with their original casts, I’m curious to see how these shows travel. However, I’m more curious and eager to see the all new production of Ragtime in May. Ragtime has a captivating story and beautiful score (Journey On and Make Them Hear You are showstoppers). The original production highly acclaimed and celebrated. It will be interesting to see how the show is reinvented (hopefully, it won’t fall victim to the same fate as Signature’s Les Miz).

Other shows on the schedule, to date, include Washington National Opera’s Turnadot and Folger Theater’s Acadia.

Here’s hoping the New Year brings great performances!

Welcome to 2009!

Another year has come and gone. It’s hard to believe that it’s 2009 already.

As one of my new year’s resolutions, I’ve committed to creating a blog to share my thoughts on the DC theatre scene. I try to see just about every production that originates in the metro DC area, as well as most shows that travel through. Throughout the year, I will report on shows that I see, in DC, New York (both on and off Broadway), as well as anything I see when I travel. Occasionally, you might also see a review or comment about other cultural happenings—movies or art shows. But mostly this is about theatre.

But don't expect to see a daily entry. I've created this site as a place to share my opinions of the shows I see. If I don't see anything, you probably won't hear from me. But stay tuned and check back or subscribe.

As a former stage manager, I worked in professional theatre for years. I’m no longer in the biz, which means that now I actually get to go to the theatre. Working in the theatre creates a bit of a dilemma. When you are doing a show, you never get to SEE a show. When you are running eight shows a week, you are working when other shows are in performance. As a theatre professional, free nights or weekends are rare. And when you do have one, the last thing you want to do is sit in a dark theatre. While it is a wonderful life, it certainly has its drawbacks. So, after I grew tired of packing for three seasons at a time, I hung up my headset and moved into the corporate world.

That of course, means that I now have the great opportunity to see great performances and shows. And see shows I do!

I hope that you enjoy my rantings, musings, and reviews of what I see.