"Spring Awakening" addresses teenage sexuality in a buttoned up age

November 5, 11:13 PMSF Music ExaminerJamie Freedman

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the SF Music Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

The boys of Spring Awakening Taylor Trensch (center)

Teenage sex, masturbation, abortion, child abuse, suicide... sounds like another night of bad television right? Wrong. Spring Awakening is a musical based on a play by the same title by Frank Wedekind that was banned in 1891 for portraying all of these situations, many of them graphically.

Western society has come a long way since the Victorian era of zipped lips (and flies) when it came to sexuality. I figure, it was hard enough being a teenager in the 1990s when we had sex ed and 90210 to teach us, what must it have been like in the1890s when kids had nothing?

Right now, Spring Awakening is playing in Sacramento at the Community Center Theater just until November 15th. In 2007, Spring Awakening received eleven Tony Award nominations, winning eight, including best musical, direction, book, score and featured actor. The show also won four Drama Desk Awards, including Outstanding Musical. The production is directed by Michael Mayer (also director of the Berkeley Rep’s current production of American Idiot) and choreographed by Bill T. Jones.

Having heard about the Broadway production about a year ago, I’ve been very excited to learn that Duncan Sheik (remember the “Barely Breathing” guy?) is writing musicals. Good ones too. Spring Awakening is just the first one. The next project is called “Whisper House,” Sheik will be performing much of this project with the San Francisco Symphony in the late spring. But Spring Awakening has catapulted Sheik into bonafied musical theater composer-land.

Jump for joy! Spring Awakening is here!

Sheik’s composition style is so delicate. This is true of his solo work as well as this musical theater composition. Many of the male vocalists in the touring production of Spring Awakening emulated Sheik’s somewhat nasal yet gorgeous quiet tones, which makes sense since the characters are meant to be teenagers. Arranged for string instruments and finger-picking styles on the acoustic guitar, his solo work as well as his musical theater compositions tend to be on the softer side, even when they’re energy driven.

The musical starts strongly with angst driven songs like “Mama Who Bore Me” and the “Bitch of Living.” Humorous numbers include “Totally Fucked” and “My Junk.” But too many of the songs became overly intimate for my taste, wondering if a number would ever get going. Unfortunately this happened at the end of the show. Don’t get me wrong, “The Song of Purple Summer” is gorgeous, and the vocal arrangements are stunning, but the lights came on and I was left wanting more.

I also found myself missing some of the voices from the Broadway cast, namely Lea Michele, who is now staring in the insanely popular show Glee. Christy Altomare has a nice voice, but she lacks some of the depth that her character needs to draw on. I did, however, look forward to hearing and seeing more of the supporting cast: Sarah Hunt as Martha broke my heard as she sang with immense strength about her abusive father. Andy Mientus as Hanschen reminded me of a gay Draco Malfoy with his bleached blonde hair as he seduces a fellow male student. Steffi D, A Top 5 finalist on “Canadian Idol” 2006, as Ilse packed a punch as the runaway Bohemian.

Hormones are alive and well in Spring Awakening

Spring Awakening tackles some intense issies. If you’ve read this far I want to draw your attention to the Spring Awakening website. On it you will find a section for parents who are thinking of taking their children to see this show. DO IT, say the producers of the show, Ira Pittelman and Tom Hulce (yes that Tom Hulce from Amadeus):

Spring Awakening has become a cross-generational phenomenon that continues to transcend age and cultural barriers. We have received such a major response, not just from young people, but from parents wanting to share their unique experience with Spring Awakening and its role in helping start a conversation with their sons and daughters. They tell us that the musical opens the door to discuss the topics the "Adults" in the show fear to discuss or are determined to ignore.

On the site, read letters sent by parents and watch video of some of the reactions.  Also watch the video below of some of Spring Awakening's greatest moments in the video below.