Comments on: Spring Awakening: The National Tour

By: k

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 05:10:34 +0000

In the play (do people still read plays?), Melchior does rape Wendla. There are some subtle differences between the play and the musical.

Also, if you don’t like Sondheim you aren’t going to like much of any musicals…

By: wendla is rachel

wendla is rachel — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 06:48:46 +0000

are they going to tour agian?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 21:43:13 +0000

The Spring Awakening National Tour is beautifully moving. I found many of the performers to be more engaging than those I saw on Broadway. I understand your stance, but I do not whole-heartedly agree with it.

Having both seen & read many versions of the Frank Wedekind play, I did notice that the musical disjoints the story a bit. But that did not stop me from falling hard for it. The cast is young and incredibly talented and one can’t help but be amazed by the dedicated following of high school & college students that follow the show around the country.

The one thing that I had the most trouble dealing with in your analysis was that the characters were stereotypical. While I still disagree with you when you say the children are stereotyped, I can see your point. The adults, however are varied and different and they show that no way of parenting is “right” or “wrong.” Melchior Gabor’s mother is very liberal, while is father is more conservative but lets his wife take reign over his raising. Wendla’s mother is conservative but kind and truly unaware at how to deal with a child such as Wendla. Moritz’s father loves his child, but is also embarassed by him. The adults in this show, albeit the teachers, are far from your run of the mill clueless parents.

By: Kayla

Kayla — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 21:13:31 +0000

I’m sorry to say that I quite strongly disagree. As an avid fan of theatre and a theatre major, I believe that Spring Awakening is truly one of the greatest musicals of our time. It is one of the few musicals popular today where if you took away the music, it would still be an outstanding story. We owe that to Frank Wedekind. The story is heart wrenching and powerful, and I feel the problems you bring up, such as Marianna Wheelin, are easily explained. The Bitch of Living is a song about frustration, and as with the rest of the songs, is an interior monologue amongst the boys. Just as Ernst has an issue with “showering at gym class,” which we never see, Otto has a problem with a girl who isn’t giving him the time of day. You could easily replace it with “Then there’s that girl I like so much, as if she’d return my calls,” and no one would have any complaints. But the choice of including a name keeps it true to the intent of the musical numbers–the interworkings of the young characters minds. So I hope that readers of this blog go see Spring Awakening and allow themselves to succumb to this climactic and beautifully written story before giving it the dissapproving, apathetic, cold shoulder.

By: Katrina

Katrina — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 16:38:37 +0000

Jolene I thought you might be interested in this article. It was posted at one of my livejournal Broadway groups:
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/122138.html

Personally I thought the music of both musicals was sadly lack, as the music of [TOS]. But then again I also extremely dislike Sondheim *shrugs* We all have our own ideas of good musicals

By: Julia

Julia — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 16:21:12 +0000

Have you seen the Spring Awakening Touring Cast’s YouTube Web Series? http://youtube.com/totallytrucked

By: jolene

jolene — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 15:35:23 +0000

P, you’re right in that it’s been done before, following the tradition of “Rent” and even the musical “Bare”. To me it feels new in the courageous degree with which it takes its theatricality – the songs that never follow the plot but speaks metaphorically to describe emotion, and the degree with which modern dance is incorporated into the show to, as many would argue, uncomfortable levels. If you don’t like amplification, you should avoid this at all costs. Although I should let you know that there are rush tickets available for $40 the day of performance b/c tickets haven’t been selling as well as expected. I would advise not to go this weekend though, since it’s closing weekend and Sunday should be sold out.

I had a friend who saw it recently, and thought that the show requires a certain level of suspended belief. He told me not to think about the parts that bother me. Perhaps, but I’ve seen shows where it’s been so complete in both the emotional and intellectual arenas (e.g. anything from Sondheim, esp John Doyle’s productions of Company and Sweeney Todd), it just doesn’t compare.

So what’s the verdict? Rape or not rape??

M, can’t wait to read your thoughts. The bitch of living is a bitch.

By: sfmike

sfmike — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 07:54:52 +0000

Great piece. Mediocre touring producion that destroys what was probably great in New York. Will be writing about it soon. Can’t seem to put a sentence together. Must be the Bitch of Living.

By: Patrick

Patrick — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 05:19:55 +0000

I was reading along and found myself quoted! Thanks!
I haven’t seen this show but was wondering if I should mostly because I’ve heard such raves — and the raves surprised me, because neither the rock score nor the subject matter strikes me as particularly shocking or innovative. So I was wondering why people thought this was so fresh. I probably will end up missing it since I’m trying to reduce theater spending — also, I don’t like amplification, which all musicals are subjected to these days, and I don’t really like rock, and teen angst has just been done and done. So I’m left wondering why this show strikes people (or some people) as so revolutionary.

By: Katrina

Katrina — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 22:21:04 +0000

Haven’t actually seen the show, only heard the Cast album….