On opening night in Seattle, Spring Awakening left no doubt in the audience why it took eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical and why Spring Awakening is Broadway’s most talked about musical.
Based on Frank Wedekind’s banned play from 1891, Spring Awakening tells the timeless story of teenage self-discovery and budding sexuality set to a rocking musical score by Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater that won it a 2008 Grammy Award.
Spring Awakening goes so much further than the traditional Broadway show. From the intense and passionate gay kiss, to the masturbation scene, to the love scene showing bare boobs and butt, this is not your parents Broadway show.
But this play is not about tits and ass either. It’s about schoolmate adolescents growing up in sexually-oppressive pre-20th century Germany that could easily be 2008 Anywhere. These teens must deal with quite a few issues onstage; sex, abortion, suicide, rape, masturbation and even S&M.
The very handsome Melchior (played by Kyle Riabko who has a voice that will make you heart melt) instructs his friend Moritz Stiefel (played by Broadway star Blake Bashoff and who played Karl in television’s LOST series) about the semantics of sexual intercourse via an essay he wrote with diagrams. Moritz seeks answers to his own sexual awakenings which has stupefied his emotions and distracted his ability to function in school.
Meanwhile, Hanschen (played by Andy Mientus) is able to seduce his friend Ernst (played by Ben Moss) into what might be the most passionate gay kiss seen on Broadway.
The songs are “electrifying”, fresh and memorable with such titles as “Bitch of Living”, “My Junk”, “Touch Me” and “Totally Fucked” and it’s no wonder the New York Times said that “Broadway may never be the same again!” because of this show.
Blake Bashoff, who also appeared in the Broadway version, plays Moritz.Finally, a major Broadway play that not only connects with a younger crowd but is highly entertaining for both young and old audiences alike. This show is so rocking that you cannot help but love it. Literally, I have to say that this is one of the best shows I have seen on stage in a long time. And I have seen a lot of shows this year.
Go right now and get tickets to this play because it’s only in town for less than one week before it heads off to another city. Even if you have to buy tickets in the back rows, this show is a must see and guaranteed to blow away your idea of what you think a Broadway show has to be in order to be really good.
Spring Awakening is showing now through October 19 at the Paramount Theatre: 7:30pm Thursday, 8pm Friday, 2pm and 8pm Saturday and 1pm and 6:30pm Sunday. Tickets range from $22-$65.
Go to broadwayacrossamerica.com for more info and video about the play.
