Spring Awakening: a possible torch for the next generation
After the thoroughly disappointing touring production of "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang":http://plankmagazine.com/review/theatre/chitty-chitty-bang-bang-all-car-..., there is a collective sigh of relief amongst Toronto’s musical fans that "Mirvish Productions":http://www.mirvish.com/ has imported a new production with a great deal more bite. *Spring Awakening* is that toothy show and although it may not wholly live up to the hype of its eight Tony awards, it is still a vibrant and dynamic work that pushes the boundaries of the often doughy musical genre.
Based on the nineteenth century German play of the same name, Spring Awakening tackles the topic of adolescence and all its rebellious and hormonal angst through the interweaving stories of head-strong Melchior (Matt Doyle), budding and curious Wendle (Christy Altomare), and oft looked down upon Moritz (Blake Bashoff). Each of the characters picks an unintended fight with the authority of the adult world (embodied in multiple roles by Henry Stram and Angela Reed) in their respective attempts to gain intellectual freedom, information, and respect. It is from those symbolic struggles that very tangible complications arise - complications that neither the teens nor their dominating elders are prepared for.
The source work was notorious - and frequently censored or banned - for its frank discussion of masturbation, sexuality, sexual abuse, abortion, suicide, and atheism, and the musical version follows suit with gusto. The show blends the setting, characters, and story of the original play with standalone musical numbers that reference modern genres such as alt-rock, pop-punk, and the power-ballad, giving the characters a sort of timeless inner monologue that would never otherwise mesh with the period aspects of the piece.
Steven Sater’s script is slow to get the plot moving, lacking in subtlety, and rife with on-the-nose dialogue but the infectious energy that radiates from the stage more than makes up for it. Director Michael Mayer uses bold and mechanical strokes to perfectly encapsulate the mix of heightened emotion and crippling confusion that is pubescence. Dance numbers are fierce and confined, and serve the hard-edged score well. One particularly memorable visual is of a cast member unabashedly masturbating under a nightgown in time with the song _My Junk_.
Set designer Christine Jones and Lighting Designer Kevin Adams deserve credit for a visual treatment that serves the production well. The set is reminiscent of a square dance floor flanked on stage by bleachers filled with very visible, and no doubt self-conscious, audience members, and boxed in from behind by the equally visible orchestra/band. It’s a variation on “theatre in the round” that finds the balance between intimacy and spectacle, and offers a few technical surprises too. With no set changes in the traditional sense of the word, subtle lighting cues guide the audience through the narrative, while blasts of technicolour and a star scape of bare light bulbs give the musical numbers an authentic rock concert look.
If there is a major weakness it is in the casting. For such a raw and rebellious show, many of the performers come off as “conventionally Broadway”, especially Matt Doyle who in his most lackluster moments exudes the passion of a hair model. Two bright spots within the cast are Former Canadian Idol finalist Steffi D as Isle, who possesses a captivating and natural voice, and Sarah Hunt as Marta, who delivers a brief but memorable scene that leaves one yearning for a follow up to her character’s story. Spring Awakening nevertheless missed an opportunity to be daring and iconic in their casting, the way the first Los Angeles production of Hair did when they cast a then little-known, and by no means photogenic, Meatloaf in a lead role.
Spring Awakening is a show both about and for teens. Its frank and unapologetic nature makes for good reminiscence if one is looking back on one’s teenage years, but must be even more resounding if one is in the midst of them. Every teenager eventually encounters some piece of art -usually a movie, play, or book - that challenges their mantra of “nobody understands me” and becomes a kind of torch to illuminate their passage to adulthood. If Spring Awakening can be that torch for some AND turn the next generation on to the performing arts, then its applause is well deserved.
_Spring Awakening runs until April 19, 2009 at the Canon Theatre in Toronto, for ticket information rebel_ "here":http://www.mirvish.com/spring/, _for more information on the show and tour try to find someone who’ll understand you_ "here":http://www.springawakening.com/home.php