Spring Awakening is a rock musical that gives us teenagers, hormones raging, trying to find out about sex in a repressive society. This youthful view of sexuality, based on an 1890s play by Frank Wedekind, deals with awkward young men (except for charismatic leading man Jonathan Groff) and pretty little nubile teenage girls. Directed with lots of energy by Michael Mayer, and filled with very odd, angular, eccentric choreography by Bill T. Jones, it is interesting in movement and action.
There is a strong message about both the conformity and cruelty in the German soul, but for me there is no real power, just a lot of angst and mournful songs, with some cute charming sexuality, especially between two boys, some contemporary profanity (my favorite and most memorable song is "Totally Fucked.") The predictable dramatic event at the end gets a bit annoying as the play gets serious, but it's capped with a nice anthem, "The Song of Purple Summer," sort of a "Let the Sunshine In" from Hair, well sung by the cast, all of whom have good voices.
Spring Awakening is well designed by Christine Jones (set), Susan Hilferty (costumes) and Kevin Adams (lighting). With book and lyrics by Steven Sater and music by Duncan Sheik, the show should do very well with young audiences like those for Rent who will be intrigued and a bit startled by some of the sexual events on the stage.
