'Spring Awakening' Recoups $6M; Web & Tonys Boost Sales

The eight-time Tony Award-winning original musical, Spring Awakening, has recouped its $6-million capitalization. Variety reports that strong summer sales helped the show's return-rate and producer Ira Pittelman, says the musical has an advance between $3.5 and $4 million.

"Young audiences, a target demographic given the show's subject matter, were cultivated through a heavy online presence as well as through low-priced onstage seating," states Variety, "The day after the June 10 Tony ceremony, Spring Awakening wrapped more than $1 million in sales."

Spring Awakening won eight 2007 Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Director (Michael Mayer), Best Choreography (Bill T. Jones) and Best Music & Lyrics (Duncan Sheik), Best Book (Steven Sater) and Best Featured Actor in a Musical (John Gallagher Jr).

The national tour of Spring Awakening launches in San Francisco in September 2008.  Pittleman plans for a United Kingdom company in late fall of 2008 and, because of its international following, other productions may develop in Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Israel, Korea, and Australia.

Weekly Broadway grosses show Spring Awakening in the Top 10 of the sales charts and played at full capacity last week.

"Based on Frank Wedekind's 1891 masterpiece 'The Awakening of Spring,' Spring Awakening is the contemporary musical adaptation of one of literature's most controversial plays," according to press notes. The show "boldly depicts a dozen young people and how they make their way through the thrilling, complicated, confusing and mysterious time of their sexual awakening. Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater's score feature songs that illuminate the urgency of adolescent self-discovery, the burning intensity of teen friendships and the innate suspicion of the uncomprehending adult world."

Spring Awakening opened on Broadway Sunday, December 10, 2006 at the Eugene O'Neill Theater (230 West 49th St.) following its world premiere at the Atlantic Theater Company that summer.

For more information and tickets visit www.springawakening.com.