Review: SPRING AWAKENING at City Theatre Company

City Theatre remains true to its mission with a stunning, joyous, provocative rock n roll SPRING AWAKENING. This story ain’t OKLAHOMA!, wherein the greatest tension amounted to who was going to take Miss Laurey to the Box Social. Or is it anywhere akin to MARY POPPINS, the fantastic and fantastical show I saw the following night at WDL.

This is a bombastic and intimate ‘coming of age’ musical, intelligently staged by Kerry Kristine McElrone and replete with an embarrassment of superbly talented and passionate actors. (Everyone imagines himself/herself as the next Robert Plant or Stevie Nicks, correct)?

The ‘set’ was no set, a thrust stage around which patrons sit on three sides. It’s immersive theatre with the actors in your face; exciting not only for them but for the audience. Aisle Say scanned each actor’s face the entire evening. Not one broke character, a testament to their zeal and the ‘method acting’ depth they brought to their character.

Set in late 19th-century Victorian era Germany, the 1891 book from which the musical was made was banned for two decades; labeled a too close to home caustic critique of society. Any mention of sex was anathema and subject to corporal punishment. The alternative rock musical by Duncan Sheik tells the story of teenagers discovering the inner and outer maelstrom of adolescent sexuality. Yes, the production shocks.

NOTE: Wilmington born John Gallagher, Jr won a Tony for his portrayal of Moritz in the 2006 Broadway production. As a wee lad, he got his start playing Tom Sawyer at DE Children’s Theatre.

Wendla (New York-based actress Olivia Bloch) sings a poignant “Mama Who Bore Me”, lamenting that her mother hasn’t told her how babies are born. Her visage was as innocent as the song she sang. Wendla is close to puberty and aches to know how handle things as a young lady. Mama (Kristin Finger) responds: “I’ll tell you everything. Just not today”.

Her friends Ana (Autumn Jewell Hogan), Thea (Emily Rooney), Martha (Elsa Kegelman) and Ilse (Emma Romeo Moyer) similarly have been shunned by adults in these facts of life and sing a reprise of the song.

Everyone of these women has beatific voices.

At school, Moritz (Luke Sullivan) describes a dream that has been keeping him up at night. Melchior, (John Murphy) would be characterized as the ‘leader of the pack’ due to his onstage charisma and clarion voice. Melchoir realizes that his friend has been having erotic fantasies. (That’s bad)? However, Moritz believes are signs of insanity. To comfort the insecure and frantic Moritz, Melchior tells Moritz that all of the boys at their age get these dreams. (That’s good)! Moritz, Melchior and the other boys – Ernst (August Walker), Hänschen (Jordan Eck), Otto (Adam Cooper) and Georg(Avery Mehki Hannon) – share their own sexually frustrated thoughts and desires in a raucous rock number, "The Bitch of Living".

The head banging rock continues with the The Boys and The Girls singing “My Junk” and “Touch Me”. Music Director Joe Trainor - who is a bit of a rocker himself – brought out the inner rock stars of the cast to full display. The voices blended so beautifully and the harmonies were like the Mormon Tabernacle choir. (And that with only 3 weeks of rehearsal.  Trainor also arranged a wondrous ensemble of piano, bass, drums and violin, viola and cello.

Per the picture above of the dappled lights, Lighting Designer Jason Burns explored and enhanced the many moods of the story.

McElrone doubled as Costume Designer. One imagines there was a reason for keeping the women in ‘virginal’ white.

This was a difficult show to stage due to the subject matter. Melchoir and Wendla meet in a hayloft. What begins as a kiss evolves quickly into something they’ve never experienced before. Moritz commits suicide. McElrone took a risk with the show. She handled all the emotional twists and turns with aplomb and sensitivity. Aisle Say is certain everyone involved was especially proud of their participation and this awesome ensemble of actors, musicians and tech. Huzzahs to them all.

SPRING AWAKENING – Through December 21.

HOME | City Theater Company | Wilmington, DE

Photos by Joe Del Tufo/Moonloop Photography

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