Review: SPRING AWAKENING with Fearless Theatre

This is article includes contributions from Rob Riney.

Spring Awakening is a production that has essentially defined a new generation of theatregoers. Bringing together edgy crowds with traditional audiences, the production bridges an uncommon gap between vintage and modern.

Alas, Fearless Theatre's production of Spring Awakening left me reeling for a sincere vibrancy the show typically stimulates in me.

The musical, which initially rocked Broadway nearly a decade ago, is known for its unique take on the collision of classical theatre with modern rock. The production has so far seen a few Denver stagings and is the company's inaugural venture into the musical side of theatre. Unfortunately, Fearless fell short of understanding the piece's depth, taking a naive approach to the intricate work.

The story follows a group of young German adolescents discovering their sexuality. At the forefront are Melchior, a young rebel, and Wendla, an impressionable girl. As they begin to discover an uninformed side of their pubescence, unfortunate consequences ravage the youths' worlds.

In general, the production was misled, imposing unclear contemporary elements into the turn-of-the-century German text, initially written by playwright Frank Wedekind in the late 1800s. The controversial script has seen its share of censorship since its conception. The more recent musical should provide a clear barrier between old and new as expressed through song.

In the male cast, I failed to consistently see the schoolboys as juvenile young men. For the most part, the male cast blended together as angry and detached, defined by obscene amounts of eye makeup and a plateau of fuming emotions. While the boy's roles are smaller, I didn't see a visible contrast in their personalities.

The female cast was costumed in modern attire that removed me from the antiquated German setting--I kept forgetting this play was set a century ago, which seems like a necessary factor of the show's atmosphere. Instead, the costumes reminded me of Forever 21's fall collection. Modern clothing was also improperly reintroduced during the show's finale, where the actors wore that day's street clothes, ineffectively detaching the finale from its preceding storyline.

For example, it was uncomfortable to see Wendla make her first (and most innocent) appearance at the top of the show wearing a seemingly sexy nightgown, which her mother then refers to as a "kindergarten dress." This was one of several disconnects in the production.

A modern gun diverted a poignant moment with an empty click from an unloaded arsenal. The wipe-away of another actress's tear following an emotional performance played as a display of awkward misdirection. Misstated German dialect gave an impression of misinterpretation. Ilse didn't wear pants to a funeral.

The choreography provided hints of the original production's Tony-Award winning staging; however, in this production, the songs were over-choreographed and executed without strict attention to overall imagery. Some movements, featuring a coupling of the male and female characters, were downright corny. The blocking also struggled with proper spacing.

A shining moment of the show's movement was during "Totally Fucked," the cast's most pulsating piece. "The Bitch of Living" also showcased a fun rebellion, but it seemed a little forced.

Notably, one of the highlights of the show was Ellie Ferguson's vocals as Wendla. The young actress captured a mature sound that added vibrancy to the preteen's emotional expression. Also, the character of Georg was given unique vocals by Jacob Mendez; he owned several moments by adapting the score to fit his distinctive tone.

Alec Sarche's Melchior was confident and youthful, but his vocals weren't exciting in the role. Tye Nielson brought effervescence to Moritz, Melchior's ill-fated pal. Hannah Whitehead's Ilse provided a raw liveliness to the free spirit.

Thomas Gerlick gave an energetic performance as the adult men, but Jackie Walker's adult female roles lacked vivacity between comedic and dramatic scenes. For the show to maintain its veracity, the adult roles must be treated as a mixture of comical and honest personas. Across the board, many humorous lines weren't managed well by the cast.

Some relations between characters were awkward. During "Don't Do Sadness/Blue Wind," Ilse focused her solo on Moritz instead of bringing an intimacy and reclusiveness to the number. In one of the final numbers, Melchior physically interacted with the ghosts of his friends, providing an inappropriate conclusion to the character's storylines.

A visible flaw was the absence of the "chairs of rock." These additional chorus members, who typically act as nonchalant audience members during the show's first few songs, offer an indispensable bridge between the audience and the production. Typically revealing themselves during "Touch Me," the additional cast members provide a palpable emotional invitation to the audience to embrace the musical's sentiments with them. While they help provide a richer sound to the elegant score, the addition of these actors could have lent a much-needed relationship with the crowd in this already intimate venue. Also, it was tough to hear the accompanying vocals of the ensemble from offstage.

What should feel like a well-oiled machine seamlessly guided by a flowing score felt rocky and unbalanced, with several transitions interrupted by unnecessary blackouts. I feel the scenes should be choreographed into one another without any interruption. The music throws itself at this.

There was an electricity missing. What must come off as driving angst felt like forced anger. I didn't sense these kids were releasing any passion...just screaming.

Overall, I feel the bar wasn't raised for this production. As a young company, Fearless does have room to grow, and I appreciate the undertaking of this difficult material. I've seen commendable work from this group, and I remain a fan. The company knows its genre and has shown they can competently tackle edgy work, but their Spring Awakening premiered a bit too soon.

Fearless Theatre's Spring Awakening plays the Crossroads Theater in Five Points, 2590 Washington St., Fridays and Saturdays through Aug. 22. There is an additional performance on Thursday, Aug. 20. All shows are at 7:30. For tickets, visit Fearless-Theatre.Ticketleap.com/Spring-Awakening.

Photos by Noah Begley - Paper and Light Photography

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