BWW Reviews: SPRING AWAKENING Tour Come to Pantages

Spring Awakening
book & lyrics by Steven Sater
music by Duncan Sheik
based on the play by Frank Wedekind
directed by Lucy Skilbeck
based on the original direction of Michael Mayer
Pantages Theatre
through February 13

The play Spring Awakening by Frank Wedekind, which was written in Germany in the late 19th century was censored for a time due to its portrayal of masturbation, abortion, homosexuality, rape, child abuse and suicide. Treating the rocky sexual coming of age of a group of teenagers, its helter-skelter but life-affirming journey is explored in the 2006 Tony Award winning musical of the same name Spring Awakening through folk based and alternative rock, and boasts some expertly staged storytelling, singing, choreography and exuberant performances at the Pantages for one week only.

Sexual tension is set against provincial mores and standards, as parents and teachers in a small German town in the 1890s dictate, frustrate and smother conjecture, critical thinking or freedom of any kind amongst the youth. Discipline and shame are at the core, so it is any wonder that some children were so repressed they could not handle the consequences of even the slightest deviant behavior? They could either escape, rebel or play it cool. In the story there are examples of all three with the first two dominating the third. Our hearts go out to Melchior (Christopher Wood) and Wendla (Elizabeth Judd) whose earnest and unbridled protestations of love turn sour through the reactions and punishments of the establishment. Sympathy as well to Moritz (Coby Getzug) who misses the opportunities of love with Ilse (Courtney Markowitz) and because of the stress of poor academics, sexual frustration and the attitude of uncaring parents is doomed to failure and devastation.

The cast is wonderful from top to bottoM. Wood, Judd, Getzug, Markowitz all shine, as do Sarah Kleeman and Mark Poppleton essaying all the adults. Praise as well to Aliya Bowles, Rachel Geisler, Emily Mest, George Salazar, Devon Stone, Daniel Plimpton and Jim Hogan for their splendid work.

Director Lucy Skilbeck keeps steady a breakneck pace, and choreography by JoAnn M. Hunter is stellar with "The Bitch of Living" a knockout. Set design by Christine Jones fuses the school and the rock concert arena just right, costumes by Susan Hilferty are period perfect and lighting design by Kevin Adams is dark and glaring, doing justice to the bleak tragedy as well as to the ecstatic rock music staging.

For those whose palate does not include loud rock music, rest assured that the folk strains of Duncan Sheik's score are actually quite melodic and beautiful. Overall, Spring Awakening provides a satisfying evening of theatre that is at once energetic and thought-provoking.

 

To post a comment, you must register and login.