Interview: Derek Van Barham Says SPRING AWAKENING at FIM Flint Repertory Theatre is an Intimate, Visceral Experience

FIM Flint Repertory Theatre's season closer, Spring Awakening, will run from June 7 - 23. For nearly 20 years since it opened on Broadway in 2006, Spring Awakening has been a favorite among audiences of all ages, from young adults to older, more seasoned theatregoers. The original production ran for two years on Broadway, racking up eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score. A few years later in 2015, a Broadway revival opened featuring the cast of the Deaf West Theatre (of Los Angeles). 

BroadwayWorld Michigan had the pleasure of speaking with the director of FIM Flint Repertory Theatre’s Spring Awakening, Derek Van Barham. Read our interview below! 

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BroadwayWorld Michigan: Can you give BroadwayWorld Michigan readers a brief background of yourself and your theatre career?

Derek Van Barham: Of course! My name is Derek Van Barham. I use he/him pronouns. I am the Producing Artistic Director of Kokandy Productions in Chicago, the city where I have been living, directing and choreographing for over 15 years. I first moved to Chicago for grad school and improv, and I just fell in love with the theatre community there…so I decided to stick around! 

Can you briefly describe the story of Spring Awakening for those unfamiliar with the material? 

Spring Awakening is a rock musical based on a German play from 1891 that mixes the neon electric world of contemporary music with the (sadly) still relevant themes of teen angst, generational divide and parents being terrified by what their children know and do. The teens in our show (including Melchior, Moritz and Wendla) are thirsting for knowledge about morality, sexuality and more. In their oppressive society, they seek their own answers and deal with the horrifying consequences. 

What made you particularly keen to direct Spring Awakening?

Spring Awakening is iconic. For a whole generation, it’s the musical that redefined what we thought musicals could do. And the music is so darn good. It’s catchy, pop/rock bliss and it just captures the spirit of the characters so well. I’ve always loved the show and am excited about the opportunity to tease out some of the darker tones in the script. We’re not shying away from the horror in the show. There are shades of David Cronenberg, The Exorcist, slasher movies and every horror metaphor where puberty is illustrated by werewolves, creatures and other monsters. Oh, and it’s also very funny and very queer. Love that. 

Given that Spring Awakening is a musical about German teenagers in the 19th century, what about this show do you feel makes it relevant to an audience in 21st century Michigan? 

As long as there is mistrust between the generations, Spring Awakening will be relevant. The terrors that teens face now have evolved, but unfortunately still exist. Every phone, every screen, every other person is a mirror that could make them question and fear themselves. In the second act of the show, Wendla screams “Why didn’t you tell me everything!?” In our current moment of biased “news” and the Facebook algorithm, I feel that question a lot.  

What has been your favorite part about being a part of helping to develop this production?

Being at Flint has been a dream. The team here and the designers assembled for this show have done wonderful work in helping realize this vision for visceral, scary and sexy experience. And the cast is phenomenal! They’ve helped develop a full physical language for this production. My assistant Brennan Urbi and I challenged them to create movements that express not just their characters, but themselves. Can’t wait for you to see and hear what they do! 

The music from Spring Awakening truly makes this musical a modern classic. What is your favorite song in the show to watch live on stage (and why)?

This is a show with no skips. All bangers, as the kids say! But I absolutely love what we created for “Touch Me,” a song that celebrates the joy and terror of our physical awakening, and all those breathy, tingly sensations. 

Do you have any personal social media accounts (e.g., Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, etc.) readers can follow?

I do! I’m on Instagram (@dvbarham) and on Facebook (@derek.v.barham). I also create a playlist and mood board for every show, if you wanna find me on Pinterest and Spotify. 

For this show:

Spotify: open.spotify.com/playlist/1MZx5zt1TCmckAMmUsj8So?si=c24c280e580d4ea9

Pinterest: pinterest.com/dvbarham/spring-awakening

Is there anything else you would like readers to know about Spring Awakening, yourself, FIM Flint Repertory Theatre, etc.?

I know I focused on what a dark and moody show this is. Tis true. But also, it’s a real good time. The music rocks. The choreo is in-your-face. And this phenomenal cast and band are just a few feet away from the audience. It’s intimate, immersive and right on top of you. It’s gonna be wild! 

Also - if you love the show and are ever in Chicago, check out what Kokandy Productions is up to!

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Tickets are currently available at thefim.org/event/spring-awakening, at FIM Ticket Center box offices at FIM Whiting Auditorium and FIM Capitol Theatre, or by calling (810) 237-7333. Genesee County residents receive a 30 percent discount as a benefit
of the Genesee County Arts Education and Cultural Enrichment Millage.

Stay in touch with FIM Flint Repertory Theatre on their website at thefim.org, on Instagram at @flintrepertorytheatre and on Facebook at facebook.com/FlintRepertoryTheatre.

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