Cast: Jonathan Groff (Melchior), John Gallagher, Jr. (Moritz), Lea Michele (Wendla), Lauren Pritchard (Ilse), Lilli Cooper (Martha), Remy Zaken (Thea), Phoebe Strole (Anna), Brian Charles Johnson (Otto), Jonathan B. Wright (Hanschen), Skylar Astin (Georg)
For complete info on this amazing cast, see the official Spring Awakening page.
I really can't say enough good things about Spring Awakening. Gideon Glick isn't in it at the moment, which was a bummer, but Blake Daniel and Matt Doyle both did a great job as Ernst in the three times I saw Spring Awakening.
If you haven't seen Spring Awakening yet, definitely check it out when you're in New York. It deserved all 8 Tony Awards it won (Musical, Book of a Musical, Original Score, Featured Actor in a Musical, Choreography, Direction, Orchestrations, & Lighting) and a few it didn't (Actor, Featured Actress, Scenic Design, etc.). Having seen both David Hyde Pierce's performance and Jonathan Groff's, I'd say Jonathan was robbed, not Raul Esparaza, who was expected to win. I also think that Lea Michele and Lauren Pritchard both deserved nominations for Featured Actress, if not the award itself.
The lighting of Spring Awakening is truly amazing. It's something you have to see to believe. The music is wonderful. The choreography/direction and movement is so well done. The young cast is fabulous. I think the only reason Jonathan Groff didn't win the Tony for Best Actor is that Spring Awakening is such an ensemble piece, where everyone in the cast is amazing and most of the cast is on stage for almost all of the show (even if they're sitting with the audience on stage in parts). I would love to sit on stage sometime and enjoy it from a completely different point of view. Perhaps next year...
I actually saw Spring Awakening three times in one week, something I've never done with any other show. Granted, the first time I saw Rent I would have done the same given the circumstances. I can't believe that the musical that deservedly won the Best Musical Tony Award this year was actually at TKTS for discount tickets already, but I definitely took full advantage of the situation. Since I normally only get back to New York once a year, I have to squeeze everything in to the short time I get in the city.
If you have a chance to see Spring Awakening before the original cast leaves, do it! Previews started last November, so you should have a bit of time, but don't delay. Of course, if you miss them, I'm sure the new cast will be wonderful, too. I just can't recommend this cast more.
The only bad thing about the show is that it's playing at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre, which has almost no slope to the orchestra section and isn't staggered well row to row, making it very difficult to see portions of the show. I spent the first time I saw Spring Awakening constantly moving and trying to see around the heads in front of me. I was close to the stage, which was very good for the first time I saw it, but there was a lot I missed. I caught a lot more the second time, but honestly, the best seat I had for Spring Awakening was the third time I saw it - in the next to last row, in the far corner of the orchestra section. The last two rows are elevated, so I could actually see the whole show. It was wonderful! In a couple places (where the cast is seated on the stage), I would have to watch a portion of the stage at a time, but I could actually see everything on stage with little adjustment on my part. It was great to see some of the portions I had missed the first two times I saw the show.
I don't want to say too much about the show, since I think you should see it for yourself. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who has problems with brief (very tasteful) nudity or sexual content. However, I think everyone else will love Spring Awakening. It's an amazing show! The audiences I enjoyed the show with ranged in ages from teenagers to fairly old and (unlike the audience of Rent, which has been there for over 11 years, you'd think people would know what it's about by now), I didn't see anyone not return for the second act of Spring Awakening. I'm not sure if that says something about the show or the audiences, but I was happy to see that everyone stayed each night. I couldn't believe that I saw people leave Rent all these years after it opened on Broadway. The fact that there are still people in this world who can't handle the simple subject matter of love (no matter who is involved) bothers me, but at least everyone could handle Spring Awakening, which is definitely a good thing.
Grade: A+
Labels: 2007, Best Musical, Broadway, drama, Duncan Sheik, John Gallagher Jr., Jonathan Groff, Lauren Pritchard, Lea Michele, musical, original
Reviewed by Kat at the 8:00 PM show | 0 screams