Saturday, August 30, 2008
Spring Awakening tour, Balboa Theatre - San Diego (2008)
Cast: Kyle Riabko (Melchior), Blake Bashoff (Moritz), Christy Altomare (Wendla), Steffi D (Ilse), Sarah Hunt (Martha), Kimio Glenn (Thea), Gabrielle Garza (Anna), Anthony Lee Medina (Otto), Andy Mientus (Hanschen), Matt Shingledecker (Georg)
For complete information on the tour, see the official Spring Awakening site.
Spring Awakening has been one of my favorite shows since the first time I saw it on Broadway (about a year ago). I saw it three times in four days (2 of the tickets were purchased at TKTS), so clearly I love the show. When I saw that Spring Awakening was going on tour, I was very excited. Now, my friends who don't go to New York can all see it! I took my aunt to see it in San Diego, where the tour started. It was great to see the Balboa Theatre restored, too. They did a wonderful job with the theatre and I'd see another show there in a heartbeat. The staff was wonderful and very friendly, too.
The touring cast of Spring Awakening is wonderful and they did just as amazing a job with the sets, lighting, sound, costumes, etc. I highly recommend checking out Spring Awakening when it's on tour. I'll definitely see it again with friends when it's in LA. At times Christy Altomare (Wendla) left a little to be desired, but I tried to give her the benefit of the doubt and assume we just caught her on a bad day.
I don't agree with calling it the Rent of this generation, since 11 years is hardly enough time for a whole generation, but it is a lot like Rent. I clearly still wouldn't suggest one see Spring Awakening if you can't handle sexual themes and brief (tasteful) nudity.
The music is amazing and I think the story (originally a 19th century German play) is timeless. The fact that the aspects of Spring Awakening that are shocking audiences today were in the original play is proof of that, it seems.
If you enjoy musicals and are okay with sexual themes & a bit of nudity, you should definitely see Spring Awakening!
Grade: A+Labels: 2008, Best Musical, drama, Duncan Sheik, musical, tour