Well- I feel compelled to share this. Last night we saw this show at Ken Ctr - Spring Awakening. Absolutely fabulous - we actually got up for a standing ovation - that was well deserved. And, we met a transplanted Canadian friend - who of course we know 'cause he's a hockey coach. It was no wonder why this show won 8 Tonys in 2007 (one of the producers is Tom Hulce of Amadeus fame). For about the 2nd time we actually bought the CD after the show (in the gift shop, with our member discount). Here's a link to the info on the show:
formatting link
am I sharing? Well, it so struck us - and I wanted to say for those ofyou with at least slightly open minds (as in language in some of the songs)- if a touring company comes to your area, go! Donna, Ericka, Sue & Sue -seriously - I think you can get good tix for weeknights - the weekends - abit tougher. They also sell some seats for on the stage - there arerestrictions - but they had about 20 people that weren't part of the castjust sitting on chairs to either side - mixed in with cast members who sitin those areas while others are in the center. And I believe KCtr also hassome $25 day of tix. What's the big deal - the show was written in 1891 in Germany - and banned. The topic is really adolescents coming into adulthood - and the language of the show is addressing young girls wanting to get the full facts of life from their mother (opening) to the young men's school, to their "dreams" and bodies waking, the brutality of education, society, etc. It is so relevant, and poignant, yet kind of uplifting. The set and lighting is incredibly clever, the band is actually on the rear of the stage, and a couple of the actors actually participate as musicians at times. The costumes - of the day - but the boy's hairdo's - well - straight out of something else (though I'm convinced that one of them is an homage to Munchkinland and the Wizard of Oz). The music -from ballad to very, extremely contemporary. With great, distinctive choreography - a bit rock 'n roll for lack of a better term. Some of it is hilarious - when the "It's a Bitch" song come - the audience broke up laughing. Similarly with "You're F
***D" - of course being sung by cast in 1890s German school child clothing. One really brave, and riotous scene - the boy who looks like the young Aryan (clearly very bleached to be super blonde) is on a chair, in his night shirt, reading poetry to Desdemona - and, well - the other hand goes under the shirt. Then his father pounds on the imaginary door - freeze action. This scene continues - eventually the boy is singing, the cast has encircled him - singing/dancing and there is the counterpoint of the parent pounding on the door telling him to go to sleep. It was a great bit of counterpoint, and the singing while acting this part - very mutli-tasked - so to speak. Not an offensively done thing - but in keeping with the story.
So, it is a little rare, and a great surprise, when we see something this striking. DH actually wanted to go out after - and we brought a playbill in to talk about the cast more while eating. Ah, for the Canadians in our midst - a lot of the cast are Canadian. The young man playing the lead is from the most recent "DeGrassi High" tv show. The cast is young, with 2 adults who play all the "adult women or men" roles (1 each) - and both very recognizable (all these NY actors do a lot of Law & Order - one had in their bio - "Law & Order - Trifecta." The boys and girls - ranged from a recent high school grad to a couple of recent college grads, with most in school now - I guess they switch in fall, or take a term off.
Anyhow - thought I'd share a blurb.
Ellice