Spring Awakening is a Tony Award-winning rock musical with music by Duncan Sheik and book and lyrics by Steven Sater. The musical is based on the controversial 1891 play of the same title by Frank Wedekind.
Set in late-nineteenth century Germany, it concerns teenagers who are discovering the inner and outer tumult of human sexuality. The original play was banned in Germany. Spring Awakening received eleven 2007 Tony Award nominations, winning eight, including Tonys for best musical, direction, book, score and featured actor.
Many are the topics touched: from pornography and masturbation to teenage pregnancy, abortion, homosexuality, sexual and domestic violence, suicide, and more through the eyes of the rebel Melchior (Max Harwood), his love Wendla (Charlotte Coe), and his troubled best friend Moritz (James Knudsen).
The British Theatre Academy – under Dean Johnson’s direction- keep the story intact using a simple but effective staging, and beautiful choreographies.
The gawky dialogues and the outdated story make Spring Awakening an imperfect tale. It is hard to know the characters and care about them.
But the cast’s energy and enthusiasm give a fresh flavour to the show. A big bravo to all of them. Their singing, dancing and acting light up the bleak narrative like a lighthouse breaks the darkness of the night and will delight the fans of this quirky rock musical.
