| Spring Awakening | |
|---|---|
Original Broadway Recording |
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| Music | Duncan Sheik |
| Lyrics | Steven Sater |
| Book | Steven Sater |
| Basis | Frank Wedekind's play Spring Awakening |
| Productions | 2006 Broadway 2008 U.S. National Tour 2009 West End Numerous international productions 2010 U.S. National Tour |
| Awards | Tony Award for Best Musical Tony Award for Best Book Tony Award for Best Score Drama Desk Outstanding Musical Drama Desk Outstanding Music Drama Desk Outstanding Lyrics Outer Critics Outstanding Musical Outer Critics Outstanding Score Critics' Circle Theatre Award for Best Musical Olivier Award for Best New Musical Grammy Award Musical Show Album |
Spring Awakening is a rock musical adaptation of the controversial 1892 German play of the same title by Frank Wedekind. It features music by Duncan Sheik and a book and lyrics by Steven Sater. Set in late-19th century Germany, it concerns teenagers who are discovering the inner and outer tumult of sexuality. The original play was banned in Germany for a while due to its portrayal of abortion, homosexuality, rape, child abuse and suicide. In the musical, alternative rock is employed as part of the folk-infused rock score. Spring Awakening received eleven 2007 Tony Award nominations, winning eight, including Tonys for best musical, direction, book, score and featured actor. The show also won four Drama Desk Awards, while its London production won four Olivier Awards.
Contents |
Wendla Bergmann, an adolescent in late-nineteenth century Germany, laments that her mother gave her “no way to handle things” and has not taught her the lessons she needs to learn (“Mama Who Bore Me”). She tells her mother that it is time she learned where babies come from, considering that she is about to be an aunt for the second time. Her mother cannot bring herself to explain the facts about conception clearly to Wendla despite knowing her daughter is reaching puberty. Instead, she simply tells Wendla that to conceive a child a woman must love her husband with all of her heart. The other young girls in town appear to be similarly innocent and are upset about the lack of knowledge presented to them ("Mama Who Bore Me" (Reprise)).
At school, some teenage boys are studying Virgil in Latin class. When Moritz Stiefel, a very nervous and intense young man, sleepily misquotes a line, the teacher chastises him harshly. Moritz’s classmate, the rebellious and highly intelligent Melchior Gabor, tries to defend him, but the teacher will have none of it, and hits Melchior with a stick. Melchior reflects on the shallow narrow-mindedness of school and society and expresses his intent to change things ("All That’s Known").
Moritz describes a dream that has been keeping him up at night, and Melchior realizes that Moritz has been having erotic dreams which Moritz believes are signs of insanity. To comfort the panicked Moritz, Melchior, who has learned sexual information from books, tells Moritz that all of the boys at their age get the dreams. The burned-out boys tell about their own frustrating thoughts and desires. ("The Bitch of Living"). Moritz, who is not comfortable talking about the subject with Melchior, requests that he give him the information in the form of an essay, complete with illustrations.
Some girls are gathered together after school and tease each other as they fantasize about marrying the boys in the town. At the top of the list is the radical, intelligent, and good-looking Melchior ("My Junk"). Meanwhile, Hanschen masturbates as he looks at an erotic postcard, and the piano student Georg indulges in some lively fantasies about his well-endowed female piano teacher. Moritz has eagerly digested the essay that Melchior prepared for him, but complains that his new knowledge has only made his dreams even more vivid and torturous. Melchior tries to calm and comfort his friend, but Moritz runs off in frustration. All of the boys and girls express their desires for physical intimacy ("Touch Me").
Searching for flowers for her mother, Wendla stumbles upon Melchior. The two share a moment while sitting together in front of a tree (they were childhood friends, but grew apart as they got older). Each of them considers what it would be like to give in to their physical desires, but they do not do so ("The Word of Your Body"). Meanwhile, at school, Moritz sneaks a look at his test results and is thrilled to learn that he has passed his midterm examinations, but the teacher and schoolmaster cannot pass everyone, so they decide to fail Moritz anyway, deeming his passing grade is not up to the school's impossibly lofty standards.
Martha, one of the teenage girls, accidentally admits to her friends that her father abuses her physically (including sexual abuse) and that her mother is either oblivious or uncaring. The other girls are horrified to hear this, but Martha makes them promise not to tell anyone, lest she end up like Ilse, a friend from childhood who now wanders homeless and aimless because her parents kicked her out of the house ("The Dark I Know Well"). Later, Wendla finds Melchior again at his spot in the woods and tells him about Martha's abuse. Melchior is appalled to hear this, but Wendla convinces him to hit her with a switch, so that she can try to understand her friend’s pain. At first Melchior is determined to do nothing of the sort, but reluctantly complies. He gets carried away in the beating, taking his own frustrations out on Wendla and throws her to the ground. He then runs off, disgusted with himself, as she weeps curled up on the ground. Alone, Wendla finds that Melchior has left his journal on the ground. She picks it up and takes it with her.
Moritz is told he has failed his final examination, and his father reacts with disdain and contempt when Moritz tells him that he will not progress in school; rather than attempting to understand his son's pain, Moritz's father is only concerned with how the others in town will react when they see 'the man with the son who failed'. Moritz writes to Melchior’s mother, his only adult friend, for money to flee to America; she tenderly but firmly denies his request and promises to write his parents to discourage them from being too hard on him ("And Then There Were None"). Devastated by the refusal and feeling he has few choices left, Moritz begins to contemplate suicide.
In a stuffy hayloft during a storm, Melchior cries out in his frustration at being caught between childhood and adulthood (“The Mirror-Blue Night”). Wendla finds him once again, telling him she wants to return his journal, and each apologizes for what happened the last time they met. Before long, they begin to kiss; Wendla resists his advances at first. Although she doesn't really understand what's going on between them, Wendla is reluctant, sensing that what they are doing is something very powerful, and very unlike anything that she has known before. They begin to make love in the hayloft ("I Believe").
Wendla and Melchior are finishing their moment of intimacy in the hayloft; they reflect on and discuss what has just happened (“The Guilty Ones”).
Moritz, having been thrown out of his home, wanders the town at dusk, carrying a pistol ("Don't Do Sadness"). He comes across free-spirited Ilse, a childhood friend who he has not spoken to in years, and secretly loves. Ilse, who also secretly loves Moritz, tells him she has found refuge at an artists' colony; and they reminisce in some childhood memories and "remarkable times" ("Blue Wind"). She invites him to come home with her and join her in sharing some more childhood memories and perhaps something more, Moritz refuses as he's only set on killing himself, but Ilse does everything she can to convince him to change his mind ("Don't Do Sadness/Blue Wind"). After coming close to kissing and admitting their feelings for each other, Moritz refuses, and Ilse leaves very hurt. After suddenly changing his mind, he desperately calls after her, recognizing his true feelings for her and the need to tell her, but it is too late; she is gone. Feeling rejected once again and losing his final offer of hope and love, Moritz feels that he has lost everything and the world he sees is dark and cold. Believing that he has nowhere to turn, Moritz shoots himself.
At Moritz's funeral, each of his friends including Ilse, drop a flower into his grave, and Melchior chastises Moritz’s father for being so cruel to his friend, as the other students look at Moritz's father with disgust for pushing Moritz too hard when he was alive ("Left Behind"). Back at school, the schoolmaster and teacher feel the need to call attention away from Moritz, whose death was a direct result of their actions, in order to absolve themselves of their own guilt. They search through Moritz's belongings and find the essay on sex which Melchior wrote for him. They lay the blame of Moritz's death on Melchior, and although Melchior knows that he is not to blame, he knows there is nothing he can do to fight them, and he is expelled ("Totally Fucked"). Elsewhere that night, Hanschen meets up with his shy and delicate classmate Ernst. Hanschen shares his pragmatic outlook on life with his classmate before seducing him. "Me? I'm like a pussycat. I just skim off the cream," is Hanschen's way of telling Ernst that he is special because he knows how to work the system of the world to his advantage. It is Ernst's first sexual experience, and he tells Hanschen that he loves him as the two share a passionate kiss ("The Word of Your Body (Reprise)").
Wendla has become ill, and her mother takes her to visit a doctor. He gives her some medication and assures them both that Wendla is suffering from anemia and will be fine, but he takes Wendla's mother aside and tells her that Wendla is pregnant. When her mother confronts her with this information, Wendla is completely shocked, not understanding how this could have happened. She realizes that her mother lied to her about how babies are made and expected her to know the consequences of her actions with Melchior despite not learning about it properly. Although she berates her mother for leaving her ignorant, her mother rejects the guilt and insists Wendla tell her who the father is. Wendla reluctantly surrenders a passionate note Melchior sent her after they consummated their relationship. Wendla reflects somberly on her current condition and the circumstances that led her to this difficult position, but ends with optimism about her future child ("Whispering"). Meanwhile, Melchior's parents argue about their son's fate; his mother does not believe that the essay he wrote for Moritz is sufficient reason to send him away to reform school. When Melchior's father tells his wife about Wendla's pregnancy, however, she agrees that they must send Melchior away, which they do without telling him that Wendla is pregnant.
During this time, Melchior and Wendla only keep contact through the use of letters, with Ilse delivering them to each other. At the reform school, Melchior gets into a fight with some boys who grab a letter he has just received from Wendla and use it in a masturbation game. As one of the boys reads from the letter, Melchior finally learns about Wendla and their child, and he escapes from the institution to find her. He does not know that Wendla's mother has already taken her to an underground practitioner to have an abortion. When Melchior reaches town, he sends a message to Ilse to have her get Wendla to meet him at the cemetery at midnight, but as he "doesn't know", heartfelt, she is unable to take action. There, he stumbles across Moritz's grave, and swears to himself that he and Wendla will raise their child in a compassionate and open environment. When Wendla is late to the meeting, Melchior begins to feel a little uneasy. Looking around, Melchior sees a grave he hadn't noticed before. He reads the name on the stone - Wendla Bergman - and realizes that Wendla died from the forced abortion. Overwhelmed by shock and grief, he takes out a razor with the intention of killing himself. Moritz's and Wendla's spirits rise from their graves to offer him their strength. They persuade him to journey on, and he resolves to live and to carry their memories with him forever. "Not gone, not gone," Wendla assures him in song ("Those You've Known").
Led by Ilse, everyone assembles onstage to sing "The Song of Purple Summer" about life and hope.
The Children
The Adults
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++Note: "The Guilty Ones" replaced off-Broadway version's Act II opening, "There Once Was a Pirate"; the latter is available as a bonus track sung by composer Duncan Sheik on the iTunes version of the original cast recording. A reprise of "Touch Me," sung by Melchior, appeared in "Whispering" during the Chicago, Vienna, London run and was added to the tour. Also, "Don't Do Sadness/Blue Wind" is a reprise of the two separate songs sung at the same time, but on the soundtrack, these three songs are in just one track, with little of the dialogue in between. |
The original casts of the major productions of Spring Awakening.
| Character | Original Broadway Cast[1] | Original National Tour Cast | Original London Cast[2] | Second National Tour Cast |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melchior | Jonathan Groff | Kyle Riabko | Aneurin Barnard | Christopher Wood |
| Wendla | Lea Michele | Christy Altomare | Charlotte Wakefield | Elizabeth Judd |
| Moritz | John Gallagher, Jr. | Blake Bashoff | Iwan Rheon | Coby Getzug |
| Ilse | Lauren Pritchard | Steffi DiDomenicantonio | Lucy May Barker | Courtney Markowitz |
| Adult Men | Stephen Spinella | Henry Stram | Richard Cordery | Mark Poppleton |
| Adult Women | Christine Estabrook | Angela Reed | Sian Thomas | Sarah Kleeman |
| Hanschen | Jonathan B. Wright | Andy Mientus | Jamie Blackley | Devon Stone |
| Georg | Skylar Astin | Matt Shingledecker | Jos Slovick | Jim Hogan |
| Martha | Lilli Cooper | Sarah Hunt | Hayley Gallivan | Aliya Bowles |
| Ernst | Gideon Glick | Ben Moss | Harry McEntire | Daniel Plimpton |
| Otto | Brian Charles Johnson | Anthony Lee Medina | Edd Judge | George E. Salazar |
| Anna | Phoebe Strole | Gabrielle Garza | Natasha Barnes | Rachel Geisler |
| Thea | Remy Zaken | Kimiko Glenn | Evelyn Hoskins | Emily Mest |
Before opening the show off-Broadway, Duncan Sheik had composed an arrangement of song demos for the original concept of Spring Awakening. Back then the musical's plot adhered more closely to the original play's plot. Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik had originally intended for Melchior actually to rape Wendla at the end of "I Believe," but decided to change that plot because he wanted the scene to be more loving between the two characters. In workshops, "I Believe" ended with Wendla's scream while being raped. "All That's Known" replaced a song titled "All Numb". Both songs had the same theme, but because the directors had to reduce time for the show, "All Numb" was cut and replaced with "All That's Known".
A song called "A Comet on Its Way" was replaced by "The Bitch of Living". Although both songs followed the same basic theme, Sheik thought that "The Bitch of Living", being more upbeat, fit the show better. "Those You've Known" replaced a song called "The Clouds Will Drift Away", which was cut because Sheik wanted the song between the three main characters to stay close to the "All That's Known" theme. "Mama Who Bore Me (Reprise)" was originally intended to be performed after "Touch Me". Another song, entitled "Great Sex" (which was intended to be performed after "Mama Who Bore Me (Reprise)"), was also cut from the show because the directors thought the song pointed out the theme of the show too specifically. It was intended to be performed during Hanschen's masturbation scene, but the song was removed and the scene moved into the middle of "My Junk". Finally, songs such as "Touch Me" and "The Mirror-Blue Night" each had a reprise, and "Mama Who Bore Me" had a second reprise. Even "There Once Was a Pirate", which was cut, also had a reprise.
Spring Awakening had a number of workshops, concerts and rewrites over a seven-year period, including workshops at La Jolla Playhouse, San Diego, California, and the Roundabout Theatre Company, and a concert at Lincoln Center in February 2005, under the auspices of actor/producer Tom Hulce.[3] It premiered Off-Broadway at the Atlantic Theatre Company on May 19, 2006 and ran through August 5, 2006.[4]
The musical opened on Broadway at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre on December 10, 2006[4] and closed on January 18, 2009, after 888 performances and 29 previews. Directed by Michael Mayer with choreography by Bill T. Jones, the costume designer is Susan Hilferty, set designer Christine Jones and lighting designer Kevin Adams.[5] It received nearly unanimous favorable reviews.[6][7] The musical recouped its initial $6 million capitalization.[8]
Decca Broadway released the original cast recording on December 12, 2006, which won the Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album in 2008.[9] The guitar Sheik used to compose songs for Spring Awakening was included in the 2008 exhibition "Writing to Character: Songwriters & the Tony Awards" at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.[10]
A U.S. National tour (with one stop in Toronto, Canada) opened on August 15, 2008 at The Balboa Theatre in San Diego, California. The national tour ended on May 23, 2010 in Orlando, Florida.[11] A non-equity US tour began at Shryock Auditorium on October 14, 2010 in Carbondale, Illinois.[12] The non-equity US tour ended its run on May 15, 2011 in Ottawa, Canada at the Centrepointe Theatre.[13]
The London production began January 23, 2009 at the Lyric Hammersmith, transferred to the Novello Theatre on March 21, 2009, and closed on May 30, 2009.[14][15] The London production won four Laurence Olivier Awards, including Best New Musical.[16]
The European premiere took place on August 30, 2008, at Värmlandsoperan in Karlstad, Sweden. The production is directed by Per Eltvik and choreographed by Åsa Thegerström. The Swedish text is by Fredrik Fischer and Linnea Sjunnesson. It stars Joán Alderman (Melchior), Mari Haugen Smistad (Wendla) and Ole Aleksander Bang (Moritz). This production closed in March 2009.
The Finnish production opened in Helsinki on 5 February 2009 and closed in November 2009.[17] The first Hungarian-language (first non-replica) production premiered on February 7, 2009 in Budapest at the Nyugati Teátrum as a co-production of the Budapest Operetta and Musical Theatre and the Nyugati Teátrum, with the title "Tavaszébredés". This production ran until May 26, 2009.[18] A new production opened on November 21, 2009 at the Budapest Operetta and Musical Theatre, with all the roles played by the students of the Pesti Broadway Stúdio, the acting school of the theatre. This is also a non-replica production but differs from the previous Hungarian version, and is staged as a modern school class performing the musical.[19]
International productions in 2009 included the second Swedish-language production, which opened in Helsingborg, Sweden on March 20, 2009.[20] The German-language premiere opened in Vienna, Austria in a limited run at the Ronacher Theatre on March 21, 2009, and closed on May 30, 2009.[21] A live cast recording was released. An English-language production opened in Valletta, Malta at the St. James Cavalier Theatre on April 17, 2009, directed by Wesley Ellul and choreographed by Fiona Barthet. This will be produced by the MADC.[22][23] The Japanese-language production opened in Tokyo at the Shiki Theatre Jiyu May 2, 2009.[24] The Brazilian production in Rio de Janeiro ran with the title "O Despertar da Primavera" from August 21, 2009 to January 31, 2010. Transferred to São Paulo where ran from March 13, 2010 until May 2, 2010; re-opened on July 10 and closed on August 15. A cast recording was released in January.[25] The Philippine production opened in Manila in the Carlos P. Roumolo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, on September 25 until the October 17, 2009. It will be in English and is directed by Chari Arespachochaga.[26] The Czech-language premiere opened in Brno, Czech Republic at the City Theatre Brno on November 21, 2009.[27] The South Korean production opened in Seoul in 2009.[28][29]
In January 2010, the Norwegian production opened in Oslo.[30] Sydney Theatre Company staged the first Australian non-replica production, which opened on 4 February 2010 and closed on 7 March. Actress Cate Blanchett was the co-artistic director.[31] The Argentine production with the Spanish title "Despertar de Primavera - Un Musical Diferente" opened in Buenos Aires on March 19, 2010. This is the second production made in South America, after the Brazilian production.[32] A Hebrew production opened in Tel Aviv, Israel in April 2010. The Scottish premiere involving students from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama took place during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival on 4 August 2010, and closed on 30 August. The Irish premiere was performed at The Helix, Dublin in September 2010, produced by NYMT [9] (National Youth Musical Theatre) Ireland. The English Theatre in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, being the largest English language theatre on the "continent", produced the musical in November 2010. Director was Ryan McBryde.[33] The South Australian premiere of Spring Awakening will go on stage in December 2010, produced by Film and Theatre Company Gin & Vodka Productions and Co-Directed by Joshua Penley and Vince Fusco - Performed at Adelaide University's Little Theatre. The Serbian production opened in December 2010 at Belgrade Drama Theatre.[34]
In Chicago, the Griffin Theatre plans to open the first Chicago produced version of the play at Theatre Wit. The show opens December 4th. It is directed by well-renowned Chicago director Jonathan Berry. [35]
In the Netherlands, the musical opened in March 2011 and closed on 3 April. It was a co-production between Joop van den Ende/Stage Entertainment and M-Lab. This production was directed by Paul Eenens and featered students of different conservatoires and musical academies from all over the Netherlands.
The Victorian premiere of Spring Awakening opened on January 27, 2011 at the National Theatre in Melbourne. It was produced by the Young Australian Broadway Chorus and directed by Robert Coates.
The regional Australian premiere opened on February 9 and closed February 13 at the Helen Macpherson-Smith Theatre in Ballarat, Victoria. Produced by BLOC Music Theatre, the production was directed by Emil Freund, with Music Direction by Stacey-Louise Camilleri and Choreography by Eamonn George and Vanessa Sheehan. It featured Zoy Frangos, Laura Thomas, Robbie Bennett and Keagan Vaskess in the four lead roles.
A Welsh language production is scheduled to tour Wales from the beginning of March 2011 visiting 8 different locations, with Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru (Welsh National Theatre).[36]
The first UK national tour of Spring Awakening is due to take place in May and June 2011, produced by Sell a Door Theatre Company, directed by Pete Gallagher and choreographed by Cressida Carre. The tour will visit Exeter Northcott Theatre, Pleasance Edinburgh, MacRoberts Arts Centre Stirling, Lowry Manchester, Norwich Playhouse & Greenwich Theatre, London.[37]
In June, The Keegan Theatre in Washington DC will open a production of Spring Awakening that is scheduled to run through July 6th. In Singapore, PANGDEMONiUM! productions announced that they will be playing Spring Awakening in February 2012. The cast has been announced.
The copyright for amateur performances of Spring Awakening has recently been released.[38] The first American amateur production was put on at the Frederick Cultural Arts Center in Frederick, MD [39]
In the new television series 90210, the first few episodes contain the school, and some of the characters as they prepare, and eventually perform in Spring Awakening. Parts of some songs and scenes are performed through the episodes, such as "Mama Who Bore Me" and "The Bitch of Living". Annie {after replacing Adrianna} and Ty played the principal roles.
Apple's Keynote presentation application uses the lyrics of "The Bitch of Living" on its icon.
| Year | Award Ceremony | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Laurence Olivier Award | Best New Musical | Won | |
| Best Actor in a Musical | Aneurin Barnard | Won | ||
| Best Actress in a Musical | Charlotte Wakefield | Nominated | ||
| Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical | Iwan Rheon | Won | ||
| Best Sound Design | Brian Ronan | Won | ||
| Best Theatre Choreographer | Bill T. Jones | Nominated | ||
| Best Lighting Design | Kevin Adams | Nominated | ||
| WhatsOnStage.com Award[47] | Best New Musical | Nominated | ||
| Best Actor in a Musical | Aneurin Barnard | Nominated | ||
| Best Actress in a Musical | Charlotte Wakefield | Nominated | ||
| Best Supporting Actor in a Musical | Iwan Rheon | Nominated | ||
| Best Lighting Designer | Kevin Adams | Nominated | ||
| Best Choreographer | Bill T. Jones | Nominated | ||
Lyricist-librettist Steven Sater told Playbill.com that a film version of Spring Awakening could begin production in Europe as early as fall 2010. He also said that he and Sheik wrote a new song for the film adaptation.[48]
Warner Bros. has announced consideration of making a movie adaptation of Spring Awakening. McG (Whose production company purchased the rights to adapt the musical) is rumoured as being attached to direct.[49]
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