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Theater Review of Spring Awakening
By Matt Windman
4 Stars
“When Broadway history is being made, you can feel it.” So said Frank Rich upon reviewing “Dreamgirls.” Now, exactly twenty-five years later, anyone who enters the Eugene O’Neill Theatre will be privileged to behold the wonder and miracle of theater that is “Spring Awakening,” arguably the most breathtaking American musical since “Rent” or even “Sweeney Todd.”
Duncan Sheik and Steven Slater’s youth rock musical, based on an obscure 1891German children’s tragedy, is far more edgy, sexy and contemporary than of the lame jukebox musicals and movie adaptations that Broadway has recently suffered.
Following its Off-Broadway run this summer at Atlantic Theater Company, the threatening violence of Slater’s book and visual marvel of Michael Mayer’s staging have been trimmed to perfection. Its small cast of young actors, aged 16 to 22, alongside two adults, provides performances that are deep, joyful and ultimately cathartic and unforgettable.
The score alone– lush, sensitive and haunting –is sensational, with titles like “The Bitch of Living,” “My Junk” and “Totally F***ed,” an anthem of sarcasm and defiance where the protagonist, played radiantly by Jonathan Groff, accepts the consequence of speaking his mind in a repressive society. And unlike “Hair” and “Rent,” the two other most rock musicals, the storyline of “Spring Awakening” is not a total mess. It’s actually coherent!
In addition to a fantastic new lighting design, the most effective change that was made between its move from Chelsea to Broadway was to cast four ensemble members in contemporary clothing to sit alongside a collection of theatergoers who actually sit onstage. While the cast members, clad in their nineteenth century Europe garments, pick up microphones to croon alternative rock ballads, the modern lads now simultaneously join in, creating a fascinating time flux.
Though it forgoes the marketing virtues of star power and pop culture recycling, it’s possible that “Spring Awakening” will not only survive, but thrive on Broadway. Its invigorating energy runs through you like an electric bolt of lightning, as if you were watching your favorite rock star in concert. Spring Awakening” is a visceral, funny, beautifully brilliant experience that threatens to change the world and maybe save musical theater.
Eugene O’Neill Theatre, 230 West 49th St, 212-239-6200. Mon, Wed-Fri 8pm, Sat 2 & 8pm, Sun 2 & 7pm. Open Run.