Spring Awakening - It's About Sex, Kiddies

I went to see Spring Awakening the other night at the Ahmanson. Lots of hype so I was pretty jazzed. Walking into the theater, I could feel the prickle of excitement and buzz in the air. There were scads of girls dressed as schoolboys in knickers and ties, looking like effete Angus Young impersonators. This show already had rabid fans dressing up like characters? Damn.

Spring Awakening is about the sexual unfolding of adolescence, created by Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik (you know, the Barely Breathing guy). It's set in Germany, 1891. Pay attention to the names, it is going to get confusing. Wendla, Melchior and Moritz are the 3 main characters and I spent the first bit playing character catch-up. Melchy-who? The standout performance, for me, was Blake Bashoff as Moritz, even though he seemed to borrow largely from Tom Hulce's Amadeus, crazy hair included. So adorable.

Thinking of taking your kids? Be advised that this musical's main theme is sex. It covers all of these topics, mostly in great theatrical detail:

• masturbation
• boob fetishes
• erotica
• S&M
• porn
• circle jerks
• homosexuality
• runaways who become nude models
  
• simulated fucking (twice)
• abortion
• incest

My initial reaction was:



Great costumes, superb cast, and more teen angst than a Twilight showing. The melodies of the songs were beautiful but the lyrics seemed to fall flat for me. Words, melody, and story should be a complete package and hit you like a ton of bricks. This just missed the bulls-eye repeatedly when the lyrics would go off on some tangent and I'd be thinking 'what the hell are they talking about?'

Mama, the weeping
Mama, the angels
No sleep in Heaven, or Bethlehem

I still think it's a wonderful musical and you should go see it, if only for the people watching and the rock show choreography. Just make sure grandpa brings his heart medicine.