Teenagers having sex, nothing new there; in this day and age, we’ve become immune and amused. In 1890s Germany, where the topic of sex is treated like a case of cholera, “Spring Awakening” gives these teens a mic and lets the frustration fester into an all-out rock-and-roll musical fable. The theme is prevalent, but the experiences of the play’s characters are still as poignant, confusing and angst-filled as our own coming-of-age sexual entendres.
“Spring Awakening,” a 2007 smash hit on Broadway and eight-time Tony Award-winner is now playing for LA audiences at the Ahmanson Theatre until Dec. 7. The production’s controversies settle around explicit portrayals of homosexuality, masturbation and suicide.
For its brooding, highbrow hero Melchior, a Hollywood casting of blond Kyle Riabko is decent, like a darker, more intellectually mature Zac Efron from “High School Musical.” With the shadow of its Broadway predecessor, the energy of the new cast is not up to par with the original but still holds its own in its portrayal of electrifying musical numbers such as “Mama Who Bore Me.”
Written in 1891 by Frank Wedekind, “Spring Awakening” was readapted from the originally banned production to include more contemporary musical numbers against the backdrop of traditional Germany. Dealing with parents, teachers and authority figures who oppress the developing teenagers’ sexual desires, the play jumps inside the inner minds of these teens kicking and screaming to let their urges out to a catchy soundtrack of indie rock-and-roll numbers.
The extremely naive heroine, Wendla, played by Christy Altomare, is annoyingly innocent, but the progression of her character in the toils of her explicit encounter with Melchior grows into a deeper portrayal of her confusion and sheltered life.
However, expect to find yourself tapping your feet most to Melchior’s underachieving and over-sexually burdened schoolmate Moritz, who steals the spotlight in upbeat musical tempos such as “Don’t Do Sadness” and “The Bitch of Living.” When Moritz speaks, he exudes a quirky nervousness and jittery unrest that plagues him throughout the production. If this is just Moritz speaking, wait until the music is added.
The set design is structured with minimal stage props and relies on an array of stage and background lighting to convey various scene and mood changes. In a unique altering of theater traditions, the stage is crafted so that public audience members are seated at the sides of the stage, allowing the cast to interact with the audience and the band during the production.
In one of the musical’s memorable moments, a makeshift swing becomes the subtle bed where Wendla and Melchior “love each other,” as Wendla’s mother puts it.
“Spring Awakening’s” treatment of its homosexual characters tends to come close to the absurd, mostly as caricatures for comedic timing.
Despite this setback, the musical as a whole masterfully depicts the complex emotions, actions and consequences of a timeless theme.