Spring Awakening (musical)
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

''Spring Awakening'' is a
coming-of-age Coming of age is a young person's transition from being a child to being an adult. The specific age at which this transition takes place varies between societies, as does the nature of the change. It can be a simple legal convention or can ...
rock musical A rock musical is a musical theatre work with rock music. The genre of rock musical may overlap somewhat with album musicals, concept albums and song cycles, as they sometimes tell a story through the rock music, and some album musicals and concept ...
with music by
Duncan Sheik Duncan Sheik (born November 18, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter and composer. Sheik is known for his 1996 debut single " Barely Breathing", which earned him a Grammy Award nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. He has composed ...
and a book and lyrics by
Steven Sater Steven Sater is a Tony Award, Grammy Award, and Laurence Olivier Award-winning American poet, playwright, lyricist, television writer and screenwriter. He is best known for writing the book and lyrics for the Tony Award-winning 2006 Broadway mus ...
. It is based on the 1891 German play '' Spring Awakening'' by
Frank Wedekind Benjamin Franklin Wedekind (July 24, 1864 – March 9, 1918) was a German playwright. His work, which often criticizes bourgeois attitudes (particularly towards sex), is considered to anticipate expressionism and was influential in the de ...
. Set in late 19th-century Germany, the musical tells the story of teenagers discovering the inner and outer tumult of
adolescent sexuality Adolescent sexuality is a stage of human development in which adolescents experience and explore sexual feelings. Interest in sexuality intensifies during the onset of puberty, and sexuality is often a vital aspect of teenagers' lives. Sexual int ...
. In the musical,
alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...
is employed as part of the folk-infused rock score. Following its conception in the late 1990s and various workshops, concerts, rewrites and its
Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...
debut, the original
Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
production of ''Spring Awakening'' opened at the
Eugene O'Neill Theatre The Eugene O'Neill Theatre, previously the Forrest Theatre and the Coronet Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 230 West 49th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. The theater was designed by Herbert J. Krapp and ...
on December 10, 2006. Its cast included
Jonathan Groff Jonathan Drew Groff (born March 26, 1985) is an American actor and singer . He began his career on Broadway, rising to prominence for his portrayal of Melchior Gabor in the original production of '' Spring Awakening'' (2006-2008), for which h ...
,
Lea Michele Lea Michele Sarfati (; born August 29, 1986) is an American actress, singer, songwriter, and author. She began her career as a child actress on Broadway (theatre), Broadway, appearing in productions of ''Les Misérables (musical), Les Misérab ...
, and
John Gallagher Jr. John Howard Gallagher Jr. (born June 17, 1984) is an American actor and musician best known for originating the role of Moritz Stiefel in the 2006 rock musical '' Spring Awakening'', which earned him a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musi ...
while its creative team comprised director Michael Mayer and choreographer Bill T. Jones. The original Broadway production won eight
Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cer ...
s, including Tonys for Best Musical, Direction, Book, Score and Featured Actor. The production also garnered four
Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. Fo ...
s, while its original cast album received a
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
. In addition, the show was revived in 2015 on Broadway and garnered three Tony Award nominations, among other honors. The success of the Broadway production has spawned several other productions worldwide, including various US productions, a West End production that won four
Laurence Olivier Award The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known as ...
s including Best New Musical, and a series of international productions. In 2022, '' Spring Awakening: Those You've Known'', a documentary film chronicling the 15-year reunion of the original company, was released on
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
.


Synopsis


Act I

Wendla Bergmann, an adolescent in late 19th-century
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, laments that her mother gave her "no way to handle things" and has not taught her the lessons she is meant to know as a young woman ("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 Puberty is the process of physical changes through which a child's body matures into an adult body capable of sexual reproduction. It is initiated by hormonal signals from the brain to the gonads: the ovaries in a girl, the testes in a boy. ...
. 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 – Martha, Thea, Anna and Ilse – appear to be similarly naïve and are upset about the lack of knowledge presented to them ("Mama Who Bore Me (Reprise)"). At school, some teenage boys are studying
Virgil Publius Vergilius Maro (; traditional dates 15 October 7021 September 19 BC), usually called Virgil or Vergil ( ) in English, was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He composed three of the most famous poems in Latin literature: t ...
in
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
class. When Moritz Stiefel, a very nervous and anxious 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 these dreams. Moritz, Melchior and the other boys – Ernst, Hänschen, Otto and Georg – share their own sexually frustrated 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. All the girls, except Ilse, are gathered together after school; they tease each other as they fantasize about marrying the boys in the town. Martha admits that she has a crush on Moritz, but is made fun of by the other girls. At the top of the list is the radical, intelligent, and good-looking Melchior ("My Junk"). 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 An intimate relationship is an interpersonal relationship that involves physical or emotional intimacy. Although an intimate relationship is commonly a sexual relationship, it may also be a non-sexual relationship involving family, friends, or ...
("Touch Me"). Searching for flowers for her mother, Wendla stumbles upon Melchior. The two reminisce on the friendship they once shared as children and share a moment while sitting together in front of a tree. Each of them considers what it would be like to give in to their physical desires for one another ("The Word of Your Body"), but they do not do so. Meanwhile, at school, Moritz sneaks a look at his test results and is thrilled to learn that he has passed his midterm examinations, and tells the other boys. They are ecstatic, save the skeptical Hänschen. However, the teacher and schoolmaster, who claim they cannot pass everyone, decide to fail Moritz anyway, deeming his passing grade still not up to the school's lofty standards. Martha accidentally admits to her friends that her father abuses her physically and sexually 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 after her similarly abusive 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 In electrical engineering, a switch is an electrical component that can disconnect or connect the conducting path in an electrical circuit, interrupting the electric current or diverting it from one conductor to another. The most common type of ...
, so that she can try to understand Martha'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. Disgusted with himself, Melchior runs off as Wendla is left lying on the ground, weeping. 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, asking for money to help him flee to
America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
; 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 her refusal, and feeling he has few choices left, Moritz contemplates suicide. In a stuffy hayloft during a storm, Melchior expresses his frustration about 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 in the forest. Melchior, disappointed in himself from the night before, urges her to leave. Wendla ignores this, instead suggesting they run in the rain until they "get soaked to the skin". Before long, they begin to kiss. Both of them nervous, they continue to entangle themselves and then hesitate – sensing that what they are doing is something very powerful. Wendla is not entirely sure of what they are about to do but is certain that it is unlike anything that she has known before. They continue and then have sex in the hayloft; as Melchior penetrates her, Wendla cries out ("I Believe"). (Note: This scene was slightly softened from the show's Off-Broadway run, where consent from Wendla was a bit more ambiguous. Later, as staged by the Broadway show, Wendla gives explicit consent to Melchior, but does so without full understanding of what they are going to do.)


Act II

Wendla and Melchior are finishing their moment of confused intimacy in the hayloft; they reflect on and discuss what has just happened ("The Guilty Ones". In the Off-Broadway production, Act II began with "There Once Was a Pirate".) Moritz, having been thrown out of his home, wanders the town at dusk, carrying a
pistol A pistol is a handgun, more specifically one with the chamber integral to its gun barrel, though in common usage the two terms are often used interchangeably. The English word was introduced in , when early handguns were produced in Europe, an ...
when he comes across Ilse, a childhood friend of his. Ilse, who it is implied has feelings for Moritz, tells him she has found refuge at an artists' colony, and they reminisce in some childhood memories and "remarkable times". She invites him to come home with her and join her in sharing some more childhood memories, and maybe something more. Moritz refuses and Ilse does everything she can to change his mind ("Don't Do Sadness/Blue Wind"). After affirming to Ilse that he truly wished he could go with her, Moritz refuses and Ilse leaves – distraught and upset. Realizing that Ilse was his last chance to escape the fate he's set out for himself, Moritz quickly changes his mind and calls after her, but it is too late – she is gone. Alone and believing that he has nowhere to turn, Moritz shoots himself. At Moritz's
funeral A funeral is a ceremony connected with the final disposition of a corpse, such as a burial or cremation, with the attendant observances. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember and respect th ...
, each of the children drops a flower into his grave as Melchior laments the passing of his friend while touching on the factors that led to his death, including the way his parents treated him ("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. They search through Moritz's belongings and find the essay on sex which Melchior wrote for him. They seize the opportunity to 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 is expelled as a result ("Totally Fucked"). Elsewhere that night, Hänschen meets up with his shy and delicate classmate Ernst. Ernst tells Hänschen about his plans to become a pastor after school, and Hänschen shares his pragmatic outlook on life. He is amazed with how Ernst has remained so innocent despite the horrible things happening around them. They kiss and Ernst reveals that he loves Hänschen. ("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 Anemia or anaemia (British English) is a blood disorder in which the blood has a reduced ability to carry oxygen due to a lower than normal number of red blood cells, or a reduction in the amount of hemoglobin. When anemia comes on slowly, th ...
and will be fine, but takes Wendla's mother aside and tells her that Wendla is
pregnant Pregnancy is the time during which one or more offspring develops (gestation, gestates) inside a woman, woman's uterus (womb). A multiple birth, multiple pregnancy involves more than one offspring, such as with twins. Pregnancy usually occur ...
. When her mother confronts her with this information, Wendla is completely shocked, not understanding how it could have happened. She realizes that her mother lied to her about how babies are made. Although she berates her mother for leaving her ignorant, her mother rejects the guilt and insists Wendla tell her who the child's father is. Wendla reluctantly surrenders a passionate note Melchior sent her after they consummated their relationship. She reflects somberly on her current condition and the circumstances that precipitated it, but resolves 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 A reform school was a penal institution, generally for teenagers mainly operating between 1830 and 1900. In the United Kingdom and its colonies reformatories commonly called reform schools were set up from 1854 onwards for youngsters who were ...
. When Melchior's father (Callum) tells his wife about Wendla's pregnancy, she finally agrees that they must send Melchior away, which they do without telling him that Wendla is pregnant. During this time, Melchior and Wendla keep contact through letters, delivered by Ilse. 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. Meanwhile, a very terrified and clueless Wendla is taken to a back-alley abortionist by her mother. When Melchior reaches town after a few days, he sends a message to Ilse, asking her to have Wendla meet him at the cemetery at midnight. Ilse, however, can take no action, as Melchior "hasn't heard" about Wendla. She shows Anna, Martha, and Thea the letter. They are equally horrified, and decide not to tell Melchior what has happened. At the cemetery, Melchior 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 fresh grave he had not noticed before. He reads the name on the stone – Wendla's – and realizes that Wendla has died after a botched
abortion Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion"; these occur in approximately 30% to 40% of pregn ...
. Overwhelmed by shock and grief, he takes out a razor with intent to kill himself. Moritz's and Wendla's spirits rise from their graves to offer him strength. They persuade him to journey on, and he resolves to live and to carry their memories with him forever ("Those You've Known"). Led by Ilse, everyone assembles onstage now (in some stagings, wearing modern clothes) to sing about how although the adults may still call the shots with their uptight views, they will not last forever, and the seeds are already being planted for a new, open-minded, informed generation ("The Song of Purple Summer").


Characters


The children

*Melchior Gabor – An intelligent schoolboy with radical ideals who falls in love with Wendla *Wendla Bergmann – An innocent, curious girl who has a relationship with Melchior *Moritz Stiefel – Melchior's best friend. He is tormented by growing up and feelings of failure. *Ilse Neumann – A friend of the other children who was kicked out of an abusive home and now lives unhappily in an artists' colony *Hänschen Rilow – An intelligent and bisexual schoolboy. Ernst's love interest." ''Spring Awakening'' Full Cast Info"
Music Theatre International
*Martha Bessell – A friend of Wendla's who is abused by her father. She has a crush on Moritz. *Ernst Röbel – A
closeted ''Closeted'' and ''in the closet'' are metaphors for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender and other (LGBTQ+) people who have not disclosed their sexual orientation or gender identity and aspects thereof, including sexual identity and human ...
classmate who is ashamed of his sexuality. He is Hänschen's love interest. *Georg Zirschnitz – A classmate who lusts after his older, busty piano teacher *Otto Lämmermeier – A classmate who has a disturbing dream about his mother *Thea – Wendla's best friend. She has a crush on Melchior. *Anna – Martha's best friend *Greta Brandenburg (2015 Broadway revival) *Bobby Maler (2015 Broadway revival) *Melitta – Thea's twin sister (2015 Broadway revival)


Boys in the reformatory

*Dieter – Usually played by the same actor as Georg *Rupert – Usually played by the same actor as Hanschen *Reinhold – Usually played by the same actor as Ernst *Ulbrecht – Usually played by the same actor as Otto


Adults

''Traditionally, the roles of all the adults are performed by one man and one woman. However, in the 2015 Broadway revival, there were two pairs of adults: one hearing pair, and one deaf/HoH pair.'' *Frau Bergmann – Wendla's mother *Fanny Gabor – Melchior's mother *Frau Bessell – Martha's mother *Fräulein Großebüstenhalter – Georg's piano teacher *Fräulein Knuppeldick – an associate of Headmaster Knochenbruch *Headmaster Knochenbruch – the boys' school headmaster *Herr Sonnenstich – a schoolteacher *Herr Gabor – Melchior's father *Herr Stiefel – Moritz's father *Herr Rilow – Hanschen's father *Herr Neumann – Ilse's Father *Father Kaulbach – a priest *Doctor von Brausepulver – Visits Wendla during her pregnancy *Schmidt – the abortionist


Musical numbers

; Act I * "Mama Who Bore Me" – Wendla * "Mama Who Bore Me" (Reprise) – Girls * "All That's Known" – Melchior * "The Bitch of Living" – Boys * "My Junk" – Boys and Girls (except Ilse) * "Touch Me" – Boys and Girls * "The Word of Your Body" – Wendla and Melchior * "The Dark I Know Well" – Martha, Ilse, Boys * "And Then There Were None" – Moritz and Boys * "The Mirror-Blue Night" – Melchior and Boys * "I Believe" – Boys and Girls ; Act II * "The Guilty Ones" – Wendla, Melchior, Boys, and Girls * "Don't Do Sadness/Blue Wind" – Moritz and Ilse * "Left Behind" – Melchior, Boys, and Girls * "Totally Fucked" – Melchior and Full Company (except Moritz) * "The Word of Your Body" (Reprise) – Hänschen, Ernst, Boys (except Moritz), and Girls * "Whispering" – Wendla * "Those You've Known" – Moritz, Wendla, and Melchior * "The Song of Purple Summer" – Ilse and Full Company 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 Broadway cast recording. A reprise of "Touch Me," sung by Melchior, appeared in "Whispering" during the Chicago, Vienna, London runs, was added to the tour, and is part of the amateur rental materials. On the original Broadway cast recording CD, the order of "The Guilty Ones" and "Don't Do Sadness/Blue Wind" is switched. The 2021/22 London run re-introduced "There Once Was a Pirate", in place of "The Guilty Ones".


Major production casts

# This person voiced the lines of a character played by a deaf or hard-of-hearing actor. A new character, Melitta, voiced the character of Thea. ; Notable Broadway replacements * Melchior –
Kyle Riabko Kyle Riabko (born 29 September 1987) is a Canadian musician, composer and actor from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Before starring on Broadway in both '' Spring Awakening'' and ''Hair'', Kyle released a full-length album of original music on Columb ...
and
Hunter Parrish Hunter Parrish Tharp (born May 13, 1987) is an American actor and singer. He is known for playing the role of Silas Botwin in the Showtime series '' Weeds'' and for his performances in the Broadway productions of ''Godspell'' in the role of Jesu ...
* Wendla –
Alexandra Socha Alexandra Socha (born April 10, 1990) is an American actress who made her Broadway debut in the rock musical ''Spring Awakening (musical), Spring Awakening'' in May 2008. Other notable stage appearances include Nora in the brief 2009 revival of '' ...
* Moritz – Blake Bashoff and
Gerard Canonico Gerard Canonico (born July 23, 1989) is an American actor and singer, best known for his roles in Broadway and off-Broadway musicals, including Gavroche in ''Les Misérables'' and Rich Goranski in ''Be More Chill''. He appeared in the films '' Not ...
* Adult Women – Kate Burton * Hanschen –
Drew Tyler Bell Drew Tyler Bell (born January 29, 1986) is an American actor and dancer. He graduated from Barbizon Modeling and Acting School in Akron, Ohio. He also graduated from the David Nazarian College of Business and Economics at California State Univ ...
and Matt Doyle * Anna –
Emily Kinney Emily Rebecca Kinney is an American actress, singer, and songwriter. She is known for her role as Beth Greene on AMC's horror drama television series '' The Walking Dead'' (2011–2015, 2018). Kinney has also appeared on several other televisio ...
* Thea –
Caitlin Kinnunen Caitlin Kinnunen (born November 8, 1991) is an American actress. She is best known for playing Emma Nolan in the musical '' The Prom'', for which she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical in 2019. Earl ...
* Ensemble –
Jenna Ushkowitz Jenna Noelle Ushkowitz (; born April 28, 1986) (born Min Ji []) is a South Korean-born American actress, singer, producer and podcast host. She is known for her performances in Broadway musicals such as ''The King and I'' and '' Waitress (musical ...
; Notable Broadway swings *
Jennifer Damiano Jennifer Damiano (born May 12, 1991) is an American actress and singer. She made her Broadway debut in 2006 as an ensemble member in the original production of ''Spring Awakening'', and went on to originate the role of Natalie Goodman in the mus ...
– Anna, Thea, Martha and Ilse *
Krysta Rodriguez Krysta Anne Rodriguez (born July 23, 1984) is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her roles as Ana Vargas in the NBC series '' Smash'', Summer Henderson in the NBC series '' Trial & Error'', Maxine Griffin in the ABC series '' Q ...
– Anna, Thea, Martha, Ilse and Wendla * Matt Doyle – Hanschen, Ernst, Otto, Georg and Melchior ; Notable tour replacements * Melchior – Matt Doyle,
Jake Epstein Jacob Lee Epstein (born January 16, 1987) is a Canadian actor and singer. He played Craig Manning, a musician with bipolar disorder, on '' Degrassi: The Next Generation''. He also played Will in the First National Tour of '' American Idiot'', an ...
, Christopher Wood * Moritz –
Taylor Trensch Taylor Hunt Trensch (born May 3, 1989) is an American stage and film actor. Early life and education Trensch was born in Tampa, Florida. He began his education at Howard W. Blake High School in Tampa, Florida. He was an acting major and stud ...


Original concept

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".


Production history

''Spring Awakening'' had a number of workshops, concerts and rewrites over a seven-year period, including workshops at
La Jolla Playhouse La Jolla Playhouse is a not-for-profit, professional theatre on the campus of the University of California, San Diego. History La Jolla Playhouse was founded in 1947 by Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire, and Mel Ferrer. In 1983, it was revived under ...
,
San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...
, California, and the
Roundabout Theatre Company The Roundabout Theatre Company is a leading non-profit theatre company based in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, affiliated with the League of Resident Theatres. History The company was founded in 1965 by Gene Feist, Michael Fried and Elizabet ...
, and a concert at
Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 millio ...
in February 2005, under the auspices of actor/producer
Tom Hulce Thomas Edward Hulce (; born December 6, 1953) is an American actor and theater producer. He is best known for his portrayal of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in the Academy Award-winning film ''Amadeus'' (1984), as well as the roles of Larry "Pinto" Kr ...
. It premiered
Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...
at the
Atlantic Theater Company Atlantic Theater Company is an Off-Broadway non-profit theater, whose mission is to produce great plays "simply and truthfully utilizing an artistic ensemble." The company was founded in 1985 by David Mamet, William H. Macy, and 30 of their actin ...
on May 19, 2006 and ran through August 5, 2006.Pincus-Roth, Zachar
"'Spring Awakening' Advance Approaches $2 Million"
playbill.com, December 12, 2006


Broadway

The musical opened on Broadway at the
Eugene O'Neill Theatre The Eugene O'Neill Theatre, previously the Forrest Theatre and the Coronet Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 230 West 49th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. The theater was designed by Herbert J. Krapp and ...
on December 10, 2006 and closed on January 18, 2009, after 859 performances and 29 previews. It was directed by Michael Mayer with choreography by Bill T. Jones, costume designs by
Susan Hilferty Susan Hilferty is an American costume designer for theatre, opera, and film. Biography Early life and education Hilferty grew up in a big family in Arlington, Massachusetts, where her greatest source of joy was the library. "We didn’t have a ...
, set designs by Christine Jones and lighting by
Kevin Adams Kevin () is the anglicized form of the Irish masculine given name (; mga, Caoimhghín ; sga, Cóemgein ; Latinized as ). It is composed of "dear; noble"; Old Irish and ("birth"; Old Irish ). The variant ''Kevan'' is anglicized from , an ...
. It received nearly unanimous favorable reviews, and easily recouped its initial $6 million capitalization, breaking even on August 27, 2007.
Decca Broadway Decca Broadway is an American record label specializing in musical theater recordings founded in 1999 by Decca Records and is a unit of Universal Music Group. Decca Broadway issued both new original cast albums as well as reissues of classic music ...
released the original
cast recording A cast recording is a recording of a stage musical that is intended to document the songs as they were performed in the show and experienced by the audience. An original cast recording or OCR, as the name implies, features the voices of the sho ...
on December 12, 2006, which won the Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album in 2008. The guitar on which Sheik composed 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 The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center, at 40 Lincoln Center Plaza, is located in Manhattan, New York City, at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts on the Upper West Side, between the Metro ...
.


United States tours

A U.S. national tour (with one stop in
Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
, Canada) opened on August 15, 2008 at The Balboa Theatre in
San Diego, California San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...
. The national tour ended on May 23, 2010 in
Orlando, Florida Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County, Florida, Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Greater Orlando, Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, acco ...
. A non-equity US tour began at Shryock Auditorium on October 14, 2010 in
Carbondale, Illinois Carbondale is a city in Jackson and Williamson Counties, Illinois, United States, within the Southern Illinois region informally known as "Little Egypt". The city developed from 1853 because of the stimulation of railroad construction into the ...
. The non-equity US tour ended its run on May 15, 2011 in
Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
, Ontario, Canada at the
Centrepointe Theatre Centrepointe Theatre stylized as ''Meridian Theatres @ Centrepointe'', are publicly owned performance halls located in the former city of Nepean in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The building originally opened in 1988 with a 954-seat mainstage theatre ...
.


Original London production

The first London production began January 23, 2009 at the
Lyric Hammersmith The Lyric Theatre, also known as the Lyric Hammersmith, is a theatre on Lyric Square, off King Street, Hammersmith, London.
, transferred to the
Novello Theatre The Novello Theatre is a West End theatre on Aldwych, in the City of Westminster. It was known as the Strand Theatre between 1913 and 2005. History The theatre was built as one of a pair with the Aldwych Theatre on either side of The Waldo ...
on March 21, 2009, and closed on May 30, 2009. It won four
Laurence Olivier Awards The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known as ...
, including Best New Musical.


2015 Broadway revival

Deaf West Theatre Deaf West Theatre is a non-profit arts organization based in Los Angeles, California, USA. It is most well known for its Tony Award-nominated productions of '' Big River'' and '' Spring Awakening''. Deaf West Theatre is led by Artistic Director, ...
mounted a production directed by
Michael Arden Michael Jerrod Moore (born October 6, 1982), known professionally as Michael Arden, is an American actor, singer, musician, and theatre director. Early life Growing up in Midland, Texas, he was active in the Pickwick Players, Midland Community ...
based on a concept of Arden's husband, first National Tour cast-member
Andy Mientus Andrew Michael Mientus (born November 10, 1986) is an American actor. He is best known for starring in the Broadway musicals '' Spring Awakening'', ''Les Misérables'', and ''Wicked'', and on television in the NBC musical drama '' Smash'' and as H ...
. The cast, made up of both deaf and hearing actors, performed the show in
American Sign Language American Sign Language (ASL) is a natural language that serves as the predominant sign language of Deaf communities in the United States of America and most of Anglophone Canadians, Anglophone Canada. ASL is a complete and organized visual lang ...
and English simultaneously. The deaf and hard-of-hearing actors in certain roles were paired with a hearing actor who voiced the roles. The majority of the hearing actors were also part of the live onstage band. The production incorporated 19th-century-appropriate aspects of
oralism Oralism is the education of deaf students through oral language by using lip reading, speech, and mimicking the mouth shapes and breathing patterns of speech.Through Deaf Eyes. Diane Garey, Lawrence R. Hott. DVD, PBS (Direct), 2007. Oralism cam ...
in
deaf education Deaf education is the education of students with any degree of hearing loss or deafness. This may involve, but does not always, individually-planned, systematically-monitored teaching methods, adaptive materials, accessible settings, and othe ...
to complement the themes of miscommunication, lack of proper sex education, and denial of voice. The production opened in Los Angeles in the fall of 2014 at the Rosenthal Theater. When it transferred to the
Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts is a community arts center in Beverly Hills, California, named for philanthropist Wallis Annenberg in recognition for The Annenberg Foundation's major gift to fund the campus. It is colloquially k ...
in Beverly Hills from May to June 2015, Mientus and original Broadway cast swing
Krysta Rodriguez Krysta Anne Rodriguez (born July 23, 1984) is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her roles as Ana Vargas in the NBC series '' Smash'', Summer Henderson in the NBC series '' Trial & Error'', Maxine Griffin in the ABC series '' Q ...
played Hanschen and Ilse. The production transferred to Broadway at the
Brooks Atkinson Theatre The Lena Horne Theatre (previously the Mansfield Theatre and the Brooks Atkinson Theatre) is a Broadway theater at 256 West 47th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1926, it was designed by Herbert J ...
with the same cast, except the addition of
Marlee Matlin Marlee Beth Matlin (born August 24, 1965) is an American actress, author, and activist. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, in addition to nominations for a ...
,
Camryn Manheim Debra Frances "Camryn" Manheim (born March 8, 1961) is an American actress known for her roles as attorney Ellenor Frutt on ABC's ''The Practice'', Delia Banks on CBS's '' Ghost Whisperer'', Gladys Presley in the 2005 miniseries ''Elvis'', and ...
,
Patrick Page John Patrick Page (born April 27, 1962) is an American actor, low bass singer, and playwright. He originated the roles of Norman Osborn/Green Goblin in '' Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark'', the Grinch in ''Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christma ...
, and
Russell Harvard Russell Wayne Harvard (born April 16, 1981) is an American actor. He made his feature film debut in Paul Thomas Anderson's ''There Will Be Blood'' (2007), playing opposite Daniel Day-Lewis as his adopted son, H.W. Plainview. In the 2010 biopic '' ...
in the adult roles. It was produced by Ken Davenport and
Cody Lassen Cody Lassen is an American theater producer and consultant. He is best known for producing the revival of '' Spring Awakening'', which won him an Ovation Award and a Tony nomination. Career Lassen was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He earned his ...
. The revival began previews on September 8, 2015 and opened on September 27, 2015. It closed on January 24, 2016. The production was nominated for the 2016
Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical The Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical has been awarded since 1994. Before that time, both plays and musicals were considered together for the Tony Award for Best Revival. The award is given to the best musical play which has already appeared ...
and received unanimously positive reviews. In his review for ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'',
Charles Isherwood Charles Isherwood (born 1964/65) is an American theater critic. Education Isherwood is a graduate of Stanford University. Career Isherwood wrote for '' Backstage West'' in Los Angeles. In 1993, he joined the staff of ''Variety'', where he was pr ...
called it "a first-rate production of a transporting musical." The
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
called it "a sheer triumph," and ''
New York Magazine ''New York'' is an American biweekly magazine concerned with life, culture, politics, and style generally, and with a particular emphasis on New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to ''The New Yorker'', ...
'' called it "brilliant and beautiful." The revival focused on making theater and Broadway accessible to people with disabilities. In addition to having deaf cast members, it featured the first Broadway performer to use a wheelchair,
Ali Stroker Alyson Mackenzie Stroker (born June 16, 1987) is an American actress, author and singer. She is the first wheelchair-using actor to appear on a Broadway theatre, Broadway stage, and also the first to be nominated for and win a Tony Award. Stroker ...
. ''Spring Awakening'' was also the first Broadway production to provide interpretation for deaf-blind theatergoers. On January 15, 2016, the producers of ''Spring Awakening'', in association with
The Broadway League The Broadway League, formerly the League of American Theatres and Producers and League of New York Theatres and Producers, is the national trade association for the Broadway theatre industry based in New York, New York. Its members include thea ...
, presented a symposium titled "How to Make Broadway More Accessible," featuring members of the disability community and a keynote address from
Timothy Shriver Timothy Perry Shriver (born August 29, 1959) is an American disability rights activist, film producer, and former educator who has been Chairman of Special Olympics since 1996 and is the founder of UNITE. He is a member of the Kennedy family as ...
, chairman of
Special Olympics Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities and physical disabilities, providing year-round training and activities to 5 million participants and Unified Sports partners in 1 ...
.


2021 London revival

A London revival at the
Almeida Theatre The Almeida Theatre, opened in 1980, is a 325-seat producing house with an international reputation, which takes its name from the street on which it is located, off Upper Street, in the London Borough of Islington. The theatre produces a diver ...
began previews on 30 November 2021, and opened on 14 December to critical acclaim. Directed by
Rupert Goold Rupert Goold (born 18 February 1972) is an English director who works primarily in theatre. He is the artistic director of the Almeida Theatre, and was the artistic director of Headlong Theatre Company (2005–2013). Early years Goold was ...
, choreographed by Lynne Page and designed by
Miriam Buether Miriam Buether is a German stage designer who primarily works in London theatre. She was born in Germany and studied stage design at Central Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design in London and costume design at the Akademie für Kostüm Des ...
, it was led by
Laurie Kynaston Laurence Stephen Kynaston (born 24 February 1994) is a Welsh actor. He won an ''Evening Standard'' Theatre Award for his performance in '' The Son'', as well as receiving a WhatsOnStage Award nomination. He starred in the BBC Two sitcom ''Cradle ...
as Melchior, Amara Okereke as Wendla and Stuart Thompson as Moritz. The limited run closed, after a week's extension, on 29 January 2022. The production received a 2022 Olivier Award nomination for Best Musical Revival, and won two
Critics' Circle Theatre Awards The Critics' Circle Theatre Awards, originally called ''Drama'' Theatre Awards up to 1990, are British theatrical awards presented annually for the closing year's theatrical achievements. The winners, from theatre throughout the United Kingdom, ar ...
including Best Musical in the same year.


International productions

The first European production began on August 30, 2008, at Värmlandsoperan in
Karlstad Karlstad (, ) is the 20th-largest city in Sweden, the seat of Karlstad Municipality, the capital of Värmland County, and the largest city in the province Värmland in Sweden. The city proper had 65,856 inhabitants in 2020 with 95,167 inhabitants ...
, Sweden, closing in March 2009. A second Swedish language production opened in Helsingborg on March 20, 2009. A Finnish production opened in Helsinki on 5 February 2009 and closed in November 2009. A Hungarian-language (first non-replica) production premiered on February 7, 2009 in
Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...
at the Nyugati Teátrum, with the title ''Tavaszébredés''. This production ran until May 26, 2009. A German-language staging opened in Vienna, Austria on March 21, 2009, and closed on May 30, 2009. A live cast recording was released. There was also Slovenian production in the
Ljubljana City Theatre Ljubljana City Theatre (Mestno gledališče ljubljansko - MGL) is the second theatre building and company of Ljubljana after the Ljubljana branch of the Slovene National Theatre. Founded in 1949, Ljubljana City Theatre is the second largest drama ...
in 2009. An English-language production opened in Valletta,
Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
at the St. James Cavalier Theatre on April 17, 2009, directed by Wesley Ellul, choreographed by Fiona Barthet and featured Davide Tucci as Georg and Daniel Casingena as Otto. This was produced by the MADC. The run was extended after it sold out. A Japanese-language production opened in Tokyo at the Shiki Theatre Jiyu May 2, 2009. A Brazilian production in
Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...
ran with the title ''O Despertar da Primavera'' from August 21, 2009 to January 31, 2010. It then transferred to
São Paulo São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...
. A cast recording was released in January. A Philippine production opened in Manila in the Carlos P. Roumolo Auditorium,
RCBC Plaza RCBC Plaza is an office skyscraper complex located in Makati, Philippines. It is home to the offices of the Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) and is composed of two buildings: the taller RCBC Plaza Yuchengco Tower and the smaller RCBC Pla ...
, on September 25 and ran until the October 17, 2009. It was performed in English and was directed by Chari Arespachochaga. A Czech-language production opened in Brno, Czech Republic at the City Theatre Brno on November 21, 2009.
Sydney Theatre Company Sydney Theatre Company (STC) is an Australian theatre company based in Sydney, New South Wales. The company performs in The Wharf Theatre at Dawes Point in The Rocks area of Sydney, as well as the Roslyn Packer Theatre (formerly Sydney Thea ...
staged an Australian non-replica production that opened on 4 February 2010 at the
Sydney Theatre The Roslyn Packer Theatre Walsh Bay is a theatre in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The theatre is on Hickson Road at Walsh Bay, west of The Wharf Theatre, opposite Pier 6/7 on Walsh Bay. It seats up to 896 people. Originally named as the Syd ...
and closed on 7 March. An Argentine production with the Spanish title ''Despertar de Primavera – Un Musical Diferente'' opened in
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
on March 19, 2010. A production played at the Griffin Theatre, Chicago, running from December 4 to January 8, 2011. A
Welsh language Welsh ( or ) is a Celtic language family, Celtic language of the Brittonic languages, Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people. Welsh is spoken natively in Wales, by some in England, and in Y Wladfa (the Welsh colony in Chubut P ...
production toured Wales from the beginning of March 2011 visiting 8 different locations, with
Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru is the Welsh language national theatre of Wales, founded in 2003. It has a counterpart in National Theatre Wales, the English language English is a West Germanic language of the Indo-European language family, wi ...
(Welsh-language national theatre). The first UK national tour took place in May and June 2011, produced by
Sell A Door Theatre Company Selladoor Worldwide is a UK Theatre producing company based in Greenwich, London. Selladoor Worldwide produce musical theatre, plays and family theatre for UK and international touring and the West End. Selladoor Worldwide also operate and m ...
.


In other media

In the television series '' 90210'', the first few episodes contain the school and some of the characters as they prepare, and eventually perform in ''Spring Awakening'', though in reality the amateur production rights were not available at the time. Parts of some songs and scenes are performed through the episodes, such as "Mama Who Bore Me" and "The Bitch of Living". Annie and Ty played the principal roles. The 2015 Broadway revival was featured in the award-winning documentary series '' Working in the Theatre'' produced by the
American Theatre Wing The American Theatre Wing (the Wing for short) is a New York City–based non-profit organization "dedicated to supporting excellence and education in theatre", according to its mission statement. Originally known as the Stage Women's War Relief ...
. The 2018 television series ''Rise'' focuses on a high school English teacher attempting to put on a production of ''Spring Awakening'' while facing resistance from members of the community – including parents of cast members – who consider the material inappropriate for teenagers.


Major awards and nominations


Original Off-Broadway/Broadway production


Original London production


2015 Broadway revival


2021 London revival


Reunion documentary

On May 3, 2022,
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
released a documentary film entitled '' Spring Awakening: Those You've Known'' which showcases the 15-year reunion of the original company that was held in November 2021 to benefit The Actor's Fund.


Proposed film adaptation

In April 2009,
McG The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), also known locally as "The 'G", is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne, Victoria. Founded and managed by the Melbourne Cricket Club, it is the largest stadium in the Southern Hem ...
was announced as the director for the film adaptation. In 2010, lyricist-librettist Steven Sater told ''
Playbill ''Playbill'' is an American monthly magazine for theatergoers. Although there is a subscription issue available for home delivery, most copies of ''Playbill'' are printed for particular productions and distributed at the door as the show's pr ...
'' that a film version of ''Spring Awakening'' could begin production in Europe in the spring of 2013. In 2012, Duncan Sheik told Broadwayworld.com that the movie was in development, but not everything was in place yet. In March 2014, Sheik revealed to ''
U-T San Diego ''The San Diego Union-Tribune'' is a metropolitan daily newspaper published in San Diego, California, that has run since 1868. Its name derives from a 1992 merger between the two major daily newspapers at the time, ''The San Diego Union'' and ...
'' that the movie would include a new song.


References


External links

* *
Review, ''The New York Times'', June 16, 2006''Spring Awakening''
at the Music Theatre International website
The 2015 Deaf West revival
on the
American Theatre Wing The American Theatre Wing (the Wing for short) is a New York City–based non-profit organization "dedicated to supporting excellence and education in theatre", according to its mission statement. Originally known as the Stage Women's War Relief ...
's "Working in the Theatre" series. {{DEFAULTSORT:Spring Awakening 2006 musicals Broadway musicals Off-Broadway musicals Musicals based on plays Rock musicals Grammy Award winners LGBT-related musicals Tony Award for Best Musical Plays set in the 19th century Plays set in Germany Drama Desk Award-winning musicals Tony Award-winning musicals Teen musicals Adaptations of works by Frank Wedekind