Spring Awakening
Encyclopedia
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 Award
s, while its London production won four Olivier Awards. It is now being performed in high schools around the United States, since its high school premiere at Truman High school in Levittown Pennsylvania starring Luke Robinson (Melchior), Georjenna Gatto (Wendla), and Tyler Kelch (Mortiz).
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. Melchior then awkwardly admits to Wendla that he has been having sexual dreams about her since the incident. Wendla avoids the topic but 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").
Act II
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 remenise 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 Adults
Act II
++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.
Notable Broadway Replacements
Notable USA Tour Replacements
"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.
, 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
. It premiered Off-Broadway
at the Atlantic Theatre Company on May 19, 2006 and ran through August 5, 2006.
Broadway
The musical opened on Broadway
at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre
on December 10, 2006 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
. It received nearly unanimous favorable reviews. The musical recouped its initial $6 million capitalization.
Decca Broadway
released the original cast recording
on December 12, 2006, which won the Grammy Award
for Best Musical Show Album in 2008. 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.
United States tours
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
. A non-equity US tour began at Shryock Auditorium on October 14, 2010 in Carbondale, Illinois. The non-equity US tour ended its run on May 15, 2011 in Ottawa, Canada at the Centrepointe Theatre
.
Original London production
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. The London production won four Laurence Olivier Awards
, including Best New Musical.
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.
2009
The Finnish production opened in Helsinki on 5 February 2009 and closed in November 2009. 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. 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.
International productions in 2009 included the second Swedish-language production, which opened in Helsingborg, Sweden on March 20, 2009. 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. 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. The Japanese-language production opened in Tokyo at the Shiki Theatre Jiyu May 2, 2009. The Brazil
ian 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. 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. The Czech-language premiere opened in Brno, Czech Republic at the City Theatre Brno on November 21, 2009. The South Korean production opened in Seoul in 2009.
2010
In January 2010, the Norwegian production opened in Oslo. 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. 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 Brazil
ian production. 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 http://nymt.ie (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. The South Australia
n 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.
2011
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.
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).
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.
2012
In Singapore, PANGDEMONiUM! productions announced that they will be playing Spring Awakening in February 2012. The cast has been announced.
The first American amateur production was put on at the Frederick Cultural Arts Center in Frederick, MD
The Trinity College Dramatic Society has since released the first advertising for an amateur production of the show in Canada
, 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.
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.
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 albums become rock musicals...
adaptation of the controversial 1892 German play of the same title by Frank Wedekind
Frank Wedekind
Benjamin Franklin Wedekind , usually known as Frank Wedekind, was a German playwright...
. It features music by Duncan Sheik
Duncan Sheik
Duncan Scott Sheik is an American singer-songwriter and composer. Sheik initially found success as a singer, most notably for his 1996 debut single "Barely Breathing". He later expanded his work to include compositions for motion pictures and the Broadway stage, leading him to involvement in the...
and a book and lyrics by Steven Sater
Steven Sater
-Life and Career:Born in Evansville, Indiana, Sater attended Washington University in St. Louis as an undergraduate. Due to an apartment fire Sater was forced to jump from his balcony and damaged his spine, as well as several other limbs...
. Set in late-19th century Germany, it concerns teenagers who are discovering the inner and outer tumult of sexuality
Human sexuality
Human sexuality is the awareness of gender differences, and the capacity to have erotic experiences and responses. Human sexuality can also be described as the way someone is sexually attracted to another person whether it is to opposite sexes , to the same sex , to either sexes , or not being...
. The original play was banned in Germany for a while due to its portrayal of abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
, homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
, rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
, child abuse
Child abuse
Child abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Children And Families define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or...
and suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
. In the musical, alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
is employed as part of the folk-infused rock score. Spring Awakening received eleven 2007 Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
nominations, winning eight, including Tonys for best musical, direction, book, score and featured actor. The show also won four Drama Desk Award
Drama Desk Award
The Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category...
s, while its London production won four Olivier Awards. It is now being performed in high schools around the United States, since its high school premiere at Truman High school in Levittown Pennsylvania starring Luke Robinson (Melchior), Georjenna Gatto (Wendla), and Tyler Kelch (Mortiz).
Synopsis
Act IWendla Bergmann, an adolescent
Adolescence
Adolescence is a transitional stage of physical and mental human development generally occurring between puberty and legal adulthood , but largely characterized as beginning and ending with the teenage stage...
in late-nineteenth century Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, 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
Puberty
Puberty is the process of physical changes by which a child's body matures into an adult body capable of reproduction, as 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 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
Virgil
Publius Vergilius Maro, usually called Virgil or Vergil in English , was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He is known for three major works of Latin literature, the Eclogues , the Georgics, and the epic Aeneid...
in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
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
Nocturnal emission
A nocturnal emission involves either ejaculation during sleep for a male, or lubrication of the vagina for a female. It is also called a wet dream, and is sometimes considered a type of spontaneous orgasm....
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
Masturbation
Masturbation refers to sexual stimulation of a person's own genitals, usually to the point of orgasm. The stimulation can be performed manually, by use of objects or tools, or by some combination of these methods. Masturbation is a common form of autoeroticism...
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
Sexual abuse
Sexual abuse, also referred to as molestation, is the forcing of undesired sexual behavior by one person upon another. When that force is immediate, of short duration, or infrequent, it is called sexual assault. The offender is referred to as a sexual abuser or molester...
) 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
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
; 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. Melchior then awkwardly admits to Wendla that he has been having sexual dreams about her since the incident. Wendla avoids the topic but 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
Sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...
in the hayloft ("I Believe").
Act II
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
Pistol
When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The 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 remenise 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
Funeral
A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor...
, 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
Anemia
Anemia is a decrease in number of red blood cells or less than the normal quantity of hemoglobin in the blood. However, it can include decreased oxygen-binding ability of each hemoglobin molecule due to deformity or lack in numerical development as in some other types of hemoglobin...
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
Reform school
A reform school in the United States was a term used to define, often somewhat euphemistically, what was often essentially a penal institution for boys, generally teenagers.-History:...
. 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
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
. 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.
Characters
The Children- Melchior, headstrong, handsome, and charismatic. He knows much more than the others because of what he reads in books. He sees the corruption in society. He falls in love with Wendla.
- Moritz, Melchior's intense and nervous best friend, whose dreams of women haunt him to the point that he is too afraid to fall asleep. His strict and harsh parents (particularly his father) push him over the edge when he doesn't pass an exam. He is in love with Ilse, but he never gets to admit this due to his refusal.
- Wendla, a childhood friend of the boys. She falls in love with Melchior, and later discovers that she is pregnant with his child.
- Ilse, another childhood friend who runs away from a sexually abusive home to become a Bohemian; (symbolically) She was Moritz's last offer of hope, she has mutual feelings for him, but never gets the chance to admit this due to his refusal.
- Hänschen, a very humorous, almost arrogant classmate of the boys. An effortless perfectionist who easily seduces Ernst.
- Georg, another classmate who lusts after his older, busty piano teacher.
- Martha, one of Wendla's friends who is abused sexually by her father.
- Ernst, a naive classmate of the boys who falls deeply for Hänschen's seduction.
- Otto, another classmate who dreamt of his mother, as Melchior humorously reveals to Moritz in an effort to help him relax.
- Thea, one of Wendla's friends, a girl who tries to brush her feelings of sexual desire under the carpet to please adults. She's been sheltered by adults and can't comprehend how they could be wrong - "How will we know what to do if our parents don't tell us?"
- Anna, one of Wendla's friends, who cannot wrap her head around Martha's trials. She believes children should grow up to be free and begins to see the error of the adults' ways.
The Adults
- Fanny Gabor, Melchior's mother. Very open to the idea of her son understanding his body and desires and tries to provide counsel to her son's friend Moritz
- Herr Gabor, Melchior's father. He allows Fanny to dictate the way their son lives his life, but ultimately is the one to send him away.
- Herr Stiefel, Moritz's father. He has high standards for his son and is furious when Moritz fails. Many of the children believe when he weeps at his son's funeral, it is for not the loss of his child but his own selfish ego of how he will face others in town after Moritz's death.
- The Teachers, who favour Melchior in the beginning and who dislike Moritz. They see him as a bad egg who will contaminate the others. They do not let him continue at school despite succeeding on his exams, an act which ultimately leads to Moritz's suicide.
- Fräulein Grossenbustenhalter, Georg's piano teacher who he dreams of. She humorously becomes the object of his fantasy during the song "My Junk."
- Frau Bergmann, Wendla's mother. She doesn't want her daughter to grow up and tries to keep her young and innocent by refusing to give her lessons about her changing bodyPubertyPuberty is the process of physical changes by which a child's body matures into an adult body capable of reproduction, as initiated by hormonal signals from the brain to the gonads; the ovaries in a girl, the testes in a boy...
, yet after discovering her daughter is pregnant, refuses to accept any responsibility for her part in her daughter's situation. - Hanschen's father (Herr Rilow), who appears briefly during "My Junk."
Musical numbers
Act I- "Mama Who Bore Me" – Wendla
- "Mama Who Bore Me (Reprise)" – Wendla and Girls
- "All That's Known" – Melchior
- "The Bitch of Living" – Moritz, Melchior and Boys
- "My Junk" – Girls and Boys
- "Touch Me" – Boys and Girls
- "The Word of Your Body" – Wendla and Melchior
- "The Dark I Know Well" – Martha, Ilse and 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" - Moritz
- "Blue Wind" - Ilse
- "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)" – Hanschen, Ernst, Boys 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 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.
Casts
The original casts of the major productions of Spring Awakening.| Character | Original Broadway Cast | Original National Tour Cast | Original London Cast | Second National Tour Cast | Original Brazil Cast (Rio de Janeiro) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melchior | Jonathan Groff Jonathan Groff Jonathan Drew Groff is an American singer-songwriter, stage, television and film actor. He originated the role of Melchior Gabor in the stage musical Spring Awakening and appeared as Jesse St... |
Kyle Riabko Kyle Riabko Kyle Riabko is a Canadian pop singer, guitarist, and actor who was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. He resides in New York City.... |
Aneurin Barnard | Christopher Wood | Pierre Baitelli |
| Wendla | Lea Michele Lea Michele Lea Michele Sarfati , known professionally as Lea Michele, is an American actress and singer. Michele began working professionally as a child actress on Broadway in productions such as Ragtime and Les Misérables. She originated the role of Wendla in the musical Spring Awakening and currently plays... |
Christy Altomare Christy Altomare Christy Altomare is an American actress and singer-songwriter who played the role of Wendla in the first national tour of the rock musical Spring Awakening.-Early life:... |
Charlotte Wakefield | Elizabeth Judd | Malu Rodrigues |
| Moritz | John Gallagher, Jr. John Gallagher, Jr. John Howard Gallagher, Jr. is an American actor and musician perhaps best known for originating the role of Moritz Stiefel in Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater's rock musical Spring Awakening... |
Blake Bashoff Blake Bashoff Blake Warren Bashoff is an American television and motion picture actor, known for his role as Moritz Stiefel in Spring Awakening. He has also appeared in a number of guest roles on television series, including the ABC series Lost as Karl Martin.- Life and career :Bashoff was born in Philadelphia,... |
Iwan Rheon | Coby Getzug | Rodrigo Pandolfo |
| Ilse | Lauren Pritchard | Steffi DiDomenicantonio Steffi DiDomenicantonio Steffi Stephanie Marie Toscano DiDomenicantonio , nicknamed Steffi D, is a Canadian singer from Orleans, Ontario, and the fifth-place finalist in the 2006 season of Canadian Idol... |
Lucy May Barker | Courtney Markowitz | Letícia Colin |
| Adult Men | Stephen Spinella | Henry Stram | Richard Cordery | Mark Poppleton | Carlos Gregório |
| Adult Women | Christine Estabrook | Angela Reed | Sian Thomas | Sarah Kleeman | Débora Olivieri |
| Hanschen | Jonathan B. Wright | Andy Mientus | Jamie Blackley | Devon Stone | Thiago Amaral |
| Georg | Skylar Astin | Matt Shingledecker | Jos Slovick | Jim Hogan | André Loddi |
| Martha | Lilli Cooper | Sarah Hunt | Hayley Gallivan | Aliya Bowles | Laura Lobo |
| Ernst | Gideon Glick | Ben Moss | Harry McEntire | Daniel Plimpton | Felipe di Carolis |
| Otto | Brian Charles Johnson | Anthony Lee Medina | Edd Judge | George E. Salazar | Bruno Sigrist |
| Anna | Phoebe Strole | Gabrielle Garza | Natasha Barnes | Rachel Geisler | Estrela Blanco |
| Thea | Remy Zaken Remy Zaken Remy Zaken, born May 9, 1989 in Norwalk, Connecticut, is an American stage and television actress, best known as one of the youngest cast members in the Original Broadway production of Spring Awakening at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre, playing the role of Thea... |
Kimiko Glenn | Evelyn Hoskins | Emily Mest | Julia Bernat |
Notable Broadway Replacements
- Melchior – Kyle RiabkoKyle RiabkoKyle Riabko is a Canadian pop singer, guitarist, and actor who was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. He resides in New York City....
, Hunter ParrishHunter ParrishHunter Parrish is an American actor and singer. He is known for playing Silas Botwin in Showtime's television series Weeds.-Personal life:... - Moritz – Blake BashoffBlake BashoffBlake Warren Bashoff is an American television and motion picture actor, known for his role as Moritz Stiefel in Spring Awakening. He has also appeared in a number of guest roles on television series, including the ABC series Lost as Karl Martin.- Life and career :Bashoff was born in Philadelphia,...
, Gerard CanonicoGerard CanonicoGerard Canonico is an American actor and singer, best known for his roles in Broadway and off-Broadway musicals.-Biography:... - Wendla – Alexandra SochaAlexandra SochaAlexandra Socha is an American actress who took over the leading role of Wendla in the rock musical Spring Awakening in May 2008. She next appeared in the first Broadway revival of the Neil Simon play Brighton Beach Memoirs, as Nora.-Life and career:...
- Adult Women – Kate BurtonKate Burton (actress)-Personal life:Burton was born in Geneva, Switzerland, the daughter of producer Sybil Burton and actor Richard Burton . She was thus the stepdaughter of actress Elizabeth Taylor and of Sybil's second husband Jordan Christopher. In 1979, Burton earned a bachelor's degree in Russian studies and...
, Christine EstabrookChristine EstabrookChristine Estabrook is an American television and film actress. She has been featured in several motion pictures mostly in supporting roles... - Hanschen – Drew Tyler BellDrew Tyler BellDrew Tyler Bell is an American actor and dancer.-Career:Bell is perhaps most known for his role as Thomas Forrester in The Bold and the Beautiful, which he held from 2004 until 2010, for which he won the 2010 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series...
, Matt Doyle
Notable USA Tour Replacements
- Melchior - Matt Doyle, Jake EpsteinJake EpsteinJacob Lee "Jake" Epstein is a Canadian actor and singer, perhaps best known for playing Craig Manning, a bipolar musician, on Degrassi: The Next Generation.-Personal life:...
- Moritz - Taylor TrenschTaylor TrenschTaylor Trensch is currently cast as Dwayne Hoover in William Finn and James Lapine's new musical comedy "Little Miss Sunshine", opening at the La Jolla Playhouse Mandell Weiss Theatre on February 15, 2011. Taylor had just ended touring the United States as Moritz in the National Tour of Spring...
- Ernst - Ben Fankhauser
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". 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.
Production history
Spring Awakening had a number of workshops, concerts and rewrites over a seven-year period, including workshops at La Jolla PlayhouseLa Jolla Playhouse
La Jolla Playhouse is a not-for-profit, professional theatre-in-residence on the campus of the University of California, San Diego. -Background:...
, San Diego, California, and the Roundabout Theatre Company
Roundabout Theatre Company
The Roundabout Theatre Company is a leading non-profit theatre company based in New York City.-History:The company was founded in 1965 by Gene Feist and Elizabeth Owens and now operates five theatres, all in Manhattan: the American Airlines Theatre ; Studio 54 ; the Stephen Sondheim Theatre The...
, and a concert at Lincoln Center in February 2005, under the auspices of actor/producer Tom Hulce
Tom Hulce
Thomas Edward "Tom" Hulce is an American actor and theater producer. As an actor, he is perhaps best known for his Oscar-nominated portrayal of Mozart in the movie Amadeus and his role as "Pinto" in National Lampoon's Animal House. Additional acting awards included a total of four Golden Globe...
. It premiered Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
at the Atlantic Theatre Company on May 19, 2006 and ran through August 5, 2006.
Broadway
The musical opened on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre
Eugene O'Neill Theatre
The Eugene O'Neill Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 230 West 49th Street in midtown-Manhattan.Designed by architect Herbert J. Krapp, it was built for the Shuberts as part of a theatre-hotel complex named for 19th century tragedian Edwin Forrest...
on December 10, 2006 and closed on January 18, 2009, after 888 performances and 29 previews. Directed by Michael Mayer
Michael Mayer (director)
Michael Mayer is an American stage and film director. He won the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical in 2007 for directing Spring Awakening.-Biography:...
with choreography by Bill T. Jones
Bill T. Jones
Bill T. Jones is an American artistic director, choreographer and dancer.-Early life:Jones was born in Bunnell, Florida and his family moved North as part of the Great Migration in the first half of the twentieth century. They settled in Wayland, New York, where Jones attended Wayland High School...
, the costume designer is Susan Hilferty
Susan Hilferty
Susan Hilferty is an American costume designer for theatre, opera, and film. She received the 2001 Obie Award for Sustained Excellence in Costume Design....
, set designer Christine Jones and lighting designer Kevin Adams
Kevin Adams
For the NHL player, see Kevyn Adams.Kevin Adams is an American theatrical lighting designer. He has earned three Tony Awards for lighting design.-Biography:...
. It received nearly unanimous favorable reviews. The musical recouped its initial $6 million capitalization.
Decca Broadway
Decca Broadway
Decca Broadway Records is an American record label specializing in musical theater recordings founded in 1999 by Decca Records and is a unit of Universal Music Group....
released the original cast recording
Cast recording
A cast recording is a recording of a musical that is intended to document the songs as they were performed in the show and experienced by the audience. An original cast recording, as the name implies, features the voices of the show's original cast...
on December 12, 2006, which won the Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for Best Musical Show Album in 2008. 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.
United States tours
A U.S. National tour (with one stop in Toronto, Canada) opened on August 15, 2008 at The Balboa Theatre in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
. The national tour ended on May 23, 2010 in Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
. A non-equity US tour began at Shryock Auditorium on October 14, 2010 in Carbondale, Illinois. The non-equity US tour ended its run on May 15, 2011 in Ottawa, Canada at the Centrepointe Theatre
Centrepointe Theatre
Centrepointe Theatre is a 966-seat publicly owned performance hall located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It opened on May 3, 1988.-Location:...
.
Original London production
Lyric Hammersmith
The Lyric Theatre, also known as the Lyric Hammersmith, is a theatre on King Street, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, which takes pride in its original, "groundbreaking" productions....
, transferred to the Novello Theatre
Novello Theatre
The Novello Theatre is a West End theatre on Aldwych, in the City of Westminster.-History:The theatre was built as one of a pair with the Aldwych Theatre on either side of the Waldorf Hotel, both being designed by W. G. R. Sprague. The theatre opened as the Waldorf Theatre on 22 May 1905, and was...
on March 21, 2009, and closed on May 30, 2009. The London production won four Laurence Olivier Awards
Laurence Olivier Awards
The Laurence Olivier Award is presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre. Named after the renowned British actor Laurence Olivier, they are given for West End shows and other productions staged in London...
, including Best New Musical.
Subsequent productions
2008The European premiere took place on August 30, 2008, at Värmlandsoperan in Karlstad
Karlstad
Karlstad is a city, the seat of Karlstad Municipality, the capital of Värmland County, and the largest city in the province Värmland in Sweden. The city had 61,685 inhabitants in 2010 out of a municipal total that during the first quarter 2010 was 84,885 inhabitants...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. 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.
2009
The Finnish production opened in Helsinki on 5 February 2009 and closed in November 2009. The first Hungarian-language (first non-replica) production premiered on February 7, 2009 in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
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. 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.
International productions in 2009 included the second Swedish-language production, which opened in Helsingborg, Sweden on March 20, 2009. 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. A live cast recording was released. An English-language production opened in Valletta, Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
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. The Japanese-language production opened in Tokyo at the Shiki Theatre Jiyu May 2, 2009. The Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian production in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
ran with the title "O Despertar da Primavera" from August 21, 2009 to January 31, 2010. Transferred to São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
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. 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. The Czech-language premiere opened in Brno, Czech Republic at the City Theatre Brno on November 21, 2009. The South Korean production opened in Seoul in 2009.
2010
In January 2010, the Norwegian production opened in Oslo. Sydney Theatre Company
Sydney Theatre Company
The Sydney Theatre Company is one of Australia's best-known theatre companies operating from The Wharf Theatre near The Rocks area of Sydney, as well as the Sydney Theatre and the Sydney Opera House Drama Theatre....
staged the first Australian non-replica production, which opened on 4 February 2010 and closed on 7 March. Actress Cate Blanchett
Cate Blanchett
Catherine Élise "Cate" Blanchett is an Australian actress. She came to international attention for her role as Elizabeth I of England in the 1998 biopic film Elizabeth, for which she won British Academy of Film and Television Arts and Golden Globe Awards, and earned her first Academy Award...
was the co-artistic director. The Argentine
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
production with the Spanish title "Despertar de Primavera - Un Musical Diferente" opened in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
on March 19, 2010. This is the second production made in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, after the Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian production. 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
Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland is a conservatoire of music, drama, and dance in the centre of Glasgow, Scotland. Founded in 1845 as the Glasgow Educational Association, it is the busiest performing arts venue in Scotland...
took place during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival on 4 August 2010, and closed on 30 August. The Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
premiere was performed at The Helix
The Helix
The Helix is a building on the Dublin City University campus between Glasnevinand Whitehall on Dublin's Northside, originally planned to be called the Aula Maxima. It was completed in 2002, and it is described as a "performance space" and holds concerts, university conferring ceremonies and...
, Dublin in September 2010, produced by NYMT http://nymt.ie (National Youth Musical Theatre) Ireland. The English Theatre in Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, being the largest English language theatre on the "continent", produced the musical in November 2010. Director was Ryan McBryde. The South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
n 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
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
production opened in December 2010 at Belgrade Drama Theatre.
2011
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.
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
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
premiere of Spring Awakening opened on January 27, 2011 at the National Theatre in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. 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
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
production is scheduled to tour Wales from the beginning of March 2011 visiting 8 different locations, with Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru (Welsh National Theatre).
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
Sell A Door Theatre Company
Sell a Door Theatre Company was originally based out of Liverpool, UK, formed by actors, writers, directors, managers and technicians of The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts....
, 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.
2012
In Singapore, PANGDEMONiUM! productions announced that they will be playing Spring Awakening in February 2012. The cast has been announced.
Amateur rights
The copyright for amateur performances of Spring Awakening has recently been released.The first American amateur production was put on at the Frederick Cultural Arts Center in Frederick, MD
The Trinity College Dramatic Society has since released the first advertising for an amateur production of the show in Canada
In other media
In the new television series 9021090210 (TV series)
90210 is an American teen drama television series developed by Rob Thomas, Jeff Judah and Gabe Sachs, and the fourth series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise created by Darren Star. 90210 is the first series produced by CBS Productions under the company's re-launch, but is now produced by CBS...
, 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.
Original Broadway production
| Year | Award Ceremony | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Drama Desk Award Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category... |
Outstanding Musical Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical was first awarded at the 1974-1975 Drama Desk Awards and has been awarded every year since. Before the 21st Drama Desk Awards, acting awards were given without making distinctions between roles in straight dramas as opposed to musicals, nor were there... |
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| Outstanding Book of a Musical Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical is presented by the Drama Desk, a committee which comprises New York City theatre critics, writers, and editors... |
Steven Sater Steven Sater -Life and Career:Born in Evansville, Indiana, Sater attended Washington University in St. Louis as an undergraduate. Due to an apartment fire Sater was forced to jump from his balcony and damaged his spine, as well as several other limbs... |
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| Outstanding Actor in a Musical Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical was first awarded at the 1974-1975 Drama Desk Awards and has been awarded every year since... |
John Gallagher Jr. | |||
| Jonathan Groff Jonathan Groff Jonathan Drew Groff is an American singer-songwriter, stage, television and film actor. He originated the role of Melchior Gabor in the stage musical Spring Awakening and appeared as Jesse St... |
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| Outstanding Actress in a Musical Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical was first awarded at the 1974-1975 Drama Desk Awards and has been awarded every year since... |
Lea Michele Lea Michele Lea Michele Sarfati , known professionally as Lea Michele, is an American actress and singer. Michele began working professionally as a child actress on Broadway in productions such as Ragtime and Les Misérables. She originated the role of Wendla in the musical Spring Awakening and currently plays... |
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| Outstanding Director of a Musical Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical was first awarded at the 1974–1975 Drama Desk Awards and has been awarded every year since... |
Michael Mayer Michael Mayer (director) Michael Mayer is an American stage and film director. He won the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical in 2007 for directing Spring Awakening.-Biography:... |
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| Outstanding Choreography Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Choreography -1970s:* 1970: Ron Field – Applause** No nominees* 1971: Michael Bennett – Follies and Donald Saddler – No, No, Nanette** No nominees* 1972: Patricia Birch – Grease and Jean Erdman – Two Gentlemen of Verona... |
Bill T. Jones Bill T. Jones Bill T. Jones is an American artistic director, choreographer and dancer.-Early life:Jones was born in Bunnell, Florida and his family moved North as part of the Great Migration in the first half of the twentieth century. They settled in Wayland, New York, where Jones attended Wayland High School... |
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| Outstanding Music Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music is an annual award presented by the Drama Desk, a committee comprising New York City theatre critics, writers, and editors... |
Duncan Sheik Duncan Sheik Duncan Scott Sheik is an American singer-songwriter and composer. Sheik initially found success as a singer, most notably for his 1996 debut single "Barely Breathing". He later expanded his work to include compositions for motion pictures and the Broadway stage, leading him to involvement in the... |
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| Outstanding Lyrics Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics is an annual award presented by the Drama Desk, a committee of New York City theatre critics, writers, and editors... |
Steven Sater Steven Sater -Life and Career:Born in Evansville, Indiana, Sater attended Washington University in St. Louis as an undergraduate. Due to an apartment fire Sater was forced to jump from his balcony and damaged his spine, as well as several other limbs... |
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| Outstanding Orchestrations Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Orchestrations The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Orchestrations is presented by the Drama Desk, a committee of New York City theatre critics, writers, and editors... |
Duncan Sheik Duncan Sheik Duncan Scott Sheik is an American singer-songwriter and composer. Sheik initially found success as a singer, most notably for his 1996 debut single "Barely Breathing". He later expanded his work to include compositions for motion pictures and the Broadway stage, leading him to involvement in the... |
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| Drama League Award Drama League Award The Drama League Awards, created in 1935, honor distinguished productions and performances both on Broadway and Off-Broadway, in addition to recognizing exemplary career achievements in theatre, musical theatre, and directing... |
Distinguished Production of a Musical | |||
| Distinguished Performance | John Gallagher Jr. | |||
| Jonathan Groff Jonathan Groff Jonathan Drew Groff is an American singer-songwriter, stage, television and film actor. He originated the role of Melchior Gabor in the stage musical Spring Awakening and appeared as Jesse St... |
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| Lucille Lortel Award | Outstanding Musical | |||
| Outstanding Director | Michael Mayer Michael Mayer (director) Michael Mayer is an American stage and film director. He won the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical in 2007 for directing Spring Awakening.-Biography:... |
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| Outstanding Choreography | Bill T. Jones Bill T. Jones Bill T. Jones is an American artistic director, choreographer and dancer.-Early life:Jones was born in Bunnell, Florida and his family moved North as part of the Great Migration in the first half of the twentieth century. They settled in Wayland, New York, where Jones attended Wayland High School... |
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| Outstanding Costume Design | Susan Hilferty Susan Hilferty Susan Hilferty is an American costume designer for theatre, opera, and film. She received the 2001 Obie Award for Sustained Excellence in Costume Design.... |
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| Outstanding Lighting Design | Kevin Adams Kevin Adams For the NHL player, see Kevyn Adams.Kevin Adams is an American theatrical lighting designer. He has earned three Tony Awards for lighting design.-Biography:... |
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| Outstanding Sound Design | Brian Ronan | |||
| New York Drama Critics Circle Award | Best Musical | |||
| Outer Critics Circle Award Outer Critics Circle Award The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on and Off-Broadway and were begun during the 1949-1950 theater season. The awards are decided upon by theater critics who review for out-of-town newspapers, national publications, and other media outlets... |
Outstanding New Broadway Musical | |||
| Outstanding New Score | Duncan Sheik Duncan Sheik Duncan Scott Sheik is an American singer-songwriter and composer. Sheik initially found success as a singer, most notably for his 1996 debut single "Barely Breathing". He later expanded his work to include compositions for motion pictures and the Broadway stage, leading him to involvement in the... and Steven Sater Steven Sater -Life and Career:Born in Evansville, Indiana, Sater attended Washington University in St. Louis as an undergraduate. Due to an apartment fire Sater was forced to jump from his balcony and damaged his spine, as well as several other limbs... |
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| Outstanding Director of a Musical | Michael Mayer Michael Mayer (director) Michael Mayer is an American stage and film director. He won the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical in 2007 for directing Spring Awakening.-Biography:... |
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| Tony Award Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway... |
Best Musical Tony Award for Best Musical This is a list of winners and nominations for the Tony Award for Best Musical, first awarded in 1949. This award is presented to the producers of the musical.-1940s:* 1949: Kiss Me, Kate – Music and lyrics by Cole Porter, book by Samuel and Bella Spewack... |
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| Best Book of a Musical Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical The Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical is awarded to librettists of the spoken, non-sung dialogue, and storyline of a musical play. Eligibility is restricted to works with original narrative framework; plotless revues and revivals are ineligible... |
Steven Sater Steven Sater -Life and Career:Born in Evansville, Indiana, Sater attended Washington University in St. Louis as an undergraduate. Due to an apartment fire Sater was forced to jump from his balcony and damaged his spine, as well as several other limbs... |
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| Best Original Score Tony Award for Best Original Score The Tony Award for Best Original Score is the Tony Award given to the composers and lyricists of the best original score written for a musical in that year. The score consists of music and lyrics... |
Duncan Sheik Duncan Sheik Duncan Scott Sheik is an American singer-songwriter and composer. Sheik initially found success as a singer, most notably for his 1996 debut single "Barely Breathing". He later expanded his work to include compositions for motion pictures and the Broadway stage, leading him to involvement in the... and Steven Sater Steven Sater -Life and Career:Born in Evansville, Indiana, Sater attended Washington University in St. Louis as an undergraduate. Due to an apartment fire Sater was forced to jump from his balcony and damaged his spine, as well as several other limbs... |
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| Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical is awarded to the actor who was voted as the best actor in a musical play, whether a new production or a revival... |
Jonathan Groff Jonathan Groff Jonathan Drew Groff is an American singer-songwriter, stage, television and film actor. He originated the role of Melchior Gabor in the stage musical Spring Awakening and appeared as Jesse St... |
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| Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical This is a list of the winners and nominations of Tony Award for the Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical. The award has been presented since 1947... |
John Gallagher Jr. | |||
| Best Direction of a Musical Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical This is a list of winners and nominations for the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical. Prior to 1960, category for direction included plays and musicals.-1950s:Note: this category was for both dramatic and musical productions... |
Michael Mayer Michael Mayer (director) Michael Mayer is an American stage and film director. He won the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical in 2007 for directing Spring Awakening.-Biography:... |
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| Best Choreography Tony Award for Best Choreography -1940s:* 1947: Agnes de Mille – Brigadoon / Michael Kidd – Finian's Rainbow* 1948: Jerome Robbins – High Button Shoes* 1949: Gower Champion – Lend An Ear-1950s:* 1950: Helen Tamiris – Touch and Go* 1951: Michael Kidd – Guys and Dolls... |
Bill T. Jones Bill T. Jones Bill T. Jones is an American artistic director, choreographer and dancer.-Early life:Jones was born in Bunnell, Florida and his family moved North as part of the Great Migration in the first half of the twentieth century. They settled in Wayland, New York, where Jones attended Wayland High School... |
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| Best Orchestrations Tony Award for Best Orchestrations -1990s:1997*Jonathan Tunick – Titanic**Michael Gibson - Steel Pier**Luther Henderson - Play On!**Don Sebesky and Harold Wheeler - The Life1998*William David Brohn – Ragtime**Robert Elhai, David Metzger and Bruce Fowler - The Lion King... |
Duncan Sheik Duncan Sheik Duncan Scott Sheik is an American singer-songwriter and composer. Sheik initially found success as a singer, most notably for his 1996 debut single "Barely Breathing". He later expanded his work to include compositions for motion pictures and the Broadway stage, leading him to involvement in the... |
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| Best Scenic Design of a Musical | Christine Jones Christine Jones (scenic designer) Christine Jones is a scenic designer on Broadway. Her best known designs include Spring Awakening and American Idiot. She is a professor at New York University and a Lecturer at Princeton University.-Education:... |
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| Best Costume Design of a Musical Tony Award for Best Costume Design These are the winners and nominees for the Tony Award for Best Costume Design. The award was first presented in 1947 and included both plays and musicals... |
Susan Hilferty Susan Hilferty Susan Hilferty is an American costume designer for theatre, opera, and film. She received the 2001 Obie Award for Sustained Excellence in Costume Design.... |
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| Best Lighting Design of a Musical | Kevin Adams Kevin Adams For the NHL player, see Kevyn Adams.Kevin Adams is an American theatrical lighting designer. He has earned three Tony Awards for lighting design.-Biography:... |
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| 2008 | Grammy Award Grammy Award A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry... |
Best Musical Show Album Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album The Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album has been awarded since 1959. The award was given only to the album producer, and to the composer and lyricist who wrote at least 51% of the music which had not been recorded previously.... |
Original Broadway Cast | |
Original London production
| Year | Award Ceremony | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Laurence Olivier Award | Best New Musical | ||
| Best Actor in a Musical | Aneurin Barnard Aneurin Barnard -Early life:He was born in the former borough of Ogwr in Mid Glamorgan and trained at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama alongside Kimberley Nixon and Tom Cullen, graduating in 2008... |
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| Best Actress in a Musical | Charlotte Wakefield | |||
| Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical | Iwan Rheon | |||
| Best Sound Design | Brian Ronan | |||
| Best Theatre Choreographer | Bill T. Jones Bill T. Jones Bill T. Jones is an American artistic director, choreographer and dancer.-Early life:Jones was born in Bunnell, Florida and his family moved North as part of the Great Migration in the first half of the twentieth century. They settled in Wayland, New York, where Jones attended Wayland High School... |
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| Best Lighting Design | Kevin Adams Kevin Adams For the NHL player, see Kevyn Adams.Kevin Adams is an American theatrical lighting designer. He has earned three Tony Awards for lighting design.-Biography:... |
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| WhatsOnStage.com Award Theatregoers' Choice Award The Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers' Choice Awards are organised by the theatre website Whatsonstage.com and recognise the performers and productions of British theatre with emphasis on London's West End. Nominations and eventual winners are selected by the theatre-going public.... |
Best New Musical | |||
| Best Actor in a Musical | Aneurin Barnard Aneurin Barnard -Early life:He was born in the former borough of Ogwr in Mid Glamorgan and trained at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama alongside Kimberley Nixon and Tom Cullen, graduating in 2008... |
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| Best Actress in a Musical | Charlotte Wakefield | |||
| Best Supporting Actor in a Musical | Iwan Rheon | |||
| Best Lighting Designer | Kevin Adams Kevin Adams For the NHL player, see Kevyn Adams.Kevin Adams is an American theatrical lighting designer. He has earned three Tony Awards for lighting design.-Biography:... |
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| Best Choreographer | Bill T. Jones Bill T. Jones Bill T. Jones is an American artistic director, choreographer and dancer.-Early life:Jones was born in Bunnell, Florida and his family moved North as part of the Great Migration in the first half of the twentieth century. They settled in Wayland, New York, where Jones attended Wayland High School... |
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Proposed film adaptations
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.Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
has announced consideration of making a movie adaptation of Spring Awakening. McG
McG
Joseph McGinty Nichol , better known as McG, is an American director and producer of film and television, as well as a former record producer....
(Whose production company purchased the rights to adapt the musical) is rumoured as being attached to direct.