Balagan Theatre Reprises Spring Awakening

Back by popular demand, the reprisal of Spring Awakening features new actors in the lead roles, but

By Seattle Mag April 3, 2012

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This article originally appeared in the April 2012 issue of Seattle magazine.

You might not have picked 1890s Germany as the setting of choice for a bold coming-of-age story, but the rock musical Spring Awakening may have changed that forever. Winner of eight 2007 Tony Awards (including Best Musical), the story is based on a banned German play from 1892 and surrounds teenagers discovering the good, the bad and the ugly of all things sexual. The pubescent protagonists struggle with parents who censor sexual information (such as how babies are made) and others who are sexually abusive, meanwhile navigating their own fantasies, fears and intense feelings.

Thanks to sold-out crowds and rave reviews for a short January run, Balagan Theatre is reprising its take on the play (this time in a more appropriate season) with a strong cast of up-and-comers directed by Eric Ankrim (who recently soared as Curly in Oklahoma! at The 5th Avenue Theatre). The Broadway version launched the careers of Lea Michele and Jonathan Groff (of Glee). Who knows where the Capitol Hill version will take these talented young Seattle actors.

Thanks to explicit language, sexual situations and brief nudity, the show is recommended for ages 14 and older.

4/20–4/29. Times and prices vary. Erickson Theatre, 1524 Harvard Ave.; balagantheatre.org

 

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