At it’s best, Spring Awakening is a musical that guy like me can not only appreciate, but enjoy thoroughly. I’m not the type of person who will go out of his way to see a theatrical production, but impressive songs, stories and performances can turn my ordinarily black heart into something which slightly resembles a human heart. In 2009 Nicci brought me to Costa Mesa to see the national tour of Spring Awakening and I was very impressed [review]. Nicci and I decided that we’d make last night our official Valentine’s Day celebration, so we had a delicious dinner at Delphine and then saw Spring Awakening at the Pantages. In short, it was a vastly different performance from the 2009 tour and, sadly, an underwhelming one.
The story hasn’t changed, it is still set in late-nineteenth century Germany, and concerns teenagers who are discovering the inner and outer tumult of sexuality. The music hasn’t changed, much. In this production, certain songs have added slight variations. “The Song Of Purple Summer” benefited greatly from a couple extra harmonies. One song — I think it was “Whispering” but I’m not certain — is supposed to be a solo but this production included a second character singing which didn’t work. What has changed, of course, is the direction and the acting. And this touring cast and crew, though they put forth an amazing amount of effort, is where the show faltered.
It was obvious from the first musical number (“Mama Who Bore Me”) that the lead female character Wendla (Elizabeth Judd) was a bit too weak for the role. Her voice breathy and nasal, she did not seem to take command of any of her songs, and in concert with other performers the color of her voice was dampened by those singing with her. She was not the only weak link. In fact, it would be easier to list the cast member’s voices I enjoyed than those I did not. Georg (Jim Hogan), Thea (Emily Mest), and Moritz (Coby Getzug) stood out above the rest of the cast. Otto (George E. Salazar) sounded way too poppy for his role, Martha (Aliya Bowles) couldn’t quite capture the quiet rage of her physically abused character, and Ilse (Courtney Markowitz) — who I’d read great things about — did not blow me away either. It’s a shame, because she’s featured in two of the best songs in the show (“The Dark I Know Well” and “Don’t Do Sadness/Blue Wind”). Furthermore, on at least three numbers (“Mama Who Bore Me,” “All That’s Known” and “Those You’ve Known”) the cast members were one beat ahead of the band. In Act II especially this was a problem, as the band sped up in an attempt to catch Melchior (Chistopher Wood) and he in turn sped up even more.
It’s hard to hold the cast responsible for a disappointing show, as their direction is the weakest aspect of this touring company. Someone (I imagine director Lucy Skilbeck) made damn sure every syllable was enunciated, and the result was just awful. I understand stylistically what the director was going for, but there’s a way to do it without billboarding it, and these people — save for melchior most of the time — were billboarding. I’ve yet to hear such annoyingly-precise delivery in a rock musical. Every “T” was so sharp they began to feel like pin pricks. Spring Awakening isn’t really the ideal setting for Shakespearian delivery. It’s okay if the words to these songs flow, run together, or are treated more like typical rock songs than ones specifically tailored for a theatrical performance. Let’s be honest, the songs in Spring Awakening don’t really help to develop the characters or advance the story anyway. Let the kids sing. Not everything has to be so exact. It was unnatural, it was distracting, and it really took away from the performance.
Lastly, the sound of the band and the singers was off at times. In one song Melchior’s microphone was potted down too long and we missed part of what he was singing. The cello and viola were way too low for my liking. When featured more prominently, they add great depth to the music.
Lest I sound like a total asshole, there were some brilliant moments to the show. “The Bitch Of Living” was flawless, and the choreography was much better here than the 2009 tour. The stomping felt more natural, whereas before it was terribly overstated. “Totally Fucked” was another highlight, even if I laughed aloud when Otto performed a less-than-perfect cartwheel at center stage. And, as I stated earlier, “The Song Of Purple Summer” sounded incredible with the addition of some new harmonies.
I’m not a theater person. Not even the slightest bit into it. I attend shows because Nicci is an actress and nine times out of ten I’m there to see her perform. So I don’t have the correct frame of reference to really critique most productions. But having seen Spring Awakening before, I feel like I’m capable of — at the very least — spotting differences and determining what I liked more. That said, I would advise those who have not seen the show before to perhaps wait until the next time around before seeing Spring Awakening. When it is well executed the show has the potential to turn me into a softie, to captivate and impress me with its music and its acting. Sadly, the 2011 touring cast failed to achieve.
Listen to “The Dark I Know Well”
Listen to “The Song Of Purple Summer”
[Image courtesy of Spring Awakening]
