Fox Theatre

Spring Awakening Full of
Sexual Longing and Hard Lessons

by Nancy Larson


The coming-of-age musical Spring Awakening could have been set as long ago as the Neanderthal age or as far in the future as 2050. Because teenage angst and sexual curiosity are so timeless, it really doesn’t matter where this winner of seven Tony Awards, presented recently at the Fox Theatre, takes place.

That the story unfolded in late 19th century Germany is incidental. That its rock music blares loudly to lyrics that include the phrase “blah, blah, blah, blah, blah” is another reason that, if not for the knee pants and long skirts, you’d swear it was 2009.

These and other clothes start to come off late in Act I, though the nudity is partial and brief. The tryst involves Wendla , played by Christy Altomare, and Melchior, played by Kyle Riabko, who first meet in the woods and later do things Wendla’s mother has refused to explain to her. Thus, the girl has no idea their passion could result in pregnancy.

“We’re not supposed to …” begins Wendla, as the couple begins to hungrily explore each other.

“We’re not supposed to — what? Love?” asks Melchior.

While teachers, parents and other adults in their lives — all cleverly played by the same two characters to illustrate their sameness — try to keep the kids on lockdown, the teenagers are consumed with sexual thoughts informed by their urges but very few facts.

Their emotions blast from the stage in songs by Duncan Sheik, the themes of which vary from the pain of wanting (“The Bitch of Living”) to the erotic (“Touch Me”) to the hopeful (“The Song of Purple Summer”).

If you want to understand what your teenagers go through, revisit your own confusing loss of innocence or need a reminder of why knowledge is power, Spring Awakening is the ticket.