Review-Spring Awakening (12.19.06)

Spring Awakening (Monday, 12.19.06, 8:00 p.m.)
Eugene O'Neill Theatre

Starring: Starring: Jonathan Groff (Melchior), Lea Michele (Wendla), John Gallagher, Jr. (Moritz), Lauren Pritchard (Ilse), Lilli Cooper (Martha), Phoebe Strole (Anna), Remy Zaken (Thea), Brian Charles Johnson (Otto), Jonathan B. Wright (Hanschen), Skylar Astin (Georg), Robert Hager (understudy, Ernst), Stephen Spinella (adult men), Christine Estabrook (adult women)

When Spring Awakening opened on Broadway, the reviewers could not have raved more. “A Miracle,” “the best new musical in a generation” – the accolades kept coming. Could it be that the reviewers were a bit overzealous in their praise? Could the show be that good?

It just may be.

When I saw the off-Broadway incarnation of this show this past summer, I saw a production that was energetic, young, rough, raw, perhaps even a little unfinished. I enjoyed it, and admired the freshness that the show had. I also thought that with a little work, it could be refined further. But I never really considered it an ideal candidate for Broadway transfer. Yet somewhere between 20th and 49th Streets, the creative team worked its magic and, miraculously turned this rough raw bundle of energy into a true gem. This Spring Awakening is nothing short of exquisite, a gorgeous and moving piece of theatre that is truly transfixing, especially in the blissful second act.

At the center of this diamond are Melchior (Groff) and Wendla (Michele), the two young lovers who could not be more different in tone, but who both have spirits yearning to break free. Young Melchior is handsome and charismatic, a confident leader willing to rebel. Wendla is a fragile child, a delicate free-thinker yearning to be a woman, but lacking the role model to do so and trapped by her own naivete. Groff and Michele are fantastic in their respective roles. Groff is powerful and captivating, a magnetic presence with a crystal-clear tenor capable of matching the rock beats of “All That’s Known” and “Totally Fucked” with precision and clarity, but also equally at ease delivering a delicate tribute to his friend in the gorgeous and moving “Left Behind.” Michele, meanwhile, is delicate and fragile and beautiful, yet with an edgy streak that only occasionally surfaces. Her singing is absolutely captivating, enhanced by her willingness to use softer tones rather than constantly belt. Together, the two characters come across very differently, but they are a terrific pair.

Completing the threesome is John Gallagher, Jr., who is terrific as Moritz. He is alternately sad and jubilant, but always intense. Gallagher sings the rock score well, but it is his awkward presence that lends itself so well to the role. In the show’s penultimate number, Gallagher’s appearance through the mist is breathtaking, his clear but slightly edgy voice piercing through. It is a terrific moment.

The remainder of the ensemble is terrific, singing well and making the most of more limited material. Lauren Pritchard is especially memorable, delivering soulful renditions of two key Act II songs. Filling the various adult roles are Christine Estabrook and Stephen Spinella, both giving terrific performances in a variety of different roles. Estabrook does some fine comic work, while Spinella creates one of the great moments as Moritz’s father late in the second act. The two do a surprisingly good job at capturing the essence of the various roles.

Duncan Shiek’s brilliant score sounds terrific, with some absolutely gorgeous moments particularly in the second act. Although I still find that two or three of the numbers in the first act have an unfinished quality (they almost seem “cut off” before the musical motif has finished), the second act is seamless. The singing is uniformly excellent, appropriate to the moments they intend to create. The on-stage orchestra, including the piano accompaniment by one of the actors, is uniformly excellent.

The more expansive stage has been decorated to mirror the original Atlantic Theatre’s church-setting, but the wider stage gives the actors a little more breathing room. There is some excellent lighting design that complements the period appropriate set. If there is a weakness, it is the choreography, which consists of much stomping and jumping. That said, it is rare that the body movements are not appropriate to the moment or to the piece.

Wedikind’s original play, written more than 100 years ago, is no longer groundbreaking in this day and age, and I heard at least a few comment during intermission that they felt they had seen the story before. That said, Shiek and Sater’s retelling of this tale is very fresh and emotionally raw, and yet they have captured an elegance and exquisiteness in the story’s telling that was lacking downtown. This Spring Awakening is, indeed, an awakening, and one not to be missed.