I haven't kept up on new musicals during the past year. I never see them, but I like to check in on broadway.com to see what's being performed. You know, so I can seem all cultured and stuff.
The Tony awards were presented last night, with performances from those nominated for Best Musical or Best Musical Revival. I had barely heard of any of them. A new musical, Spring Awakening, swept the board in almost every Musical category.
"Allright, this can't be as good as everyone says it is," I thought. "It's all just hype."
I was blown away by the performance. The songs (they performed a medley of three) were haunting, energetic, and charged with emotion. The story remains in the original 1891 setting in Germany, but the music is pop/rock. It blended so well; the plot is all about teenagers facing the unknown of puberty and adulthood. It may be set more than 100 years ago, but the questions it raises are still prominant today.
Like any good literature, its themes are timeless and its characters are real. It reminds me of RENT, challenging the world of musical theater to take on weighty material and not hide behind bright costumes and tapping showgirls (who are superbly talented in their own right).
Bravo, Spring Awakening. I look forward to seeing you soon.
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