by Jess Hoffman
Playhouse Stage Company has taken on a challenging yet rewarding project with their current production of Spring Awakening. For those unfamiliar with this musical, it is a rock musical adaptation of the 1891 German play of the same name by Frank Wedekind. It premiered in 2006 (when I personally was the same age as the characters in this show) and concerns adolescents grappling with coming of age issues and their own sexualities. The music is reminiscent of 1990’s and early 2000s alternative rock, even though the play takes place in nineteenth century Germany. This blending of time periods and popular culture is intentionally anachronistic, but much of the subject matter–sex, growing up, and generational gaps–seems to be universal. But because of the subject matter and the setting, Spring Awakening presents a unique set of challenges in its staging. All in all, the company rose to these challenges, save for a few missteps.
This production, directed by Churck Kraus, comes to life with an exceptionally talented cast of your actors. The play begins with Ava Papaleo as Wendla singing the opening song “Mama Who Bore Me” and from the onset I was immensely impressed with her vocal chops. The role of Wendla calls for a certain vulnerability that Papaleo struggles to show, but her voice is so exceptional that it’s hard to care too much about some missed opportunities to explore character depth. Nat Holbrook as Melchior has a similarly impressive singing voice; but whereas Papaleo struggles to show vulnerability that would befit her character, Holbrook occasionally betrays a level of vulnerability that seems ill-suited to the confident and intellectual Melchior Gabor. Nevertheless, Holbrook’s stage presence ensured that I still enjoyed his every scene and solo.
If this show belongs to anyone, it is Keith DuBois, whose portrayal of troubled teen Moritz Stiefel is both funny and heartbreaking, and whose vocal stylings match the music genre perfectly. I must also give kudos to Selma Fabregas for her exceptional portrayal of Ilse. With little stage time, she nonetheless shines whenever she is onstage. Though “The Dark I Know Well” isn’t usually my favorite song in Spring Awakening, it became my favorite in this show thanks to the impressive vocal stylings of Selma Fabregas and Molly Kantrowitz.
As I said before, this is an intentionally anachronistic show; so there are some unique challenges when staging Spring Awakening to make the production elements bridge the gap between the plot taking place at the turn of the twentieth century, and the music which is very much a product of the turn of the twenty-first century. The hair and make-up design for this show is done with clear influences in early aughts rock and roll, but unfortunately the early aughts influences are too aggressive and ostentatious to blend with the nineteenth century provincial setting and clash with the rest of the production elements. Most disappointing of all is Keith DuBois’s Cosmo Kramer quiff which distracts from an otherwise impeccable performance. On the other hand, the use of black high top sneakers with the boy’s austere school uniforms was a more subtle and effective nod to twenty-first century popular culture.
Despite some occasional and minor let-downs, Playhouse Stage Company’s Spring Awakening, as a whole, is an energetic and moving show which rose to most of the challenges presented by its script. Adding to the challenges is a live band which sits at the back of the stage and blends into the show without disappearing. The entire band does an excellent job with the music, but I must say I was particularly impressed with Tom Monkell, whose guitar stylings were perfect for the music in this show.
As I watched this production, I began to worry that perhaps Spring Awakening has become a bit dated. Of course it speaks to me and my age group, with its alt rock musical numbers and choreography that takes me back to my first Green Day concert. But nowadays, with the internet making sexual naivety increasingly uncommon, even while young people (by many sociologists’ estimations) focus more and more on sexual identity labels while having less and less sexual experiences, I wondered if this particular musical about adolescent exploration and experimentation will have anything in it to interest younger generations. But as I looked around the audience at the Cohoes Music Hall, I realized that there were plenty of teenagers and early-twenty-somethings in attendance. So it must be that Spring Awakening still has plenty to offer the generations to come. As I said, the themes of growing up, challenging tradition, and discovering one’s sexual pleasures seem to be universal, and Spring Awakening tackles said themes in a way that will speak to everyone.
So whether you are a long-time fan of this play or a Spring Awakening newbie, Playhouse Stage Company’s current production is well worth your time. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and most importantly, you’ll rock out like it’s your first rock concert.
Playhouse Stage Company presents Spring Awakening by Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik, directed by Chuck Kraus, runs from April 12-28, 2024, at the Cohoes Music Hall, 58 Remsen Street in Cohoes, NY. Musical Director: Brandon Jones. Intimacy Director: Yvonne Perry. Production Stage Manager: Gabi Bazinet-Douglas. Cast: Ava Papaleo as Wendla, Ellen Cribbs as Adult Woman, Selma Fabregas as Ilse, Molly Kantrowitz as Martha, Molly Kirby as Anna, Mika Holbrook as Thea, Vandy Benson as Melitta, Natalya Palmer as Greta, Nick Martiniano as Adult Male, Michael Jantson as Otto, Jackson Majewski as Georg, Gu Hong Wu as Hanchen, Ray Blanken as Ernst, Keith DuBois as Moritz, Nat Holbrook as Melchior. Band: Brandon Jones on keyboard, Ben Rau on drums, Tom Monkell on guitar, Michael Hurt on bass, Tom Norman on cello, Teresa Broadwell on viola, and Kathryn Tomlin on violin, conducted by Brandon Jones. Choreography and Musical Staging by AshleySimone Kirchner. Scenic Design by Marc Christopher. Lighting design by David Heguy. Costume and Property design by AshleySimone Kirchner. Sound design by Ray Stokes.
Performance dates are Thursday-Sunday. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evening curtains are at 7:30pm and Saturday and Sunday have matinees at 2:00 pm. Tickets are $29-38 or $18 for students 18 and under. Runs approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes with one intermission. Contains sexual content, suicide, and discussions of incest and abuse. Recommended for ages 16+. Tickets are available online at https://www.playhousestage.org/spring-awakening, by phone at 518-434-0776, or at the door for any performance.