by tom andrew –
Palm Springs’ Palm Canyon Theatre has taken on quite an impressive and audacious season this year, not that that’s any surprise based on past and upcoming shows. Rounding out their 2018-19 season they have chosen the teen, angst-ridden musical, Spring Awakening.
This will be their seventh large scale musical, including The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas, Guys and Dolls and Avenue Q, which is quite an achievement these days. Spring Awakening is a rock musical written by pop star Duncan Sheik (music) and Steven Sater (books and lyrics), based on the 1891 German play of the same name by Frank Wedekind.
The play opened on Broadway at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre in December 2006, closing January 2009. It takes place in late 19th-century Germany, telling the story of teenagers discovering their sexuality and the effect it has on their lives.
Directed by a familiar face to Palm Canyon Theatre patrons, Luke Rainey, who recently did the musicals Blithe Spirit and Avenue Q, and has been seen on Palm Canyon’s stage as well.
Like most Broadway productions, the show went through a series of workshops (around seven years) before it became the mega-hit that took Broadway by storm in 2006. It even had a pit stop in San Diego at the La Jolla Playhouse. It then landed Off-Broadway for about a year before it moved to the Eugene O’Neill Theatre. The original Broadway production won eight Tony Awards including Best Musical, Direction, Book, Score and Featured Actor.
Revived in 2015 by Deaf West Theatre, in many ways Spring Awakening lead the way for many other rock musicals about teenage angst, shows like American Idiot, Say Anything and Next To Normal. But, there’s something about its story and Sheik’s music that makes this show stand out.
Two male characters in the show, Moritz and Ernst, deal with sexual discovery but also bullying and abuse. These are two things that have sadly stood the test of time and is something that still rings true today. Removed for the musical version, the original story dealt also with rape. But many things in the original text are still in place and quite relevant in today’s world.
Moritz struggles with keeping his grades up in school for fear of being expelled, but even worse, he worries how this will affect his relationship with his father. Already strained to say the least, his father takes his frustrations out on Moritz thinking he isn’t applying himself. And, in the end, his father’s actions could wind up being catastrophic.
Director Luke Rainey says that there’s a lot more going on with Moritz than meets the eye. “The Moritz character illustrates a common scenario,” he shared. “When an individual does not fit the ideals of a culture, society, or religion, group dynamics tend to blame a misfit individual rather than question whether or not those ideals are logical, truthful, or reasonable. Parents and people in youth leadership positions need to consider at what point pushing an individual to their definition of success becomes unhelpful and even abusive.”
Rainey’s take on the role and how the struggles Moritz faces will be highlighted by “following the author’s text and intent,” which will present the challenges for Moritz, as well as struggles several other characters face in the show. “He is struggling with his sexuality and is not really sure if he prefers men or women. He is taken under the wing of fellow student, Melchior, who helps him with his studies so he can remain at the school.” This kind of behavior from a strong male presence is something that Moritz just isn’t used to. “I see most of the characters struggling with sexuality,” Rainey said. “I think Moritz looks to Melchior for support because they are friends who both suffer in similar circumstances.”
Casting can be a daunting task, in particular for Spring Awakening as it deals with a lot of raw emotion. The score is also demanding vocally, especially for younger actors who may or may not have had the experience or the necessary training for such a demanding show. Something that Rainey has under control as he goes through the process of finding talent. “[I’m looking for] strong actors who can sing in the required vocal range of the material,” he stated.
“Also, many of the group vocal numbers need singers who are skilled to hold vocal lines within indistinct harmonies. Palm Canyon Theatre utilizes qualified actors, even in the younger age ranges, who have training and successful experience in navigating production regimens.”
One of the things that not only affects Moritz, but also affects Melchior and Wendla, who are the shows main characters, is how to deal with the loss of hope, depression, or feeling ostracized or left out. Rainey feels that “many of the characters could have found that hope if they had gotten support and understanding from friends, family, and others.”
“The script lends itself to many humorous moments, which helps provide commentary on the struggles of the time while also illustrating the challenges that many LGBTQ’s still find common in 2019.”
While Moritz was struggling with his sexuality, a few of the other characters in the show, Ernst and Hanschen, are much more comfortable in their skins regarding sexuality. But many people felt this behavior was not an acceptable thing during the time frame of this show.
“Ernst and Hanschen are both male characters with same-sex attraction, yet each deals with it in their own unique way.” Rainey admitted, “The script lends itself to many humorous moments, which helps provide commentary on the struggles of the time while also illustrating the challenges that many LGBTQ’s still find common in 2019.”
The text of Spring Awakening does deal with sex quite openly, and the Broadway show followed in line with some nudity, masturbating and same sex kissing. Rainey’s approach may or may not include that. “My inclination is to not shy away from themes the author includes in the script,” Rainey discussed. “However, we will work throughout the rehearsal process to balance what the actors and producers feel most comfortable with presenting.”
The show has many one-on-one scenes and moments, but for Rainey it’s the larger numbers that make the show for him. “I like the group numbers; younger characters break out of their confined community culture and express themselves with intent and honesty.” It’s that intent and honesty that usually rings true for many theatre patrons and is something that Rainey hopes will resonate and create discussions with theatregoers as they leave the show. “I hope they take home a lot of thoughts and questions,” Rainey admitted. “Both about how issues were handled in 1890s Germany and how they see these same issues are being handled in 2019.”
Spring Awakening runs at the Palm Canyon Theatre, 38 North Palm Canyon Drive in Palm Springs from Friday, July 5 through Sunday, July 14. For tickets and more information, call 760.323.5123 or go to palmcanyontheatre.org.