TEEN ANGST HAS NEVER LOOKED SO GOOD
The first time I saw Spring Awakening was at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre and I hated it. This chamber musical–so dependent on facial expressions–was awful in that 2,700-seat venue (though I love it for big musicals). The intimate production which opened last night at Palm Springs’ Revolution Stage Company has all that I could ask for, and a whole lot more.
Set in the late 19th century, Spring Awakening is based on the eponymous 1891 German play by Frank Wedekind. With music by Duncan Sheik and book and lyrics by Steven Sater, the coming-of-age rock musical follows 11 students, six boys and five girls, as they explore their way through their newly-gained independence and sexual urges. Due to the restrictions of the period, they have almost no understanding of those urges and nowhere to turn for further information.
The music varies between beautiful folk ballads and heavy metal, and that schism perfectly nails what I recall of teenage minds. The three superlative leads (all Revolution regulars) have terrific voices, with Joseph Portoles as Melchior and Candace Coe as Wendla delivering the most poignant ballads and Carlos Garcia as Moritz dishing out the rock. Melchior is the pivotal character in the show, arguing with teachers, befriending the guys and beloved by all the girls. He has a romantic experience with Wendla, the results of which form the second act. Moritz is a loveable loser who never knows his lessons and is overwhelmed by the amount of school work he must deliver, which has repercussions later in the story. Even if Garcia didn’t speak, his flexible face would communicate everything he was thinking, and he knows how to play his face full front.
Christine Michele and Nathan Wilson do a dexterous job playing all the adults (teachers, parents, preacher, etc.). Onstage throughout the first act and much of the second, the rest of the terrific cast–each with a distinct character and at least a few solo lines–are Leilani Baldwin, Arthur Buenaventura, Imani De Leon, Megan Lawson, Steffon Martindale, Samuel Moffatt, Kobe Queenen, and Joyanne Tracy.
Director Trevor Biship-Gillespie and dancemaker Nathan Wilson have virtually choreographed the entire show. It is impossible (and unnecessary) to determine where direction ends and choreography beings. The carefully staged and well-executed group movement makes the production electrifying. The arm and body movements are not difficult, but with the full company writhing in sync, the result is incredibly strong. The company frequently moves 10 wooden chairs around, sometimes carrying one or two downstage for conversational scenes, sometimes moving all the chairs around the stage during musical numbers, sometimes standing or leaning on them, sometimes using them to suggest a location.
Many of the vocal solos have group participation in the background, and there are numerous full ensemble pieces. Musical Director Stephen Hulsey has his uniformly talented cast in great form. And they’re not just delivering pretty songs–they all excel at conveying anger, confusion, lust and joy.
The technical aspects are integral to the production and handled almost seamlessly, something which is most often not the case on opening nights. Mariah Pryor’s lighting design included almost 200 lighting cues. If four people were presenting a song with intertwining solos, she managed to highlight each of the soloists at the beginning of their line. When one student got spanked, another student stood nearby with hands ready to clap; when the spank happened, we hear the clap as Pryor offers a very effective lightning flash in red.
Revolution Stage is the only theatre in The Valley with a video wall. Nathan Cox’s incredible projection design is a lively character unto itself. He fully understands and enhances each scene, bringing focus to the characters’ blocking, which must have required many rehearsals.
Sound designer Kelly McGuire also hit a professional level, something which is not only rare on an opening night, it sometimes never happens at all during the run. The folksy guitar tracks which accompany the show’s ballads are rich and very present, with the voices in most instances a few decibels louder than the accompaniment.
Kelly Newhouse’s costumes had the boys in grey knee-length pants and white shirts, but each boy had a different tie or vest or suspenders. Similarly, the girls each had a dress appropriate for the period, but totally different from each other. I’m not sure why Newhouse didn’t go with school uniforms as most productions do, but her choices gave us hints as to the character of each student and made them easy to distinguish.
Towards the end of Act I when Melchior and Wendla battle between their imbued morality and the teenage libido which has taken over their minds and bodies, Intimacy Coordinator Emily Rogge Tzucker ensured it was beautiful and very erotically staged. Christopher Scott Murillo‘s sets were built by Joyanne Tracy and Miguel Lauro. Along with lights, Pryor also stage managed, with Corin Frost assisting.
Today’s standing ovations don’t have the impact they once had. They used to be a rarity saved for only the most special shows. Now Little Susie’s family stands in the front row and half the house eventually joins them, not wanting to hurt feelings. Not so with the opening night crowd at Spring Awakening. As soon as the cast assembled for bows downstage in a line, virtually the entire audience leapt to their feet, enthusiastically applauding.
Like most of Revolution’s season productions, Spring Awakening has a limited run with alternating show dates. Because the theatre is so heavily booked year round, the season’s musicals don’t play the traditional Thursday through Sunday. However, that’s a bonus for folks who attend a lot of theatre, and it gives people who are involved with other theatres a chance to enjoy Revolution’s high-quality productions on non-traditional nights.
photos by Janet Potenza, Saucebox Photography
Spring Awakening
Revolution Stage Company
611 S. Palm Canyon Drive in Downtown Palm Springs, near Revivals
2 hours, 30 minutes, one 15 minute intermission
Wed & Thurs at 7; Sat at 8; Sun at 2; Tues at 7 (Jan 28)
ends on January 30, 2024
for tickets ($28-$53), visit Revolution
