Singapore, get ready to be awakened by another Tony Award-winning musical! After “Wicked” graced the audiences over at Marina Bay Sands, this time it is the local rendition of “Spring Awakening” (SA). Debuting as an off-Broadway production in 2006, it won eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, while receiving three other nominations in 2007.
We got the chance to catch this play, a rock musical adaptation of the controversial 1892 German play by Frank Wedekind, a play so controversial that it was banned from the stage for over 100 years. It tells the story of adolescents in 19th century Germany, who are struggling with puberty in a socially and sexually repressive society. While some musicals, such as “Wicked”, pride themselves as musicals that transcend age, SA is definitely not a musical you would want to take your kids/cousins/nephews/nieces to. Unless you are cool hippies. Among the themes featured in it are homosexuality, incest, suicide, abortion, and child abuse; not really something you’d find in Nickelodeon.
*WARNING: Article contains some strong language and sexual themes.
THE BORDERING-ON-MANIA BROADWAY ENTHUSIAST – By Siti Fatimah Ayuningdyah
The show opens with two young children, Melchior and Moritz, bragging to a young girl, Wendla, about a “deep” song about “stuff” they wrote over the summer holiday. This scene depicts a portrayal of how young boys and girls used to play together until one day their innocent games and silliness are no longer so innocent, thanks to puberty. Yet, it is also clear in the subtle ways that the boys tried to keep secrets from Wendla, that even at such a young age, there was already an unspoken understanding that boys and girls are different. I was surprised to learn that the child actors who play Melchior and Moritz, Zack and Xander Pang, are the sons of the show’s creators, the husband-and-wife playwrights Adrian and Tracie Pang. The boys were delightful with spot on comedic timing and unmistakable camaraderie only siblings share.
The next scene opened with the talented Julia Abueva – whom I am shocked to learn is only 16 – as teenaged Wendla, wowing with a flawless rendition of “Mama Who Bore Me”. Props to the casting team: Abueva and the young actress playing young Wendla (Rebecca Ashley Dass) look so similar, that it is very easy to think that they are portraying the same character. In my opinion, of the younger cast, Abueva is probably the technically strongest vocalist; her vocals were perfect throughout the show.
Next, we were introduced to the boys: Ernst, Hanschen, Georg, Otto, and of course, the now teenaged Melchior and Moritz. Moritz (Eden Ang) confessed to Melchior (Nathan Hartono – read our interview with him here) about the dream he had been having at night. He was bewildered by the fact that a lot of his dreams involved a woman’s legs and other body parts; he thought it might be a sign of insanity. This scene gave a peek for the audience about just how utterly clueless they are about sex and puberty. The boys as a group were fantastic, their energy when performing were sensational, and while some of them look too old to play teenagers (how Hollywood of them), they manage to capture the youthful exuberance of teenage boys very well.
Listening to the songs performed by the boys reminds me of the interview Nathan Hartono had with our correspondent saying how he would like to play Moritz because the character gets better songs. I totally understand where he came from now. Moritz-led songs are not necessarily better, but they are much more upbeat and rock-oriented. They’re fun, they’re youthful, and they’re a feast for the audience, while Melchior is often given softer, ballad tunes, which are what Nathan is best at. I did find that sometimes Ang had to stretch his vocals; the music sometimes got a little too loud and almost drowned his voice.
What I love about SA is that the show knows when to be bold and when to be subtle. One of the boldest moves was to have Hanschen (Rayve Tay) happily masturbating during a song (“My Junk”) and later unintentionally showing his, ahem, ‘juice’ to his father – all out of cluelessness about sex. The other bold moment was when Wendla and Melchior consummated their love for the first time, with no clue of the consequences. The enactment on stage was very raw and explicit, although frankly I expected more: in the original production of SA, Lea Michele famously exposed her breasts during this scene, while Abueva did not. I would reckon this is due to the fact that Abueva is 16 and not legal, while Michele was 19 at the time. (Or maybe it’s because this is Singapore.)
Now, when it is being subtle, it is very subtle. On the show, all the teenage girls always wore black, knee-length socks under their frocks – except for Ilse, the girl who rebelled against the repression and eventually became, yes, a hippie. It seemed that the socks represented more than just an article of clothing; it represented conformity, obedience, and to an extent, imprisonment.
Speaking of Ilse, I was quite impressed by the actress who plays her (Rebecca Spykerman) and her stage command. It is not easy to command attention with your voice when you are a beautiful young woman standing pantless on a stage, but she did. Respect.
Two of my favorite bits from the show were the Hanschen-Ernst wooing scene and the “Totally Fucked” number. The part with Hanschen and Ernst was unexpected, but delightful! I love Rayve Tay’s portrayal of the smug and confident Hanschen. The entire scene was very fresh and well played. The other one was awesome because that was a song that featured the entire cast, including the child actors. It was really amusing to watch young kids singing the word “fucked” loudly and proudly; much props for the parents. It definitely requires a heavy dose of open-mindedness.
As for the MVP(s), the award definitely goes to Candice De Rozario and Adrian Pang, who play all the adult characters on the show so seamlessly and flawlessly.
SA is definitely a show not to be missed. It has also earned Diaspora’s stamp of approval! So go and get your tickets now while you still can!
A fun fact: the lead roles of Wendla and Melchior were originated by actors who, years later, would be reunited on the TV show “Glee” – Lea Michele and Jonathan Groff – as Rachel Berry and Jesse St. James.
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THE BUDDING PLAYWRIGHT/IAF IV PRODUCER – Agnes Christina
What strikes your mind the moment you hear “Spring Awakening”? Yes, of course: Lea Michele. Not knowing about the synopsis at all, and with zero expectations as well, I went to watch “Spring Awakening” by PANGDEMONIUM! (No, I won’t write a synopsis of the musical here, because this thing called Wikipedia exists, and frankly it’s much better for you to watch it yourself!)
The moment I entered the theatre, the set caught my eye. My eyes turned green and all I smelled was money, money, money. (I’m a producer, remember?) The sets must have cost quite a bit of money. But what was interesting is that it was quite efficient: it can serve as a church with Roman glass windows, or a house, or a classroom, or a treehouse. And a bit of magic did happen to the set as the musical went on. I must say that the set of “Spring Awakening” is, indeed, beautiful. Oh, and don’t forget the lighting design; it complements the musical so well. Overall, “Spring Awakening” is visually neat and beautiful, except that one scene where an actor walked across the stage to give out microphones to the female actors before they started belting out their tunes. Only that one bit disturbed me.
Plot-wise, I think the story is okay. It isn’t something that would shake the whole world, but many teenagers and young adults could easily relate to the issues addressed in the musical. And I think it is a good choice to stage this as a musical with rock music; it makes it even more relatable to the teenagers.
Watching the actors on stage, I really envy them, because they really had fun on stage! Singing, being crazy, jumping around… They’re all total rockstars! Their energy was good as an ensemble. I was actually quite surprised to hear their voices. I have to admit that I had a bit of doubt in terms of their singing voice in the beginning. Of course we all know that Nathan Hartono can sing, but how about the rest? I’ve never heard them sing before. But once I heard their voices, I was pleasantly surprised, and also relieved. Too bad the songs were not as catchy.
Would I recommend this musical to my friends? Why not? It was a fun experience watching the ensemble with such contagious energy jumping around on stage, presenting a simple story about an issue that is relatable to teenagers. But be careful, you might leave the theatre wanting to be the next musical star in Singapore. (Or at least, the next JJ Lin?)
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PANGDEMONIUM!’s SPRING AWAKENING stars Nathan Hartono & Julia Abueva, with Adrian Pang and Candice de Rozario as the adults, in an explosive, electrifying and exhilarating musical that breaks all the rules of musical theatre. Full of heart, humanity and humour, it tells the tale of a group of teenagers embarking on a turbulent journey of self-discovery, each one experiencing a dramatic psychological/emotional/spiritual/sexual awakening: Meet The Misfit, The Idealist, The Innocent, The Rebel, The Mama’s Boy, The Runaway, The Abused…and for these youths growing up in 1892, the only means of expressing their emotions is music…ROCK MUSIC.
SPRING AWAKENING
3-26 February 2012 at Drama Centre Theatre.
Tickets start at $50, buy them here.
