Keegan Theatre…presents a production which renders every ounce of Spring Awakening’s fabulous intention with truth and pizzazz, and, in the best sense of the word, does justice to the show.
[Paul] Scanlan and [Ali] Hoxie have wonderful voices. [Vincent] Kempski’s voice is powerful and sufficient, though not quite of their caliber. He does, however, deliver a rich and satisfying performance as Melchior, a smart and generous man-child – an old soul in a young body – who is resolved to lead his generation, and his society, out of the prison in which it has placed itself.
Hoxie deserves our respect for making Wendla’s extraordinary progression plausible, and co-directors Mark and Susan Rhea deserve it for making the hard choices which deliver this great musical’s message.”
This is a music-heavy piece (Sater has adapted, and considerably slenderized, Wedekind’s play as the book) and its success is in large part due to an excellent 10-piece orchestra (Alex Aucoin, Jason Wilson, Rob Weaver, Nicholas Perry, Jaime Ibacache, Ben Young, Mike Kozemchak, Seth Buchsbaum, Johnny Wash and conductor Jake Null). Nothing better encapsulates the story than the eleven o’clock song, “Totally Fucked.” Kurt Boehm’s choreography – excellent throughout – reaches its apotheosis here; the cast dissolving into an ecstasy of head-banging and somersaults, as if the young men and women have given up any hope of sense, order or understanding in their world.
