Preview: Spring Awakening

It has arrived Toronto! For tickets to see one of our favourite musicals of the past decade please click the header!!!

Show Description:

Winner of 8 Tony Awards including Best Musical, SPRING AWAKENING’s alternative rock score by Duncan Sheik is "the most gorgeous Broadway score this decade" (Entertainment Weekly). Based on Frank Wedekind’s controversial play of the same name – effectively banned from performance for nearly 100 years – the musical follows a group of teenagers as they come of age in late-19th century Germany. Stephen Sater’s book and lyrics for SPRING AWAKENING grapple with the difficult issues of sex, gender, and identity with refreshing energy and honesty.

Directed by Michael Rubinstein (Theatre 20, The Wylde Project, BirdLand Theatre), LOT’s production features a talented cast of emerging artists whose ages mirror those of the characters they play, artfully blurring the lines between fiction and reality. The musical employs the unconventional staging used to such great effect in the Broadway run – integrating the audience along the wings for a close-up view of the on-stage action. Join this group of talented young performers as they navigate teenage self-discovery and coming-of-age anxiety in a powerful celebration of youth and rebellion – the daring, remarkable SPRING AWAKENING.

The Lower Ossington Theatre
100A Ossington Ave, Toronto, ON (Ossington just below Argyle)
September 21 to October 8, 2011
Wed-Sat at 8pm & Sun at 4pm
Tickets: $45 (Regular Seating) / $65 (Premium Seating)

Spring Awakening closes this evening

Seeing Broadway's Spring Awakening was an overwhelming emotional experience. It was affecting and captivating. It is a jolting and exhilarating piece of contemporary theatre that explored new revolutionary theatre techniques and succeeded in doing so. Spring Awakening's rock score is strong and the staging is fast paced and wickedly engrossing. 

It is coming to Toronto in a few months and I encourage every single person to fight, beg, buy, or steal a ticket for this shows short run at the Canon Theatre. It is incredible and a must see. 

It concludes its Broadway run tonight at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre and I am in mourning. 

"Following a critically acclaimed premiere Off-Broadway at the Atlantic Theater Company in 2006, Spring Awakening arrived on Broadway Nov. 16, 2006, and officially opened Dec. 10. As of its final performance, the new musical will have played 859 performances and 29 previews on Broadway"(playbill.com). 

For info on the Toronto production go to www.mirvish.com 

Theatre News: Spring Awakening National Tour

The North American tour of the Tony Award-winning musical Spring Awakening begins a pre-tour engagement at San Diego's Balboa Theatre Aug. 15. Performances will continue through Aug. 31 at the California venue. The national tour will then officially kick off Sept. 4 at San Francisco's Curran Theatre (playing through Oct. 12).

Following their Broadway debuts in the Duncan Sheik-Steven Sater musical, Canadian Kyle Riabko and Blake Bashoff head the cast of the Spring Awakening North American Tour. Kyle will play the role of Melchior, while Bashoff will perform the role of Moritz. The duo is joined onstage by Christy Altomare as Wendla and Steffi D as Ilse.

In a recent statement, the musical's producers said, "As we embark on our first tour across the United States and Canada, we are thrilled to announce a cast of exceptionally gifted young actors. We are continually amazed and delighted at the breadth of their talent and are excited for audiences coast to coast to have the opportunity to experience such exhilarating performances."

Based on the 1891 play by Frank Wedekind, Spring Awakening won eight 2007 Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Spring Awakening features direction by Michael Mayer, choreography by Bill T. Jones, book and lyrics by Steven Sater and a score by Duncan Sheik.

The tour will hit Toronto March 18-April 19, 2009, at the Canon Theatre.