17th
Maybe I'm an Ageist
I’m still trying to assess how I felt about Spring Awakening. I suspect I would have really liked it when I was in High School. Overall, it was okay but didn’t really appeal to me. Although it was kind of different, I also felt it was a rehash of alot of themes we’ve seen before.
Pros:
1) Gerard Cononico - he was really good. Lots of energy and he created a moving character.
2) Choreography - Bill T. Jones made the most of the rather small stage.
3) There was a diversity of body types amongst the actors. Not all the girls were waiflike.
4) Emma Hunton sang very well and her duet with Cononico was a highlight.
5) It’s not a bad thing to have a Broadway show that details the negative consequences of repression and lack of education. Particularly in this political environment.
Cons:
1) Hunter Parrish acted well but I didn’t think his singing was good enough for the lead in a major broadway show. Having said that, I was excited to see “the cute son from Weeds” so I understand that they need to fill the seats.
2) Here’s the ageist part: I was creeped out that a number of the performers seemed ridiculously young. I didn’t need that much realism.
3) Some parts had an obvious appeal to the teen crowd but for me, not so much. For example, there’s a song called “Totally F**ked” and all it did for me was remind me of a great moment in “Weeds”. Mary Louise Parker’s character has just discovered that the entire batch of stolen pot that she had to return to a violent drug lord has been dumped into a swimming pool by her neighbor. As she stares at the floating stash and realizes the full horror of this development, the soundtrack loudly blasts the Ween song “You F**ked Up” - and it’s the perfect sentiment. That’s all I could think of during the Spring Awakening song.
So all in all, I don’t think it’s a bad show. I’m glad I saw it even though it didn’t really speak to me the way it seemed to affect others.
