View From the Stage

I FINALLY Met Blake B!! You rock Blake!

So this past Friday I saw Spring Awakening from the stage seats. It was good, but it was flat. My apologies for having to say this, cast if you are reading this sorry, but it was really flat but it could have been the fact that I was on stage. Even though I enjoyed the unique view and interaction of the cast with the members of the stage audience, I got more from the show in my third tear Balcony seats on Wednesday then I did when I saw it on stage. I was really excited because I thought some of the high energy numbers would totally rock from the on stage but it just didn't feel that way.

ENOUGH! With the negatives. Onto the unique perspective. The cast did an amazing job watching each other for cues as well as making eye contact with the stage audience. It was allllll personal now. Our seats just happened to be the ones against the wall the scale a few times in the show. That made for an interesting few scenes. Hanschen scaled it and so did Melchior. It was fun though. I think the thing that I am most appreciative of with my stage seats was the music and the voices. The strings in this show are so beautiful and often used as undertones while the heavier guitars and drums are played over. However, we were sitting right in front of the strings and it was the most beautiful sound I have heard in a long time. The haunting sounds of the boys singing background in 'Touch Me' was beautiful and sent chills down my spine as they were singing in my ear. And the story, while many dispute that it is old and everyone goes through these things this is not different, it is amazingly beautiful and awakening. I think it's a timeless tale that needs to be told and needs to be seen by adults today. *I wrote all of this in my 15 page research paper for my final theatre credits for my minor.*

So there are my thoughts. Send your questions and I'll answer them. I will leave you with some pics from the cast that were so kind to sign our playbills, answer our questions, and take pictures with us post show. BTW Spring Awakening Tour cast you win for the most cast members coming out after a show. I don't think in all the Broadway Stage Doors I have stood at, there has been a turn out like yours. You guys rock and were fantastic! I appreciate all the hard work you all have done and great job to Jake as Melchior, I know you have been going through tons of rehearsals but you were great.
Thanks all!

Steffi D was an amazing Ilse!

Jake Epstine was awesome as Melchior!

"And all shall know the wonder..of purple summer."

Upon a recent and amazing trip into Philly to see Spring Awakening the Musical with two fabulous ladies the question arose: Why end the show with Song of Purple Summer?" Now We are talking to people who have seen the show 3-4 times. This was my second time and tonight on stage will be my third. However, I think Wednesday night was the first time I actually understood why Sater and Shiek end the show with Song of Purple Summer. Part of it has to do with Ilse's monologue before the song and part of it has to do with the quote that follows by Steven Sater.

"Then, perhaps there is something in the nature of song itself that opens the door to story—that admits us to the heart of the singer—as if every song tells of a sort of unacknowledged "I want." For what we sing is what is unspoken, what is hidden. The "real story."" ~Steven Sater TCG article found here http://www.tcg.org/publications/at/julyaugust07/spring.cfm

Ilse's Monologue: Listen to what's in the heart of a child. A song so big in one so small. Soon You will hear where beauty lies. You'll hear and you'll recall. The sadness and doubt of the loss, the grief will belong to some play from the past. As the child leads the way to a dream of belief. A time will hope through the land. (not sure on the last line)
You can hear it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyLCfHqWGOY

A summer's day a mother sings
a song of purple summer
through the heart of everything
and heaven waits
so close it seams
to show her child the wonders
of a world beyond her dreams
The earth will wave with corn
the days so white so warm
and mares will neigh
with stallions that they mate
foals they've born
And all shall know the wonder
of purple summer

Why end with this song?
I think this song has the hint of what the Lion King was going for with Circle of Life. Song of Purple Summer is a song about the course of life and hope for a better future. We are always told that children see things very differently than adults. That having a Child's heart and seeing with a Child's eyes is the only way to view the world for what it really is. It is beautiful and mystifying. We have just witness a lot happen to characters that are still considered children in their world. They are barely 14 years old. We have just watched they be engulfed by the world around them and defy the world around them.

This song speaks about how things change and the hope they things will change for the good or for the better. It is the pefect song to give us closure after we hear the haunting song of Melchior, Wendla, and Moritz telling us that remembering those we have lost will help up to go on.

That's all I got for now. I'll post more when I decide to get more philosophical about it!
Until Thoughtful Days,
Me

I do do sadness

I know this happened a week ago....but I am still getting over it and I can't believe I didn't get to see them again before they headed off stage.

Jon Groff and Lea Michele exited Spring Awakening May 18th 2008. I just watched a You Tube video of their final curtain call and the speeches they gave. Lea Michele could barely speak she was bawling. Jon was trying to comfort her and silently wave until she was ready to talk. They walked out in true style holding hands and of course Jon kissed her hand as they made their final exit. I hope at some point in the future they come back to reprise their roles. I have a feeling Spring Awakening may have a long following like RENT. Personally, I would have slept in a tent for three days outside of the Eugene O'Neill theatre to get tickets to their final performance. I love those guys and I've only seen them perform once. They are truly amazing in their roles. The way they created them and fulfilled them was out of pure love for what they are doing.

To think that they are going to be replaced is hard. I guess when John Gallagher Jr. left it wasn't too big a deal since it was pretty early on in the show still. But these two...such crucial parts of the show itself and how it came to life. I also didn't get to see JGJ perform so I might have a small bias towards the other two and Mr. Banshoff who was wonderful as MOritz.

I don't think their replacement is a big deal but who they are being replaced with is. I mean the new Melchior is some Canadian rock singer or something like that. I mean seriously? The new Wendla should be good because well, she's been studying Wendla for a long time.

Ugh. To Lea and Jon, I've only seen you perform once, but your heart and soul convinced me well enough that choosing to be a Spring Awakening fan before seeing the show was the right move. To be in love with the script, music, and talent that was chosen to create and form Spring Awakening as we know it is an honor. I personally love you guys and wish that you didn't have to go. I want you to come back so I can see you do it again. I promise to give the new kids a chance, but seriously....please come back. You guys are amazing.

A Fan
~Me

"Spring Awakening: Causing Sexual Tension In Audiences Everywhere"

I am just going to fawn over Spring Awakening a little more. I have had some thoughts on it these past couple days....things I didn't mention perviously I guess.

I think my title should be a headline for the show. I mean seriously though, and maybe this only happened to me, but it makes you want to go out, find a sweet, good looking guy and just kiss him. Besides making you feel awkward and somehow, free at the same time, this show has a lot to offer.

I was thinking about certain characters:

Wendla: In the original play, it opens with Wendla's 14th birthday. The musical doesn't yet this play is focused on how the kids are too young to know what is going on with them. I think it is an important thing to leave out. There is no mention of age at all in the musical....we know they are in school, that's it. Strangely enough, when Lea Michele was cast as Wendla, she was 14 years old. She was cast when it was in workshop. Woah. She does a great job at playing Wendla, she has a soft, childish, almost innocent voice. In the play we get a sense the Wendla is a female version of Melchior, but not so education driven. She is curious and wanting. She needs to learn, she wants to understand. In the musical....we get that, but to a much lesser degree. However, we do see that she is a lot like Melchior in wanting to learn things and this is something that might attract Melchior to her.

Moritz: Probably one of the best characters in the show. I really felt like Blake knew what he was getting into. Maybe he really was that kid who wasn't the brightest in the class, who tried but just couldn't focus, who got picked on, or maybe he wasn't. I don't know how John Gallagher Jr. played Moritz, but I know Blake did a great job. To put that much into a character and to really know or at least make the audience really feel what is happening. It was great. Mad props Blake!!

Melchior: I loved how we saw this character develop. In the play it's laid out for us. We understand that he understands but at the same time he is so confused. We know his parent's stance on things is more relaxed then the others. We know he is smart, charming, and the girls love him. The musical helps us see this even more. The songs Melchior sings, are ones that show struggle and angst and even though he is not like Moritz in wanting to die for it, he wants it to change. He doesn't know how, but he wants it to change. His journal, the prop (there are no props in the play written at least), adds so much to that character. Wendla getting a hold of it and having a purpose to find him in the barn and give it to him, makes the audience go...what is going to happen? We see Melchior throw two fits of rage and we understand why. In terms of the character of Melchior, the musical and the play are very similar...except at the end. I will not ruin the end for anyone so I won't make mention of it here. John Groff....I give you props. A character like this requires a lot and you were extremely believable.

Those being the three main characters that I wish to explore, I have nothing else really to say. Perhaps I will see it again before Michele and Groff leave and have more to comment. Perhaps I will see it again after the leave and have even more to say. I laughed and I cried. I was touched to the core. It was amazingly beautiful. This is a broadway show that screams to the world. I want to scream to the world to see it. We need to understand, we need to know, we need to learn, and most importantly the world needs to let us grow.

My thoughts.

My name is Kiiira.... Oh I believe

So yesterday my stress and hard work paid off. Well sort of. People still managed to piss me off over this New York trip by not telling me they weren't going and then when I called to ask if they were so I could have a final head count they said no...so now the club has to pay more money that we don't have. But oh well.

I was able to see two shows and eat at the Jekyll and Hyde Club...after eating there for the third time, I realize it's time to find some place new...so that's my next trip's quest, find a new place to eat.

I was able to see two shows: Xanadu and Spring Awakening

Xanadu

WOW. Ok so when I first heard about this show I was think, "What stupid idiot would write something like that and put it on broadway?" Then I saw it....first of all Kerry Butler was perfect for the role and so was Chyenne Jackson. No only was the show funny, but the music was great. Two of us saw the show in the afternoon and then a group of people saw it at night. Alex and I understood the story quite well...the people who saw it at night were like, "I don't know what the story was about but there were 40 disco balls at the end." A lot goes on during the show and I think you have to pay very close attention to understand it all. However, I thought it was a really good show and I'm not saying that because I like ELO.

Spring Awakening

I understand that hype. It's a GREAT show. Lea Michelle and John Groff did a great job and props to Blake who filled his role to wonderful expectations, having to follow Johnny Gallagher Jr was a tough gig. I had read the play by Wedkin this past semester and had to do an analysis on it for class. I know the story pretty well and therefore I had some what higher expectations. While the musical is very different from the play, I think they did a good job at following the story and pulling the key points. I just wished they developed it a little more. Especially Moritz. I mean we get a good picture of why Moritz does what he does and it helps, but I think that there is more we need to understand. The relationship between Wendla and Melchior was well played. Very well played. I think those who have seen the musical without reading the play were impacted. I mean I was impacted but because i knew the story i was hit really hard. I cried, I didn't find things very funny (they tried to make it a bit funny).

Set and Lighting and Staging. WELL DONE! The set was simple and there were barely any props. I believe this relates back to Wedkin's lack of stage direction in his original work. What is the purpose of this? Why no stage direction or props? Well I'm not sure if this is what Wedkin was going for but this is a show that you need to rely on the actor's to provide the message, it requires them to put more thought and emotion into what they are doing. They need to make us feel. The message of the actor has the potential to be really strong. The lighting was amazing. Great job. There were times I felt like I was at concert, but that's ok. The lighting seemed to say, here are the actors singing, listen to them, they have a story to tell that may affect your life, LISTEN TO THEM. The backdrop that "disappeared" to look like bricks were removed like a world was falling apart. Great effect. The staging was EXTREMELY well done. To have everyone on stage, to use the apron of the stage, to have audience members sitting on stage, and more. It was all great! I think one thing that grabbed my attention is the "audience members who sang" . *Edit thanks to Erica..see comments* Cast members are seemingly modern kids, not dressed like the others, with mics who sing in all ensemble numbers. I saw this as an attempt to say...This is their story, but look...It is still happening today. It could happen to you, look at the world around you, question it.

All in all I really enjoyed Spring Awakening. I have had the Cd since the summer and the musical is fantastic....but the show is eye opening. I hope others were able to get out of it all that I did.

Other than that, I had a few drinks, hopped on the bus, and slept most of the way home. I had a great time with friends. I didn't get to stage door but that's ok because they were doing Broadway Cares stuff and that's why I didn't stage door, I'm really glad they do Broadway Cares, because it is so important.

The day was great, warm with no rain. Simply fantastic and I was able to enjoy myself....even if i was stressed out about it.

Until beautiful spring days
~Me