The contemporary rock musical Spring Awakening is one of the most aggressively intense theatrical presentations to be brought to the stage in a long time. It was conceived in the last decade of the last century. After various workshops, concerts and re-writes, it debuted on Broadway in December 0f 2006. Based on the lat 19th century German drama of the same name, it focusses on teenagers discovering their sexuality. The rock musical has some amazing pieces of music that wouldn’t sound out of place on a traditional rock concert. That can’t exactly be said of all rock musicals. The music stands well on its own. In the context of the play it becomes all the more powerful.
Locally-seen productions in recent memory have all been staged in relatively large spaces. This summer, the rock musical makes its way to a stage much smaller than most local bands get in the backrooms of bars all over the city. Off the Wall Theatre is one of the smallest stages of any kind in Milwaukee. The intensity of this show has the potential to be completely overwhelming. With air conditioning being as dodgy as it can be in that space, the production could have the feel of a sweaty punk concert, which might not actually be all that bad considering the aesthetics of the show.
The cast includes Jocelyn Ridgely. Alexandra Bonesho, Claudio Parrone Jr., Patrick McCann, Brittni Hesse and more. For more information, visit the Off the Wall website.
