Book & Lyrics by Steven Sater
Music by Duncan Sheik
Based on the play by Frank Wedekind
IT’S THE BITCH OF LIVING.
Growing up is a BITCH. For teenage students in 19th century Germany, it’s a fight just to be heard, let alone get any answers! Parents and teachers alike dismiss their questions, fears and anxieties. With only the guidance of their peers, teens Moritz, Wendla, Melchior and Ilsa struggle to navigate religion, morality, sexuality, and coming-of-age angst with heart wrenching – and sometimes deadly – results.
Over 100 years later, young people still fight for reliable mentors to hear and support them, and without that guidance, teens, young adults, and even children can enter dark worlds of depression, sexual recklessness, and suicide. Spring Awakening highlights the agelessness of this experience and demands REAL ANSWERS and REAL ACTION.
This is head banging, book slamming, body stopping theatre... shockingly honest and alarmingly fresh. Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik’s brilliant rock score and searingly emotional book bring this story to vibrant life with illuminating poignancy and passion. Based on Frank Wedekind’s groundbreaking and controversial 1890’s play (once banned in Germany), the evocative Spring Awakening boasts eight Tony Awards including Best Musical.