#they change melchior wendla and moritz to

[weirdness-ensued]

OH AND ALSO the way people start leaving one by one as they’re singing the final chorus and it gets quieter and quieter until it’s just melchior left and he stands facing door to the forest and signs the very last line, no singing, and then leaves too and it’s just all the adults left. it makes me tear up just thinking about it, god.

at the end of the dead west production of spring awakening when the door at the back of the set opens to a vibrant forest and everyone slowly walks out during the song of purple summer is the most visually striking thing i’ve ever seen. and the way the forest itself contrasts with the utilitarian and colorless set design makes it click into place WHY the set looks like that in the first place. it’s truly just profound and amazing.

[arqueete]

Alright! I saw Spring Awakening last night. I love a take that's fresh and interesting and this one was really fantastic. This production is based on the version Deaf West created, where some of the characters are deaf or hard-of-hearing and ASL or captions are incorporated throughout. (I got to see that one at the Wallis and on Broadway, but I never followed the revival to nearly the same degree as the original, so forgive me if I misremember bits of it.)

Skylight is a professional theater in Milwaukee and this show was supposed to be in their very first season with their new artistic director (but got postponed because that season was... 2020-2021) and I should probably write them some actual, formal review somewhere to show my support for doing something this inspired. But this one is for us nerds.

This is just act one because I literally have more thoughts than can fit in a Tumblr post. Some general thoughts to start off:

Have there been any other stagings of the Deaf West version of Spring Awakening since the Broadway revival closed? There need to be more. That's one of my main takeaways of this experience. This is a version of the show that can and should be iterated on.

Wendla, Moritz, and Frau Bergmann/Frau Gabor are portrayed by deaf actors who have a separate "voice of" actor who always speaks and sings on their behalf (they put these performers in period clothes.) The adult men, Martha, and Ernst, are played by actors who are hard of hearing (so say their bios) and did all their own singing, speaking, and signing (though the adult men rarely actually signs.)

I read an article about this production that talked about trying to scale back how often hearing actors are speaking and signing at the same time, and looking carefully at how speaking and signing are used in-universe. I can't speak to whether they succeeded in their goal of improving the experience for deaf and hard-of-hearing audience members, but simply from a storytelling standpoint, I thought this was one of the smartest and most effective changes they made from the original Deaf West version. Characters are shown having different levels of proficiency and comfort with sign language and it adds depth.

Mama Who Bore Me / Wendla's bedroom / reprise

Wendla's mother is also deaf and has her own "Voice of" actress present in these scenes, which removes some of the interesting dynamics that were there when her mother was hearing, but brings in something new in the connection between these generations.

Classroom scene / All That's Known / Bitch of Living

The teacher's back was turned a lot and we get the idea that Melchior is constantly translating what the teacher is saying to the entire class so that they can keep up, not just for Moritz but for everyone. (Update on a second viewing: really, he's translating for Ernst, as Moritz is asleep and the rest of the boys are hearing in this production.)

When Melchior gets hit by the teacher, the blow is represented by all of the characters on stage clapping in unison. This is used throughout the show when people are getting hit, and I felt like it tied these moments together in a meaningful way.

In Bitch of Living, we start to establish that the hearing characters don't necessarily sign their own solos. Among the boys, Melchior (played by a hearing actor who is a professional interpreter) and especially Ernst (played by a hard-of-hearing actor) tend to sign for them. There is so much of this sort of thing (actors interpreting for each other in both directions) throughout the show that it just becomes a thing you accept about the concept. I have no clue if this is confusing for people who don't know the show as well as I do.

After class, I loved this moment where Georg is saying and signing his line about Fraulein Grossenbustenhalter and when he does her sign name (you know, the boobs) he kind of glances at his hands with this look on his face like... FML.

Hanschen is shown trying his best to sign to Ernst. He struggles to spell Achilles and Patroclus, and Ernst demonstrates for him.

When Melchior and Moritz are alone at the end of this scene, they only sign together and the actor who plays Hanschen speaks on Melchior's behalf just as the Voice of Moritz speaks on Moritz's behalf. The show generally does this whenever Melchior is alone with Moritz or Wendla. As in this production many of the hearing characters don't sign very much at all and we see that signing is forbidden in school, I like how this shows Melchior rebelling in a practical and kind-hearted way.

The teachers in this production never sign, they are only captioned with projections on the wall behind them.

My Junk

When Hanschen speaks to his postcard, the lines are interpreted by Martha's actress acting seductive in a nightgown. When Hanschen responds to his father, the lines are interpreted by Otto's actor.

The production, in general, doesn't really go big for comedic moments except for Fraulein Grossenbustenhalter who I've never seen played so over-the-top (leaning forward over the back of the piano with her cleavage on full display) and given equal attention in the scene. The audience ate it up.

Melchior's study / Touch Me

There's a moment where Melchior goes to hand his mom his copy of Faust and Moritz snatches it right out of his hand like what is wrong with you.

There's a lot I loved about this production but one of its weaker points is probably the choreography and set design, which are just... fine. Adequate. Not a lot of memorable imagery for me.

Word of Your Body

Melchior and Wendla are sitting on a table which feels weird considering they're in a forest under a tree? Doesn't really translate for me.

The Dark I Know Well

Thea (played by a hearing actress in this version) doesn't sign, which I like to imagine is an intentional choice (though it very well may just be a practical one with the casting) saying something about Thea and her relationship to the authority figures in the show. Anna signs, and that actor is often seen interpreting for other characters, and I wonder if that was a deliberate choice in the other direction--Anna is obviously a more open-minded character.

Ilse doesn't do a lot of signing either, though I'm not sure how I relate that to the character.

Beating scene

It went over well here, the audience did not think it was funny. Again, Melchior and Wendla are alone here, so they are only signing, except when Wendla says she's never felt... what? She speaks aloud: "Anything." Melchior's "I'll teach you to say please" seemed not very serious--he's still just, reluctantly, playing along at this point. When he gets to the end of the scene, even though he has only been signing up until now, he shouts the last line instead.

And Then There Were None

There was something in Deaf West's production where the voice of Moritz hands Moritz the gun, wasn't there? Here this is done the same as in the original, he just has the gun in his jacket. In general, I think there were fewer moments in this production where the voices interacted with their counterparts in some striking, symbolic way like that. I didn't find myself missing it all that much, there's already plenty of layers to this concept as it is.

The Mirror-Blue Night / Hayloft / I Believe

So, you know, you can't make the hayloft consensual because the fact that Melchior knows the risks and Wendla does not is obviously key to the entire plot and also the problem with them having sex. (As you get older, do you find that Melchior's dad sounds more and more reasonable in act two...?) With that said, I thought this one was superbly directed. Melchior's back-and-forth with Wendla here felt like he genuinely wanted to hear her explain what she was feeling and have a conversation. Wendla seemed comfortable with Melchior. He undoes her dress, she pulls down his suspenders, he takes off his shirt (leaving an undershirt beneath), and she undoes her slip. There was a warning for nudity but I didn't see anything, really--they weren't making a show of it.

(Updated: Here's my thoughts on act two)

[gleedreamcasts]

Spring Awakening

requested by anon

Jesse St. James as Melchior Gabor

Rachel Berry as Wendla Bergmann

Mike Chang as Moritz Stiefel

Tina Cohen-Chang as Ilse Neumann

Kurt Hummel as Hänschen Rilow

Santana Lopez as Martha Bessell

Blaine Anderson as Ernst Robel

Roderick Meeks as Georg Zirschnitz

Artie Abrams as Otto Lammermeier

Quinn Fabray as Anna Wheelan

Marley Rose as Thea Rilow

Sam Evans as Adult men

Jane Hayward as Adult women

[saint-starflicker]

Spring Awakening Fandom Tag

(By @winter-asleepening )

1. How were you introduced to the show?

2007(?) OBC sountrack on compact disk gift from a friend.

2. Seen a production live?

My honest answer is going to get me in trouble around Question 17, isn't it.

3. Dream role/character you relate to most

Ilse Neumann.

4. Favorite male character

Moritz.

5. Favorite female character

Ilse. Is that redundant with Question 3? Martha, then.

6. Deaf West Revival or Original Broadway Cast?

The OBC soundtrack got me through a very rough time in my life, but as far as the cast goes I'm going to say the Deaf West revival cast. I'm glad it was revived, I'm glad that cast is cast in that cast, and I'm glad they're the introduction for a new generation of Guilty Ones.

7. Favorite song

I love them all equally.

8. Least favorite song

...I don't care for Mirror Blue Night.

9. Favorite quote/line

I'm more of a melody person than a lyrics person.

10. Favorite TV performance

Deaf West Touch Me THEY TURNED INTO A BOAT

11. Favorite cast member(s)

I don't really play favorites with cast members, I just try to find what each new actor brings into the role.

12. Favorite cast member moment

I don't really follow the behind the scenes anecdotes either, but Jonathan Groff forgetting the lyrics to Left Behind except for "all things" is as inspirational as it is horrific to imagine going through. If he can get through that and live to tell the tale, then I can get through a bad day.

Also every time Michael Arden says, "All my best ideas come from [ Andy Mientus ]" is like d'aww they're cute together.

13. Do you write fan fiction?

In this fandom, no, I'm more of a reader.

14. Do you make fan art?

I could.

15. Do you cosplay?

Not really...I don't like the late 19th century fashions? I'm more of a Merveilleuse type (no bra no corset just Spirit Halloween chiton).

16. Don’t do Sadness or Blue Wind?

Those are two halves of a whole song!

17. Word of your body or the Reprise?

OBC I did not like the Reprise because even through the Discman (... that's a Walkman for CD's) I had the sense that it was a "comic relief" moment that relied on the existence of gay boys as the joke.

The Deaf West production kept a sense of respite and relief, and some comedy in the relationship dynamic between Ernst and Hanschen rather than playing on preexisting stereotypes...even though it didn't change a word of the script in that scene, which is amazing on a text analysis level like what happened who used the Captain Planet power ring with the power of heart in this scene, what sorcery is this?

So it depends, because the non-reprise Word of Your Body does a narrative job—Melchior haters can feel free to hate, but I can understand what the musical version was trying to go for with his character, and Word of Your Body was part of that.

Groff's Melchior came off more smarter-and-better-than-you but sort of giving up his pretensions in the process of seduction, and I can understand why that aspect might look appealing.

Doyle's Melchior doesn't have that "he's a ruthless boy but maybe i can change him"—I think he plays Melchior as more sad and desperate, and putting that energy into studying is how his Melchior thinks he gets a handle on his own feelings.

McKenzie's Melchior is an oafish, bookish 14-year-old boy trying to act smooth as he condescends to a Deaf girl. He has as much primal sexual energy as a newborn beagle puppy, which to be clear is none at all. I think that can be endearing, that he doesn't really know what he's blathering about in terms of life experience.

Wendla's a consistent constant performance-wise, all three versions I think balance out to a constant average...so it's really the Reprise that determines which one I like better.

OBC Reprise was very much worse than OBC Word of Your Body...but, Deaf West Reprise was a little better than Deaf West Word of Your Body and a lot better than the OBC Reprise. But I like the OBC Word of Your Body better than the Deaf West Reprise, at the same time that I like the Deaf West Word of Your Body an equal amount as the OBC Word of Your Body, contextualized comparatively being different than the chronological context that defines its vibe in an individual show's run time.

18. Touch Me or My Junk?

My Junk as a tune — but the Deaf West Touch Me did turn everybody into a boat, that was kinda cool.

19. Explain the song of purple summer.

Ilse recovered from her trauma and now owns her sexual identity, despite the history of everyone in her home and community doing their worst to her in ways that directly targeted that very intimate part of her. Her story is not the main plot of the show, but the fact that she survived and found personal definition means she now has her own voice on which to carry the wisdom of her life. That will be what heals and inspires others. Red or pink sunsets plus blue evenings make the sky in summer purple. At the end of the day, there still is beauty in living.

20. Explain the song of purple summer (wrong answers only)

Butterflies scatter ergot fungus while they fly around, so everybody thinks that everything looks purple this summer. The sky is purple. The rain is purple. The corn is purple. The horses are purple. The fungus is eating everybody's brains. They're all going to die.

[themaninyourcomputer]

Ranking every song in Spring Awakening

(Feel free to correct me, I had a hard time choosing favorites.)

1. Don't do sadness/blue wind

My god. I have no words. The way Moritz contains his rage at first, and then finally lets it out during the chorus. Ilse's vocals, the color metaphors. This song is so cathartic, both to listen to and to sing. All of Mortiz's pent up frustration is released, and it's spectacular. I have never related more to a song in my life. (This is actually the song that got me into Spring Awakening, I heard it and was like "who is this man and why does he want to be a little butterfly?")

2. left behind

This is the song that always makes me tear up. Every time without fail. Also the cabaret version where Jonathan Groff starts crying??? I was in shambles, shambles I tell you.

3. Touch me

Such a good song. It's so..wow oh my god?? Everyone sounds so good, and when Otto comes in it's just...wow. Also, so fun to sing.

4. The dark I know well

I mean, what do I even say here? This song is phenomenal. I love how you can feel the anger seething out of every word that Ilse and Marta sing.

5. And then there were none

This is when we really begin to see Moritz unravel, and it's fantastic. You can literally pinpoint the exact moment that Moritz decides to kill himself. ("Another day of utter shit...and then there were none." That's it, that subtle change in tone between the two lines. That little pause: you can hear the resolve settle into his voice. Ouch, man.)

6. The bitch of living

There are only so many ways I can phrase "good song" but yeah, good song. Poor Mortiz.

7. The word of your body (reprise)

Honestly? I prefer the vocals in the reprise over the original version. I adore both though.

8. Mama Who Bore Me (reprise)

Listen to those harmonies, dear lord that's breathtaking. But...why bongos?

9. Those you've known

Heartbreaking. I love how hollow Moritz and Wendla sound, like ghosts. Only shells of the actual characters (which I think is the point).

10. The word of your body

It's good, I love how (and this is the case for a lot of songs in this musical) it is deceptively innocent. It's so pure in its discussion of lust, which is sort of beautiful. This song is haunting and deserves more appreciation.

11. Totally fucked

Overrated, but not awful. The Tony Awards performance where they censor themselves by comically slapping their hands over their mouths makes me giggle.

12. Whispering

This is a hot take, I know. I just feel like this should have been Wendla's moment, you know? It should have been devastating, it should have been emotional! I was, however, not devastated. I was slightly bored, actually. This song could be so much better. I dislike how much the diologue breaks it up. (I know Don't Do Sadness is also mixed with diologue, but unlike in Whispering it makes the song feel more intimate and creates more of an emotional buildup. In Whispering it just kind of...interrupts the song.)

13. The Guilty One's

It's a slow song, sure, but listen to those harmonies bro. I'm ranking it lower on the list because there are better songs but just know that I actually like this one a lot. I love Lea Michele's voice here, it's so soft.

14. The song of purple summer.

It's just okay. I understand its narrative purpose, but honestly there should have been another reprise or just like, a callback to an earlier song at the end. That would have made it feel more cyclical. It's a strong song though, I don't dislike it. (The ending is great, I don't want to be too harsh on Purple Summer. I love the metephors ((blue + red and summer rather than spring)))

15. All that's known

The intro is so good, solid melody. It's just kind of background noise though.

16. The mirror-blue night

I love this song, but the build-up to the good part is so fucking long. Also why is Melchior doing an interpretive dance?? I mean, I guess we all cope in our own ways?

17. Mama who bore me

Perfect for an opening number, it builds anticipation, and it's a great tone setter. It's just kind of boring on its own.

18. My Junk

Stupid lyrics, stupid song (the dialogue is hilarious, but the song itself is not that good)

19. I believe

I am literally so bored. I love the ending, but I always skip it when listening to the album.

[improperingenue]

Spring Awakening Headcanons Part 2

These are flowers I think the kids would like/the flowers I associate with them — except plot twist, I limited them to flowers that grow in Germany

Melchior: Snowdrop. They bloom in the winter and that just screams,,,rebellion tbh, but then that’s offset by a kind of naïveté in their appearance and name

Wendla: I considered Baby’s Breath, but Wendla is not defined by her innocence, so I’m thinking Lily of the Valley. They have a quiet elegance that she would admire and they represent humility and happiness which are some of her core values

Moritz: Forget-me-nots. Everything about them screams Moritz. Okay, I’m going to be sad now

Ilse: Edelweiss (cue The Sound of Music) Okay but other than that the flower is known for being able to bloom in difficult conditions and I think Ilse would like to know that something beautiful could still arise from hardship

Martha: Marigolds, which are kind of strange because apparently they have a double meaning, signifying grief and pain but also strength and inner light,,,which is incredibly Martha

Hanschen: He seems like he’d respect a good red carnation. They’re associated with esteem and affection, plus they’re a quiet symbol of socialism (which fits the theme of Hanschen being as smart and wanting change as much as Melchior without being loud about it)

Ernst: German chamomile. I don’t really have a good explanation other than the vibes match

Thea: Hyacinth — maybe this is because of the colors I associate Thea with, but I feel like she’d appreciate that pop of bold color they bring to otherwise small and rather quaint surroundings

Melitta: Melitta’s a buttercup girl. She’s a really such a sweetheart and a good, chaotic friend

Anna: European spindle — they’re not super well known or appreciated (like Anna), but they really have strong personality and are gorgeous in bloom

Georg: Cornflower? That shade of blue is actually stunning though. Maybe Georg has more layers of appreciation for things other than his piano teacher than we thought

Otto: Daffodil. Idk man he just gives off those vibes

Please me know what headcanons you want to see! (I’m not that creative I need ideas)

[thebootlegnerd2018]

2 New HD Videos Release:

PLEASE READ: I’m currently only selling videos at the moment and this goes for current future releases. Any past releases that involves trading will not change however.

Spring Awakening - Empty Space Theatre - July 14, 2023 - California - First Performance

Cast: Dillon Nunamaker as Melchior, Chloe Gomez as Wendla, Connor Deming as Moritz, Salvador Vidaurri as Hänschen, Oliver Love as Ernst, Gabriel Abboud as Georg, Ryan Campbell as Otto, Jocelyn Barrison as Ilse, Savanna May as Martha, Julia Edith Rios as Anna, Liz Bomar as Thea, Katelyn Evans as Adult Woman, Dallas Stumbaugh as Adult Man, Isaiah Esparza, Connor Putman, Breana Riggs, Andrea Vega

Notes: Decent HD Capture of the first performance of this production. A lot of obstructions that were worked around the best as much as I could, Act One isn’t great and rough to get through on filming but, Act Two is better filmed. Filmed in the new Empty Space location which is why the layout is different compared to the previous videos that were released. Great performances from the cast, really loved it. A-

Price: $13 USD

Screencaps: https://www.flickr.com/gp/141838001@N03/PsM66M2K79

Sunday in The Park with George - Ovation Theatre - March 4, 2023 - California

Cast: Shawn Rader as Georges Seurat/George, Tessa Ogles as Dot/Marie, Christina Friedman as Yvonne/Naomi, Mason Edwards as Jules/Bob, Kat Kohler as Old Lady/Blair, Maritza Sandoval u/s Nurse/Elaine, Christian Bradford as Soldier/Alex,

Notes: Excellent HD Capture of this phenomenal show with this wonderful stellar cast in the production’s second performance. Shawn and Tessa definitely carry this show with their solid energy and chemistry with each other. If you’re a fan of Sondheim’s work, this is a performance that you’ll want to see. Includes Ovation Theatre 2023-2024 season announcement. A

Screencaps: https://www.flickr.com/gp/141838001@N03/xF39iLbs9m

Price: $13 USD

Both videos are NFT until February 7, 2025 and NEVER TO BE SHARED ONLINE EVER.

To inquire any of these videos, please contact me at thebootlegnerd@gmail.com or DM me on Discord, all payments will be made through PayPal.

[popmusicu]

Spring Awakening and the dangers of miscommunication

Spring Awakening: A Children’s Tragedy by German writer Frank Wedekind, released in 1891 has transcended it’s time and proves to remain relevant 130 years after it was first published, now adopting a new form, and even furthering it’s message in the format of musical theatre.

Spring Awakening’s first musical incarnation debuted on Broadway on December 10, 2006, a bit less than two decades after it’s conception by Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik. The original Broadway production starred Lea Michele, Jonathan Groff, and John Gallagher Jr., among others. The musical follows the story of teenager in 19th century Germany who begin to discover and their own sexualities but lack the tools to do so safely, for they are abused and dismissed by the adults in their life.

We first meet Wendla Bergmann, who, in the song “Mama Who Bore Me” -along with the rest of the girls in “Mama Who Bore Me (Reprise)”- expresses her frustrations to her mother as she does not understand how she’s about to become an aunt for the second time but does not know where babies come from, question that her mother refuses to answer. An important aspect to note is the anachronism in the setting of the story and the musical pieces, as the score consists of mainly rock music with folk influences, and to further enhance this choice, the characters break out into song by pulling out handheld microphones, breaking out of the diegesis of the story in a moment of teen angst.

Then come Melchior Gabor and Moritz Stiefel, best friends. Melchior is an intellectual and an atheist, ideas that make the girls swoon over him. In the song “All That’s Known” he reflects on the shortcomings of adults and specially the current schooling system, a place where, we just learned before the song, kids such as Moritz and himself get beaten up for making mistakes and standing up for themselves. The story goes on as Moritz explains he hasn’t been able to study or sleep because of night terrors plagued with images of women’s legs, wet dreams, as Melchior later explains to him, showing him a diagram of the male and female anatomies during “Touch Me”. Long story short, a romance begins between Wendla and Melchior, resulting in the unexpected pregnancy of the first, which leads then to her death during a clandestine attempt at an abortion. Moritz is kicked out of school for his deficient performance and sees no other choice but to take his own life. Characters like Martha have equally tragic developments, as she admits her father has been repeatedly abusing her both physically and sexually as her mother looks the other way but refuses to come forward against him lest she end up like Ilse, another girl of the group who is now homeless, having shared a similar fate as Martha. The musical ends with “Song of Purple Summer”, a very metaphoric song that gives us time to reflect over the dangers of miscommunication and how necessary is that adults change their perspective on how to raise their children, making this a cautionary tale against an adult centric world where children and teenagers can’t live freely.

I recommend the 2015 Deaf West revival of the show that further explores the themes of the original by casting deaf and hard-of-hearing actors (performing in American SIgn Language) making the miscommunication between the generations even clearer, as well as featuring the first wheelchair user in the history of Broadway, performer Ali Stoker.

By María Jesús Espinoza

[yououghtaknow]

Break a leg at the audition!!! Which role do you want/which do you think you’ll get

thank you!!!!! i am Manifesting moritz but i would genuinely be happy with any role at all <3 i'm also gonna be genuinely happy if i don't get in because i can still see the show!!!!!

i genuinely think i have a pretty good shot at moritz (his vocal stuff is all in my range and in my vocal style, i can absolutely act the part, and i have enough dance training to pass a movement call) but i'm trying not to get my hopes up because i want to be Realistic, you know???

actually wait, here's a ranking of all the roles in order of how much i want them:

moritz (my number one boy. just like me fr. my perfect typecast)

georg (i'm just obsessed with the touch me solo. also his verse in my junk slaps)

melchior (i am a part of the trans!melchior agenda and i Get him)

ilse (visibly genderqueer ilse would be so fucking fun to me)

hanschen (every monologue he has Eats and i would have FUN)

martha (the dark i know well my beloved. my hair is way too short though)

thea (he's SUCH A RADICAL!!!!!!!!!!!)

ernst (little gayboy with boring things to do. love him though)

otto (it's Just belting tbh.)

anna (she gets Nothing. ali stroker slayed though)

wendla get a seperate little thing because as much as i would want to play her (and i think do a pretty good job because she is my ultimate blorbo from this show), i would Not be comfortable with her usual type of onstage nudity. if they changed it, her vocal stuff is still too high for me, but a guy can dream. also i would much prefer to have a male role in this show because of my current gender situation but i want to be Open to Anything because i would kill to be in this silly little show i love so much <3

[mxstxcwxsdxm]

hey spring awakening fandom? you guys heard of the irish adaptation of the wedekind play, written post broadway musical, christ deliver us by thomas kilroy?

i reccomend it. its a trip ngl

[ncityzen]

so instead of writing the essays i need to hand in before the end of the month i spent the entire morning watching the deaf west version of spring awakening and it’s SO BEAUTIFUL like omg sign language really adds a whole new level of emotion to the whole thing and it’s amazingly done

[someplayfromthepast]

My Official Spring Awakening Character Ranking

Hanschen. Especially Andy Mientus's Hanschen. My bi king. He's the actual sweetest and he and Ernst are so hkhkdjsjfksjsh I love them

Ernst. He's so fucking adorable and like I said, he and Hanschen are just. Goals

Ilse. SHE. She slays so hard and Blue Wind is one of my favorite songs.

Moritz. My bby. I just want to hold him and tell him everything will be ok🥺 Plus, his songs are fucking JAMS

Anna. I love this girl. She's got such an interesting character I swear I could write a whole essay on her.

Martha. SOMEONE PROTECT THIS BBY. She just slays so hard and the Dark I Know Well is a banger.

Georg. SJDKSKSJSKDJDJDJ Maybe I just love Alex Wyse but Georg is so funny. Plus I ship him and Otto so their dynamic is really cute to me, he's such a big dork 🥺 But he's a minor character so he's lower on the list.

Wendla. I don't love or hate her, she's just kind of boring to me. I don't have a lot to say about her, but Sandra May Frank and Katie Boeck slayed (Can we get Katie Boeck's "Mama Who Bore Me" on Apple Music? Please? I love her sjsksjdjskdj)

Otto. He would be higher if he had more than 3 lines oop-😳 But he's still a cutie. Go little sailor. I have nothing bad to say about this boi.

Thea. This is where we get into the characters I REALLY dislike. Thea is- Where do I even start? She's so annoying and kind of b*tchy at times. Idk, I want to like her, Especially since she's Hanschen's sister, but I can imagine Hanschen wouldn't like her either so.

Melchior. If I were including the adults on this list I would rank them higher, Melchior is the worst of literally any character in Spring Awakening ever. He's literally evil. I hate him and I wish he died in the end. What a horribly written character.

Anyway send me asks or tell me what you would change on my list! I love Spring Awakening and would love to post about it more!

[arqueete]

Playlists & Mixtapes

Over the years I've made some popular playlists on Spotify as well as a bunch of Spring Awakening "mixtapes" (mostly live performances ripped off YouTube and compiled into zips) around different themes. I'm working on reuploading some of the mixes that are quite old now and this is a list of some of these things if you missed them the first time around.

Non-Fandom Stuff

Boys Will Be Girls Men covering songs written for another gender's perspective, without changing pronouns.

Girls Will Be Boys Women covering songs written for another gender's perspective, without changing pronouns.

No Cure For Crying Sad songs about loss and being lost.

This My Excavation Songs about a certain kind of adult sadness.

Spring Awakening

Been There Before: Moritz Compilation (2011) A compilation of non-Spring Awakening songs performed by actors who have played Moritz.

Love Your Light: "Touch Me" Compilation (2010) A compilation of different performances of the song “Touch Me” from Spring Awakening, such as Lea Michele‘s solo version or the all-female version from the girls of the 1NT.

Just Watch Me: Melchior Compilation (2011) A compilation of songs sung by actors who have played Melchior, such as Hunter Parrish’s rendition of Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing” or Jim Hogan’s performance of “Anthem” from Chess.

Mashups & Medleys: Side A (2011) This is the first in a two-part compilation of song mash-ups/medleys performed by former Spring Awakening cast members.

Mashups & Medleys: Side B (2011) This is the second part of this compilation of song mash-ups and medleys performed by former cast members of the musical Spring Awakening.

Spring Awakening: World Tour This song compilation, which features primarily audio rips of YouTube videos from productions and their cast members, seeks to give a sampling of how the musical Spring Awakening has spread since its opening on Broadway. It features an international collection of Spring Awakening songs from productions ranging from high school theater to Broadway.

2010 Spring Awakening Holiday compilation A compilation of winter and holiday-themed songs from former cast members of the musical Spring Awakening.

2011 Spring Awakening Holiday compilation A collection of winter-y songs featuring alumni from Spring Awakening.

Open Books: Ilse Compilation (2011) A compilation of non-Spring Awakening songs sung by actors who have played Ilse.

Let That Be My Story: Wendla Compilation (2011) A compilation of non-Spring Awakening songs sung by actors who have played Wendla.

No Sleep in Heaven: A Mama Who Bore Me Compilation (2011) Do you like Mama Who Bore Me? I’ve got more Mama Who Bore Me than you’ll know what to do with.

Sufjan Stevens

Covers by Sufjan Stevens A playlist of Sufjan Stevens covering songs by other artists (not counting Christmas classics.)

Covers of Sufjan Stevens A playlist of other artists covering Sufjan Stevens. (A playlist that leans toward including as many renditions as possible, but with a little discretion about whether a cover is interesting enough to list.)

Essential Sufjan Christmas A playlist that takes Sufjan Stevens' 10 Christmas EPs and condenses them into 1 hour's worth of Christmas music with a focus on fan favorites.

[totallytrucked]

hiii guilty ones I found a silent movie of fruhlings made in 1929. unfortunately, i can't find the full movie but we have stills! the movie was directed by richard oswald, and starred rolf von goth (who I assume is melchior) and ita rina (who played ilse). no information about wendla or moritz :( the story seems to have been changed a bit, and the characters look older. here are the 3 stills!

[ananas-pineapple-thing]

uh spring awakening for the musical asks <3

thank u!!! <33 im cheating and answering multiple things for each question i hope u guys can forgive me 🥲

favorite character: moritz or ilse!!! moritz is one of my favorite characters of all time and he has sick hair, and ilse is such an interesting character to me. i feel like there’s so much to read in between the lines with the little we see of her.

least favorite character: the teachers. kills and bites them. (does anyone else think it’s weird there’s a lady teacher considering that the girls don’t get the same level of education? or is that accurate to the time period and i’m just stupid 😳)

favorite OBC cast member: JGJ and remy zaken and gideon glick!!!! icons only.

favorite current cast member: i don’t know much about almeida’s SA but wendla is very pretty. this is so shallow im sorry besties 😭

favorite song: don’t do sadness/blue wind, mama who bore me reprise, and those you’ve known

least favorite song: I like all of them but probably word of your body.

favorite act: act 2 has bangers only and has those you’ve known, which is one of my favorite theatre moments Ever

favorite ship: hanschen and ernst r cute <3

least favorite ship: melchior/anyone

if there was something i would change about this musical: i would be interested in editing the script (not songs) to better reflect the themes of the play. i think some things that deepen the characters were lost in the script but present in the songs which kinda creates a dissonance. it’s not a huge issue but even small revisions would really add to how much we learn about the characters imo!! i also think the vineyard scene could benefit from some revisions. it should be near impossible to read hanschen as predatory but the script makes it a little too easy. ALSO. those you’ve known is one of my favorite songs ever but i would be interested in a version either without wendla or closer to the clouds will drift away!! i actually have a ton of ideas about changes to the show but my mind is so blank rn 😭😭

rating: 7/10

[courfeyrec]

My thoughts on the London Revival of Spring Awakening (spoiler alert!!)

I’m putting everything under a cut because I don’t want to ruin anything for people who are actually planning on seeing the show. I didn’t go full detail into everything because the post was getting quite long and there are also things I just don’t remember but I will be going back again at least once for sure (and during the actual run, not previews) so if anyone wants me to try and look out for and clarify certain details I will be very happy to. Also please note that some of what I have written might be wrong or misremembered.

First things first: I found out from looking through the programme that The Guilty Ones was gone and There Once Was a Pirate was back in.

The set was very minimal, just a set of steps that were painted with chalkboard paint and all the actors drew all over the steps and the walls throughout the show. There were holes that you could open up in the middle of the steps which were used for entrances/exits and for the desks in Latin class. There was a corridor along the top back behind glass with a door to the steps at either end. When it was lit you could see whoever was in there and it might also have been used as a crossover when unlit.

The costumes! Moritz was wearing a skirt over his trousers for the whole show, and his tie was used as a belt instead of being around his neck. All of the girls expect Thea had an element of yellow-green colour in their costume. Thea was also wearing both trousers and a skirt (or at the very least, a much longer pair of leggings that all the other girls, which had rips in the knees. I think they were like skinny jeans though?). I noticed both Moritz and Ernst had yellow shirts at different points in the show as well. Wendla has a cardigan that is always done up wrong until after the hayloft scene. Melchior helps her rebutton it and it’s done up right, and i think later in the show she lost it completely? but I can’t remeber. Ilse is the only character that doesn’t wear shoes. After his death, Moritz just wears his trousers and skirt and a black jumper, I am pretty sure that there’s a picture floating around of this costume (on twitter at least? but i don’t have twitter so I cannot look).

There were a lot of lyric changes, for example Bobby Maylor is in boxers instead of khakis. Ilse’s solo in Dark I Know Well was totally different and I can’t remember everything she sang but she did have ‘them and their beauty’ instead of me and i’m really not sure why? Wendla was also singing in Dark I Know Well (part of Mama Who Bore Me). Honestly how they did Dark I Know Well was one of the only changes that I reeeally didn’t like sorry. The added girls’ harmonies in the Touch Me solos... yes. Melchior also had added parts in Whispering but it was just backing vocals really.

The staging was amazing 400/10 even if you go to this show just for the staging it would be worth it, the choreo was still very contemporary but sooo much better than obc in my opinion. The Bitch of Living (best choreo), Left Behind (a single rose walked around the stage passed through the cast), Don’t Do Sadness/Blue Wind (very static but the emotion...), Totally Fucked (an absoulte riot there were flares and a windmachine and a literal fire - their version of TF was A Lot even aside from that, I don’t even know how to give in justice in description BUT I do wish it had been easier to tell what each character was yelling about near the end. Just because I am curious.) and Those You’ve Known (when Moritz stopped Melchior from using the razor? I cried. Also the ending position of the trio) are the ones that stood out to me the most.

A few other little things: When Melchior was packing for reform school I’m pretty sure he packed Moritz’s previously mentioned yellow shirt? Moritz was northern and Ilse was i think Welsh? and having DDS/BW with those accents was honestly a real treat. When the guys were playing the reform school boys they had black paint around their eyes and it seemed like the actor playing Georg didn’t get all of his off properly afterwards so he looked like he had very heavy eyeliner on for the end of the show it was great. During the Desdemona monologue Hanschen gave the picture of Desdemona to an old guy in the front row and then just stared at him as he jacked off which really had the audience laughing. Regarding WOYBR - ‘oh god’ ‘i know’ was so soft not at all condescending, most of the rest of the dialogue was also fine, but ‘and so you should’ was played for laughs. Melchior actor’s timing at the beginning of Left Behind was a bit off but he pulled it back well. The timing in I Believe was just kinda weird I don’t really have anything else to say on that.

Finally. In the show I went to there were some technical difficulties just beofre Totally Fucked, with the box that they used for the hayloft, Moritz’s suicide and the coffin not retracting into the floor properly, so they had to stop the show and fix it for safety reasons (and with the staging of TF it was entirely necessary and I didn’t mind at all about the show being stopped to do it). The actors were very good about it all, the guy playing the adult male parts partly stayed in character as a teacher and told us to talk amoungst ourselves. When it was fixed there was whooping and a round of applause, the actors got back into the scene no problem and the rest of the show went without a hitch.