Haven't You Heard the Word?

Dear Theatre People,

I won a contest, and won two on-stage tickets to see the Spring Awakening tour on Tuesday, November 5th, 2009 at 2pm. The fangirl inside of me wanted to pee her pants, but the adult side of me quickly restrained her.

Upon entering the theatre, the energy was so intense and thick that you could have cut it with a knife. Upon receiving our Playbills, we learned that Kristina Alabado would be playing the role of "Wendla." Not disappointed, we were led onto the stage.

The show began when the houselights dimmed and the entire cast of Spring Awakening walked onto the stage where I was seated. We sat TWO SEATS away from the amazing Andy Mientus, someone whom I've had a crush on for some time. Swing Kayla Foster, and regular cast members Taylor Trensch, Steffi D, Anthony Lee Medina and Sarah Hunt all sat next to us at one point.

Kristina Alabado's "Mama Who Bore Me" was nice to listen to, but her voice rarely excited me in any way. I found her lack of vibrato and thin voice distracting, but this was only her second time on as the lead character (she was informed on her walk to the theatre for that day's half-hour call), and for someone who lacked the proper amount of time to gather up substantial character development, she otherwise blew me away. The word "understudy" is truly an understatement. She fully embodied the character. She truly shined during her big number, "Whispering," which talks about Wendla's journey up until that point of the show. I was particularly surprized by how well she fit in with the cast as a new character. She is normally a part of the ensemble, but she fit in so well with her other castmates as Wendla. I'd be interested to see her in the role again, if given the chance.

I was less than impressed by Degrassi Alum Jake Epstein, who plays the lead male character Melchior. I watched him on the previously mentioned Canadian television show, enamored with his singing voice and his acting, so I was disappointed when his portrayal of Melchior Gabor came off as "I have to go to work today even though I don't want to" rather than "Wow. I am a working actor playing an amazing part in an incredible show." I found his acting stale and bland, and his singing was below par as well. He seemed to lack chemistry with his cast mates and he seemed generally disconnected. His performance truly took off for a brief moment during the ensemble song "I Believe" where Melchior and Wendla truly discover themselves in the hayloft, but fell flat again until the end of the show during his big final song, "Those You've Known." I wanted to be truly moved by his "Left Behind," but again, he simply sang the song to the best of his abilities. He opened up a bit more during "Totally Fucked," the giant ensemble number where everyone goes crazy, but in all Jake Epstein!Melchior was a bust.

The standout performer by far was Andy Mientus as heroic villan Hanschen, and not because I have a crush on him (hint hint, wink wink, gimme a call). From the moment he walked onto the stage, you knew he had something he needed to prove; you knew he had a mission; you knew there was something about him that a) frightened you and b) made you so desperately want to find out WHY he was so frightening. He nailed every song lyric he was given, his jokes landed a booming laugh from every audience member, and his Desdemona scene was by far the best scene of the entire show.  During act two, his time to truly shine came during the "Word of Your Body: Reprise" when he stood up from his seat and heavily and heatedly sauntered over to adorable cast member Ben Fankhauser, who plays Ernst. He was a man with a mission. Not only did he beautifully sing the song, but he also masterfully succeeded in seducing the young, naive Ernst into his arms. His portrayal of Hanschen had every man and woman in the house wanting him as badly as Ernst did. It was a truly beautiful performance by an incredibly talented actor.

Honorable mentions include Canada native Steffi D., who gave a hilariously charming and heartbreaking performance as Ilse. She has a beautiful voice and wicked comedic timing to boot. Gabrielle Garza was charming as Anna, though she had trouble keeping a straight face during some of the scenes (particularly the Desdemona scene where the female ensemble is seated in front of Hanschen watching him), and Kimiko Glenn was adorably sweet as Thea. Sarah Hunt's rendition of "The Dark I Know Well" as Martha was chilling and haunting all the same. Anthony Lee Medina was a treat as Otto, for he truly shined in the cast, even when limited to the ensemble. Taylor Trensch, who played Mortiz, gave a haunting performance. He had me laughing and crying all the same. I was completely swept away by his performance.

In all, the Spring Awakening tour is a treat. It is not a show, but an experience. The cast is riddled with limitless talent and the show should be at the top of your "DO NOT MISS THIS TOURING SEASON" list.

Check out their website at www.springawakening.com

-Cathryn