A teenage sexual rebellion in late-19th century Germany fuses with rock ‘n’ roll to make a delightfully fun frenzy in Spring Awakening. Ateneo Blue Repertory’s (blueREP) season finale takes on Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater’s 2006 Tony Award winner for Best Musical and achieves numerous heights with a dynamic cast and wildly entertaining direction.
Spring Awakening follows the story of the charismatic Melchior Gabor (Sandino Martin alternate Ian Pangilinan), the naive Wendla Bergmann (Krystal Kane alternate Erika Rafael) and the nervous Moritz Stiefel (Juancho Gabriel alternate Jason Tan Liwag) as the three, along with their classmates, go through a trying stage of sexual exploration. Living in a conservative town with controlling parents and teachers (Angelo Esperezante and Abi Sulit alternate Sofia Santelices), the teenagers must confront their own curiosities and deal with harsh realities they weren’t fully prepared for, spiraling their story into a flurry of love, chaos, and despair.
An arousing experience
The production was a symphony to the ears with blueREP’s beautiful interpretation of the 2006 Spring Awakening’s original tunes. “My Junk”, the first number with the boys and girls together, was a dreamy and charming performance, a true highlight of the first act. Juancho Gabriel was a total rockstar, his growling voice giving such life to Moritz’ songs such as “And Then There Were None” and “Don’t Do Sadness/Blue Wind.” Alexa Prats as Ilse Neumann also does a killer job in the latter and stands out on her own with a powerful rendition of “The Dark I Know Well”, a duet with the equally powerful Sabrina Basilio, who plays Martha. The music truly excels in the production’s group numbers as seen in their crazy energetic rendition of “Totally Fucked,” a number of such perfect chaos and the definite standout of the whole production. Other standouts include the hauntingly beautiful “Left Behind” by Martin’s Melchior and the chilling “Those You’ve Known” performed by the three leads. However, blueREP falters with the musical’s two most well-known songs: “The Bitch of Living” and “I Believe.” The entire cast suffered from a lack of energy in these songs, resulting in shaky vocals and an underwhelming introduction to the schoolboys and a weak ending to the first act.
On the note of set design, everything that makes up the set of this production is skillfully put up. Other than the entire show being set on stage (with even the audience’s seats were placed on stage), the thrust set-up and the immersive experience made for an impressive display that the actors truly took advantage of, jumping from high to low and getting in the faces of the audience. Miyo Sta. Maria and Ohm David worked on lights and set respectively, creating an interesting array of lights and shadows that fully took advantage of both the child-like and serious natures of the story. Directors Missy Maramara and Darrel Uy also worked the stage very well, arranging the ensemble into creative tableaus - a delightful feast for the eyes.
Rebellious acting
Despite some slip-ups, the cast is absolute dynamite. Martin had palpable chemistry with Kane which was showcased in the first flirty interaction as Melchior and Wendla and all their succeeding one-on-one scenes. The third lead, Gabriel’s Moritz, didn’t fully manifest the nerves expected from him early in the first act. However, he quickly turned it around with a petrifying performance the moment the story took a dark turn, truly striking a sense of fear and pity across the stage.
Even amongst these successful leads, the rest of the ensemble didn’t feel inferior at all. Each cast member displayed an abundance of stage presence, breathing life to the entire production, especially in group numbers. Despite comedic punchlines not landing in the first act, the entire ensemble pulled together by the end to deliver an astoundingly convincing second act, where emotions kicked into high gear and the stakes of each action could really be felt.
This whole musical relies on the tension between knowing too much, knowing too little, and knowing nothing at all. This tension was portrayed at a deft pace, with masterful musical execution, supported by blueREP’s strategically alluring set design. These elements highlighted the magnificent cast who particularly shined in moments of innocence and youth, creating slivers of pure bliss scattered throughout an equally dark storyline. The defining moment of the musical came at the end, where “The Song of Purple Summer” came like a release as the heart of the play and the cast members were out on full display. Overall, Spring Awakening shows tremendous heart held together by a spectacularly charming cast, and a beautiful, powerful production.