WHEN: Through Sunday
WHERE: Durham Performing Arts Center, 123 Vivian St., Durham
TICKETS: $25-$70
ON THE WEB: www.dpacnc.com
BY DAWN BAUMGARTNER VAUGHAN
dvaughan@heraldsun.com; 419-6563
DURHAM -- Taylor Trensch, who plays Moritz, steals the show in the Broadway tour of the shocking Tony Award winning musical "Spring Awakening," now at the Durham Performing Arts Center. He is a lead cast member, but Trensch stands out, and not just because of his wild hair.
"Spring Awakening" was so scandalous when it was written in 1891 Germany that it wasn't performed for years, and then only heavily edited. If the musical was a movie, it would be rated R. There are sex scenes with brief nudity, simulated masturbation, explicit language and serious issues like suicide, child abuse and abortion. The musical is still set in 1890s Germany and the characters are all German but speak English and sing rock songs written by Duncan Sheik. It's a show at the other end of the spectrum of the campy "Mamma Mia!" and classic '50s pop "GREASE" earlier in the DPAC Broadway season.
Trensch, who spent two years at Elon University, told The Herald-Sun in an advance interview that "Spring Awakening" is his first major production. Just 20 years old, he has regional theater credits and had long hoped for a role in "Spring Awakening," which he got last summer. On opening night, Trensch played Moritz with the frustrated awkwardness that being a teenage boy is. His posture alone, foot turned in, shoulders hunched, conveyed to the audience his lack of comfort in his own skin. Rather than embrace his awakening sexuality like his friend Melchior, Moritz is terrified of it.
When Trensch sings songs like "And Then There Were None," his awkwardness gives way to the rock star inside. His voice and the rest of the casts' hit their marks in a show known as much for its score as anything else. Score almost seems too slick a word. Soundtrack is an apt way to describe the slow and fast songs that could each stand individually. As Trensch said, they sound like songs you would hear on the radio today.
The dialogue and lyrics sung by the boys are crass and unfiltered, just like teenage boys can be. The sexual scenes and issues are right out in front of the audience, though the death scenes are just inferred.
The set and lighting design are creatively innovative, juxtaposing modern with the age of industrialization and the late-Victorian era. A brick wall displays a large butterfly wing, framed black and white portraits of stern Germans, neon bars and circles of light, and a long vertical mirror. Hanging from the rafters are a multitude of lightbulbs on cords, which are manipulated in a way to make each scene uniquely illuminated. There is also on-stage seating, giving some members of the audience a chance to become part of the set. The band is visible on stage as well, a welcome way to see what we are hearing.
Moritz's buddy Melchior is played by Canadian actor Jake Epstein. He's a familiar face to fans of the teen drama "Degrassi: The Next Generation" on which he also played a hormonal teenager. But "Spring Awakening" showcases his voice, as well. Melchior's love interest is Wendla, in a role made famous by Lea Michele, now on "Glee." Christy Altomare holds her own as Wendla and gives a stellar, emotion-filled performance of the opening song, "Mama Who Bore Me." All the adult roles are played by actress Angela Reed and actor John Wojda, who both give excellent performances, seamlessly transferring from one character to another.
Definitely one for mature audiences, "Spring Awakening" is also a talker and a show that makes you remember your own teen years and hope that those you know and love can navigate them unscathed.
