sometimes life's a bitch



and sometimes, only a musical can portray this perfectly.

Another new musical dawns on Broadway...Spring Awakening began last Thursday, and is currently in previews. I felt so frustrated watching this show; the angst of teenage adolescence came flooding back to me as I saw the characters fight onstage to discover the world within the rigidity of school, parents, rules, and puberty. While the story is a bit predictable, (how come it's so easy to sense a tragedy?), the style is oh-so-great. As my friend put it, "It's a mix between History Boys and Altar Boyz with an alternative twist". The most fabulous part of this musical, for me, was Duncan Sheik's music...it gives everything such a fresh perspective, and the music rocks the house. It's sorta cool to hear a story set in Germany, 1890, and hear rock music which seems to mix perfectly. I can't help shaking the feeling that there was some emotion that was missing, but I wonder if it's because it's still in previews and the show hasn't found its footing yet. Will wait a few months before making my final judgment. John Gallagher Jr. is a standout in the cast. I wonder if he'll get a Tony nod?

There's some gratuitous nudity; the 80 year old man sitting next to me struggled to see the girl's breast onstage that he leaned waaaay over into my shoulder. I was thinking, "Calm down, mister..."