The winner of 8 Tony Awards, including Best Musical - told by Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater through "the most gorgeous Broadway score this decade" (Entertainment Weekly) - SPRING AWAKENING explores the journey from adolescence to adulthood with poignancy and passion you will never forget.
The landmark musical SPRING AWAKENING is an electrifying fusion of morality, sexuality and rock & roll that is exhilarating audiences across the nation like no other musical in years.
Join this group of late 19th century German students on their passage as the navigate teenage self-discovery and coming of age anxiety in a powerful celebration of youth and rebellion in the daring, remarkable SPRING AWAKENING.
After a significant amount of deliberation about whether I should take or not take Mary Rollins and her BFF Christina, I decide after talking to a friend who'd seen the musical that the girls can go if it's okay with Christina's mom. We had a talk about the mature themes that they might encounter (see above list) and we bravely headed off into the world of the theater. The fourth ticket went into the hands of my neice who's a current freshman at Transy and was dying to go see it too.
The show was great although I don't think we'll be singing any of the songs out loud in the kitchen along with the iPod... particularly not "You're F****ed". It was indeed a checklist of difficult subjects from masturbation and wet dreams to homosexuality, sexual abuse, teen pregnancy (following a pretty good acting job of intercourse on stage), abortion and suicide. Yep...that about covers it. I had some serious moments questioning my sanity in bringing these girls to the show (even the 18-year old) and wanted to whip my hand across their eyes and plug up their ears but you know what...I'm pretty darn sure they knew all of those things happen in life. In fact, I'm pretty certain (see previous postings) they've seen pregnant students at their schools. What was really great is that we actually talked about some of that stuff on the way home and the next day and the day after that. Things like suicide often being fatal and the dilemma of abortion, the downside of parents who don't listen and aren't honest when their children when they ask them difficult questions. As a mom, I know I'd much rather talk about those things with my daughter than let somebody else do it for me and Spring Awakening sure opened up the conversation.
Oh...and for you Broadway fans, the music and dancing are excellent. I need to see if Seth Rudetsky has any commentary on it!
P.S. I would not consider taking anybody younger than high school nor would I take my 82-year old mother! She'd have hated the music anyway.
I think it says a lot about MR's maturity (or perhaps just her love of theatre) that she would want to attend with her mom. Says a lot about you too! Too many her age or older would just be too embarrassed.
ReplyDeleteI must agree on the coolness of taking your daughter to a mature themed musical about adolescents... did that come out right? Anyway, exposure is out there (hence the word?) and it's better to be able to talk about it then pretend it doesn't exist. I remember seeing RENT in college and LOVING it, yet thinking it might be "too young" for my parents. Present self would disagree with past self... as I've found out time and time again, my parents know a lot more than I gave them credit for... though it took some time for us to get to the point where we would discuss certain subjects. To each their own speed, I guess, but I think y'all did well.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I'm soooooooo jealous and really wish I could have seen it!
Ahhhh..you all are so sweet -- making me feel like a good mom.
ReplyDeleteAnd yet, I'm so random in what I do let the kids watch. I still cringe at the watching of Sponge Bob Square Pants and I don't want them to watch stuff like The Hangover. So...the rule must be "you can see well-crafted R-rated Art" but nothing with bad grammar.
I wish you all could have seen it too. Plus, we had a girls' dinner at Atomic Cafe before hand. We were like sweet potato chip vaccuums...scary! Move to Lexington, Move to Lexington!!!!
Oh...and apparently Seth Rudetsky hated Spring Awakening. Although, as we know, he is buds with Jonathon Groff!
ReplyDeleteYou are!!! That's funny about Seth though (heehee). Also, girl's atomic night out ALWAYS makes me want to move to Lexington.
ReplyDeleteI agree though on the well-crafted rated R. You can just "get to" some stuff later.
Also, I think I was barely allowed to watch PG-13 before I was 13 so.... yeah. This is all coming from me. Amy thinks it's funny that Beetlejuice scared me ;) It made me anglys!)
I had Atomic Cafe this weekend! On Friday! I was so happy except I didn't realize the kitchen had closed so I didn't get any dessert.
ReplyDeleteOh how I love Beetlejuice.
Awwww, no rum cake (or the chocolate death cake you would get, I guess). But yay!
ReplyDeleteAnd I like it more now... though certain things trigger the automatic "scared" reaction with me...
manessly..... Horse with a shave?
ReplyDeleteUgh - I can't take trailers either. I should have known better not to go to that ONE MOVIE Amy and friends told me was actually a comedy. Now I can't not think of it. Dang it! New topic! I love Pushing Daisies! Why was Chuck only in that bad Will Ferrell movie that even he didn't seem to do well with since?
ReplyDeletemeanwhile, I spent the weekend at a horror and paranormal convention...
ReplyDeleteHahaha Amy!!! Was that the scarefest??? I saw pictures in the paper! I did think of you!
ReplyDeleteOh Amy, however do you put up with us and our happy Pushing Daisy loving ways???
Yep, Scarefest--Andy and I have gone all three years--it's a fun time. They have the dates for next year set already. In amusing news, my captcha is "demonf". Really.
ReplyDelete...and you ladies help balance me a bit! I need that :)
Hehe, yeah...we're definitely on the other side of that see-saw ;) Hurray for balance!
ReplyDelete