"Spring Awakening" Comes to the Arsenal Center for the Arts

This weekend, the musical "Spring Awakening" will rock the stage in the Charles Mosesian Theater at the Arsenal Center. Students from The Performing Arts Connection will give three performances: Friday, Feb. 10 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 11 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

In 2007 "Spring Awakening" received eight Tony Awards, including best musical, direction, and score. The show, adapted from a controversial German play written in 1892, focuses on teenagers coming to terms with their sexuality. It delves into a host of heart-wrenching topics including abortion, homosexuality, rape, child abuse, and suicide. A cast of 28 college and high school students from all over Massachusetts started rehearsing this challenging musical in January.

According to the show's director Samantha Bower, the musical "really resonates with the youth of today, and while it deals with some sensitive subject matter, it really sends a positive message that we need to communicate with our children, especially during the trying adolescent years."

Bower is also the founder and director of The Performing Arts Connection, a Sudbury-based performance organization that, among other things, provides high school and college students an opportunity to present relevant, meaningful theater. This particular musical, she says, presents the actors with many challenges.

"The show switches back and forth from the 1800s to 2012 with every musical number, so it was key that our cast could portray students from the 1800s as well as your typical rock star of today," she says.  "Additionally, rock music is very different than musical theater fare, and vocally the show is very challenging in that regard. The harmonies are intricate and the vocal parts require a significant amount of musical ability." 

The cast also learned how important it is to deeply dissect the characters and to be vulnerable to the emotions that may arise, Bower says. "For many, I think they are coming away with a deeper understanding of the human spirit, which is truly a gift."

Because of the musical's sensitive subject matter, the show is recommended for mature audiences only.

"The message of our show is that it is critical for parents, adults, mentors, and society to communicate with our children and teenagers," Bower says. "The characters in this show suffer colossal consequences due to their lack of information. It is the adults in the show who are refusing to answer the tough questions or have an open dialogue with the students about what is happening to them as they transition from childhood to adulthood. They are hiding from the truth and the children greatly suffer from this."

Tickets for the Friday and Saturday performances cost $18 in advance or $20 at the door.  For tickets call 978-443-2400 or buy online at www.ticketstage.com/TPAC.  For more information, visit the Arsenal Center's website.