Shock Drama

Crazy kids. All they think about is sex.

The controversial 2007 musical adaptation of Frank Wedekind's "Spring Awakening" finally hit a Denver stage last week. The national tour remains in town through Sunday. The question: will it sell?

That the show deals with such topics as suicide, teen sex, masturbation, abortion, homosexuality, physical abuse and more makes it a sure draw for some. Its wild contents were first penned by the perverse German playwright in 1891, and these kept it off the stage for 15 years. Its unedited intensity wouldn't be experienced until decades after that.

Despite its Tony haul, still-edgy fare such as this is looked askance at by many. It was a brilliant stroke of insight, combined with years of perseverance, that allowed composer Duncan Sheik and writer Steven Sater to envision this misanthropic masterpiece.

Welding a rock sensibility to a remarkably faithful adaptation of the original text produces a powerhouse effect. Wedekind's flip ending, a little broader philosophically, is ditched for a more anthemic, upbeat final number. The gist of the message, however - might as well live, that's all there is - is unchanged.

The tale is simple - oppressed, sexually clueless teens stumble from their parents' lies and silences into disaster and death. When a character kills himself, the adults (the men all portrayed by John Wojda and the women by Angela Reed) reflexively work to stem the damage to the system. Souls are crushed, lives ruined, the social order only succeeds in perpetuating itself.

The propulsive music, the tightly expressive choreography of Bill T. Jones, the abstract setting all push the emotions and conflicts resolutely out into audience. Wedekind's brashness was intended to reach and shock the audience, inspiring Brecht, Expressionism, and the theater of the absurd.

It seems perfectly pitched to our times as well. Few remember that the "Chicago" musical opened in 1975; it didn't become a huge hit until its 1996 revival. Other dark-hued shows such as "Avenue Q" and "Urinetown" have caught the public's fancy. Is America moving into its Weimar period?

"Spring Awakening" spreads the ever-present adolescent gospel - everything is not OK, we are going crazy, stop lying to us. That's a good message to hear, at any age.

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"Spring Awakening" is presented by Denver Center Attractions at the Buell Theater in the Denver Center for the Performing Arts through Dec. 13. For tickets and information, please call 303-893-4100 or visit online at www.denvercenter.org.

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