Credit: Greene Room Productions
NORTHAMPTON, Mass. — Greene Room Productions, a local 501c3 functioning out of the Monson/Palmer area is launching its spring production, a rock musical called, Spring Awakening by Duncan Sheik and Steven Satar at the Academy of Music in Northampton MA May 4-5 & 11-12, 2012. Spring Awakening, based on the German play by Frank Wedekind, is the winner of 8 Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The story is about the journey from adolescence to adulthood, and is told with poignancy and passion. It is a landmark musical that is an electrifying fusion of morality, sexuality and rock & roll.
Behind the scenes, Spring Awakening has sparked many cast discussions about the morality of sex, the importance of communication, stresses in teens lives i.e. school, domestic issues etc., and the importance of communication in teen lives, according to the organization’s officials. Although the show was written in the late 1900’s the scenarios and stressors that the main characters are faced with are still very relevant and prevalent in today’s society.
“Spring Awakening is definitely a conversation starter,” said Erin Greene, director/producer of the show. “I recommend that parents go with their teens. It, without-a-doubt will open up significant conversation between parents and their kids.”
During a recent interview with the Palmer’s Public Access station MPACT, Devon Bakum (Wilbraham) who plays all of the adult female characters in “Spring Awakening” talked about the difficulties of having to develop so many different characters.
“The character that I relate most to is Melchior’s mother,” she said. She is the most ordinary or true-to-life character that I have to play and the only one who is seen as an ally to the kids in the show. After my experience with her, and seeing her ‘betrayal,’ I had to take a good look at my own life to assess whether or not I am really making myself accessible to my children and the other kids in my life.”
Besides the regular theatre seating, special on-stage seating has been made available through the box office at the Academy of Music so that audience members and actors sit together during the show, Greene said. Through this limited seating arrangement (only 20 seats per show) audience members have the opportunity to get up-close and personal, gaining a new and unique theatre experience.
“The cool thing about this show, besides the show itself, is the orientation of the audience to the action on stage”, said Greene. “… the show is going to be great! It is new and edgy, has beautiful music, its educational-values are very accessible because of the humor used in the telling of the story, and we have one of the best casts I’ve ever worked with!”
To get tickets and more information about Spring Awakening call the Academy of Music Theatre’s Box Office at (413)584-9032, x105, order tickets online at www.academyofmusictheatre.com, or purchase them at the door. Advance sales in groups of 10 or more are discounted.
