there's a moment you know...

So, I did a LOT of waffling about seeing Spring Awakening. I was intrigued by it, and I'd never made it to see it in New York, although it was on my short list many times. Someone else (take a wild guess) usually won out if there were ticket buying choices to be made. It won a pile of Tonys that one year (2007?) and it was actually quite annoying in its winningness. When I'd heard it was touring to Chicago, I thought I'd definitely come out and see it. Then, when it got here, I just wasn't sure. I know someone who left at intermission and I'd heard of several others who had as well.

But I was still intrigued and decided to go on ahead and go. I decided this last Friday, and the show closed Sunday. Despite the lines of people outside the theater on a regular basis (for rush, I would guess?) the final show of the run was not sold out and that's when I went. As a concession to my uncertainty, I got a balcony ticket. That way, I reasoned, if I hated the show, I would not feel gypped out of a pile of my hard earned money.

I went into it with only a vague idea of what to expect. 1890s Germany, music by Duncan Sheik, lots of sex and "adult content" and intended shock value. So I went and I sat and - let me tell you - when the cast appeared for the first time and took their seats on the sides of the stage, the crowd went apeshit. Like they were rockstars or something. I've never heard anything like it. I actually just sat back and listened to the crowd go crazy - before a word had been sung.

The first half was okay. It was good, you know, and fine and funny. Someone behind me laughed at every.single.line. They were funny, okay, but not THAT funny. I liked the music, and I liked the young leads. I thought the performances were okay but not great. I didn't hate it, I wasn't offended by it and I have no idea why people would have left at intermission (maybe I was too far up to see anything offensive?). I didn't really understand, though, what the big deal was about. I went back to my seat, ate some Skittles, and listened to the giddy teenage girls behind me (one of whom kept humming "Mama who bore me" - they'd apparently sung it in show choir).

I like the idea of the show - taking a cautionary tale from 1890s Germany and blending the society of that day - where failing out brought shame to the family, boys and girls went to different schools and didn't speak or touch, or talk about their feelings, and still believed that babies were brought by the stork. When the characters expressed their frustration, their passion, their thoughts, it was through the much freer, more lively music of today. "There's a moment you know..." Melchior sings at the start of "Totally Fucked" and that was the moment that I started getting into it. The audience was really into it as well - that show has a lot of loyal followers. Kind of fun. While I was in the lobby before the show, I overheard a couple talking Tony's - and wondering what had won best play this year, which got me thinking. I thought really hard about it most of the afternoon. Since I was by myself, the time spent not watching the show was filled with thoughts like this: Mary Stuart? Don't think so. 39 Variations? Speed the Plow? Uhhh. The Norman Conquests? (I was sort of onto something there, actually. It was best revival.) All my Sons? Hahahaha, no! and then I BLANKED. No ideas came into my head. Finally I admitted defeat and looked it up this morning. Does anyone else remember??? It was God of Carnage (I remember one of the presenters did a whole little french thing with all those nominees and so called it "God of Car-NAHJ"). But there's no possible reason on earth that I should need to remember that, ever, so I felt a lot better about my momentary lapse.

Sorry for the sidebar. I just looked it up and so it was in my head. Back to the angsty Germans. Spring Awakening was funny, and sad, and touching, and the music was great. It's not likely to become my new favorite musical, or anything, but I am glad I went.