City Circle Theatre Company's “Spring Awakening" at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts -- May 3 through 12.
Friday, May 3, through Sunday, May 12
Coralville Center for the Performing Arts, 1301 Fifth Street, Coralville IA
The winner of eight 2006 Tony Awards and a work that boasted what Entertainment Weekly deemed "the most gorgeous Broadway score this decade," Spring Awakening enjoys a May 3 through 12 engagement at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts, this latest presentation by the City Circle Theatre Company treating audience to the iconic show that was also the recipient of four Laurence Olivier Awards and a Grammy Award for its original-cast album.
Composer Duncan Sheik's and lyricist/book writer Steven Sater's Spring Awakening is based on Frank Wedekind’s groundbreaking and controversial play (once banned in Germany) and the musical's rock score and searingly emotional book take the story of sexual awakening, youth revolt, and self-discovery into a new century. It’s 1891, and grown-ups hold all the cards. Headstrong Melchior and naive Wendla stumble into each others’ arms, passionate and curious, while anxious Moritz struggles to live up to the stringent expectations of society. With only each other for guidance, this group of young men and women travel the fraught and rocky path of adolescence, discovering their bodies, their minds, and themselves along the way. An electric, vibrant celebration of youth and rebellion, Spring Awakening fuses issues of morality, sexuality, and rock and roll into a story that packs a powerful emotional punch.
Directing City Circle's latest production is longtime company veteran Elizabeth Tracey, who states, "Spring Awakening is a musical about a group of 19th century German teenagers who struggle through social issues that are just as relevant today as they were in 1890. The juxtaposition of rock-n-roll gives emotional release to the teenagers’ plea to be heard and understood. The show’s biting commentary on sex education in public schools is just as current a political issue as other issues in the show, including the epidemic of teenage suicides. Teenagers are grappling with these issues every day."
"The message that Spring Awakening sends is that whatever you’re going through, whoever you are, whoever you love, it’s okay. It’s all part of growing up. And that message is crucial to developing teenagers. We are performing Spring Awakening because it gives a much-needed voice to our youth. It could be the event that encourages adults to open up to those difficult but much-needed conversations with their teens.”
With Jason Sifford serving as music director, additional members of Tracey's creative team include: choreographer Devon Stone; vocal coach Kristen DeGrazia; mental-health consultant Peggy Somerville; stage manager Jared Kiebel; set designer Kent Reynolds; lighting designer Hans Hinrichsen; and costume designer Bethany Horning. The principal roles of Melchior, Wendla, and Moritz are respectively played by Wolfgang Borchardt, Katelyn Halverson, and Jeffrey Harrington. And City Circle talents completing the Spring Awakening ensemble include: Steve Jepson; Whit Jury; Kyra Lehman; Sam Nester; Zoe Nolte; Connor Norfleet; Madeline Nuss; Melisa Wallace Rusk; Rai San Martin; and Shelby Zukin.
The City Circle Theatre Company's Spring Awakening runs at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts from May 3 through 12, with performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Admission is $16-30, and more information and tickets are available by calling (319)248-9370 and visiting CoralvilleArts.org.
