ABOUT THE SHOW

Spring Awakening
Written by Steven Sater
Directed by Michael Mayer
Music by Duncan Sheik

Spring Awakening, with book and lyrics by Steven Sater and music by Duncan Sheik, opened on Broadway Sunday, December 10^th at the Eugene O’Neill Theater (230 West 49^th St.) following its world premiere at the Atlantic Theater Company.

Returning in the roles they created off-Broadway was the entire youth company: Skylar Astin (Georg), Lilli Cooper (Martha), John Gallagher Jr. (Moritz), Gideon Glick (Ernst), Jonathan Groff (Melchior), Brian Charles Johnson (Otto), Lea Michele (Wendla), Lauren Pritchard (Ilse), Phoebe Strole (Anna), Jonathan B. Wright (Hanschen), & Remy Zaken (Thea) Christine Estabrook (Adult Women) Stephen Spinella (Adult Men). The ensemble includes Gerard Canonico, Jennifer Damiano, Robert Hager and Krysta Rodriguez. 

The show is directed by Tony-nominated Michael Mayerwith choreography by award winner Bill T. Jones. The production feature costumes by Tony Award Winner Susan Hilferty, set design by Christine Jones,  lighting by Kevin Adams and sound by Brian Ronan.

Spring Awakening is the story of kids trying to break loose and adults trying to hold on; it’s the story of young people everywhere. This coming of age tale is primarily seen through the eyes of three teenagers: the handsome rebel, the innocent woman-child, and the misunderstood loner.

The Spring Awakening Original Broadway Cast recording - released under the Decca Broadway label – has been ranked in the Top 5 of Billboard’s Cast Album chart since its debut.

Spring Awakening was being produced on Broadway by Ira Pittelman, Tom Hulce, Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel, and the Atlantic Theater Company (Neil Pepe, Artistic Director; Andrew D. Hamingson, Managing Director).

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Category: Musical, Drama, Original, Broadway
Setting: A provincial German town in the 1890s.
1^st Preview Performance: November 16, 2006
Opening Night Performance: December 10, 2006
Final Performance: January 18, 2009
Total # of Performances: 859
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2007 Tony Award^® Best Musical (winner)
2007 Tony Award^® Best Book of a Musical – Steven Sater (winner)
2007 Tony Award^® Best Original Score – Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater (winner)
2007 Tony Award^® Best Actor in a Musical – Jonathan Groff (nominee)
2007 Tony Award^® Best Featured Actor in a Musical – John Gallagher Jr. (winner)
2007 Tony Award^® Best Choreography – Bill T. Jones (winner)
2007 Tony Award^® Best Direction of a Musical – Michael Mayer (winner)
2007 Tony Award^® Best Orchestrations – Duncan Sheik (winner)
2007 Tony Award^® Best Scenic Design of a Musical – Christine Jones (nominee)
2007 Tony Award^® Best Costume Design of a Musical – Susan Hilferty (nominee)
2007 Tony Award^® Best Lighting Design of a Musical – Kevin Adams (winner)

2007 Theatre World Award – Jonathan Groff (winner)

2007 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Musical (winner)
2007 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Book of a Musical – Steven Sater (nominee)
2007 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actor– John Gallagher Jr. (nominee)
2007 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actor– Jonathan Groff (nominee)
2007 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actress in a Musical – Lea Michele (nominee)
2007 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Choreography – Bill T. Jones (nominee)
2007 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Director of a Musical – Michael Mayer (winner)
2007 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Lyrics – Steven Sater (winner)
2007 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Music – Duncan Sheik (winner)

Opening Night Cast
Skylar Astin (George)
Gerard Canonico (Ensemble)
Lilli Cooper (Martha)
Jennifer Damiano (Ensemble)
Christine Estabrook (The Adult Women)
John Gallagher Jr. (Moritz)
Gideon Glick (Ernst)
Jonathan Groff (Melchior)
Robert Hager (Ensemble)
Brian Charles Johnson (Otto)
Lea Michele (Wendla)
Lauren Pritchard (Ilse)
Krysta Rodriguez (Ensemble)
Stephen Spinella (The Adult Men)
Phoebe Strole (Anna)
Jonathan B. Wright (Hanschen)
Remy Zaken (Thea)

Swings: Robert L. Devaney (Nov 16, 2006-Aug 25, 2007), Frances Mercanti-Anthony.
Understudies: Gerard Canonico (Ernst, Georg, Hanschen, Moritz, Otto), Jennifer Damiano (Anna, Martha, Thea, Wendla), Robert L. Devaney (Nov 16, 2006-Aug 25, 2007) (The Adult Men), Robert Hager (Nov 16, 2006-Aug 25, 2007) (Ernst, Georg, Hanschen, Melchior, Otto), Brian Charles Johnson (Georg, Moritz), Frances Mercanti-Anthony (The Adult Women), Krysta Rodriguez (Nov 16, 2006-Jul 20, 2007) (Anna, Ilse, Martha, Thea), Phoebe Strole (Nov 16, 2006-Sep 22, 2007) (Ilse, Wendla), Jonathan B. Wright (Melchior).

Theatre Owned / Operated by Jujamcyn Theaters (Rocco Landesman: President; Paul Libin: Producing Director; Jack Viertel: Creative Director)

Produced by Ira Pittelman, Tom Hulce, Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel, Atlantic Theater Company, Jeffrey Sine, Freddy DeMann, Max Cooper, Mort Swinsky, Cindy Gutterman, Jay Gutterman, Joe McGinnis, Judith Ann Abrams, ZenDog Productions, CarJac Productions, Aron Bergson Productions, Jennifer Manocherian, Ted Snowdon, Harold Thau, Terry E. Schnuck, Cold Spring Productions, Amanda Dubois, Elizabeth Eynon Wetherell, Jennifer Maloney , Tamara Tunie, Joe Cilibrasi and StylesFour Productions; Associate Producer: Joan Cullman Productions and Patricia Flicker Addiss

Originally produced by Atlantic Theater Company; Originally produced by special arragement with Tom Hulce and Ira Pittelman

Music by Duncan Sheik; Lyrics by Steven Sater; Book by Steven Sater; Music orchestrated by Duncan Sheik; Vocal arrangements by AnnMarie Milazzo; Additional arragements by Simon Hale; Musical Director: Kimberly Grigsby; Based on the play by Frank Wedekind; Associate Musical Dir.: Deborah Abramson

Directed by Michael Mayer; Choreographed by Bill T. Jones; Assistant Director: Beatrice Terry; Assistant Choreographer: Miguel Anaya, Jr.

Costume Design by Susan Hilferty; Scenic Design by Christine Jones; Lighting Design by Kevin Adams; Sound Design by Brian Ronan; Associate Scenic Design: Edward Coco; Associate Costume Design: Maiko Matsushima; Associate Lighting Design: Aaron Sporer; Assistant Sound Design: David Stollings; Moving Light Programmer: Bobby Harrell

General Manager: Abbie M. Strassler; Company Manager: John E. Gendron; Assistant Co. Mgr: Scott Turowsky

Production Stage Manager: Heather Cousens; Technical Supervisor: Neil A. Mazzella; Stage Manager: Rick Steiger; Assistant Stage Mgr: Bethany Russell; Associate Tech. Suprvr: Sam Ellis

Musical Coordinator: Michael Keller; Conducted by Kimberly Grigsby; Associate Conductor: Trey Files; Keyboards: Kimberly Grigsby; Guitars: Thad DeBrock; Bass: George Farmer; Drums: Trey Files; Cello: Benjamin Kalb; Violin and Guitar: Oliver Manchon; Viola: Hiroko Taguchi; Music Copyist: Steven Alper

General Press Representative: Jeffrey Richards Associates and Irene Gandy; Casting: Jim Carnahan and Carrie Gardner; Fight direction by J. David Brimmer; Marketing and Promotions, Website Design/Web Marketing: Situation Marketing; Dance Captain: Lauren Pritchard; Fight Captain: Brian Charles Johnson; Advertising: Serino Coyne, Inc.; Photographer: Joan Marcus

“Unforgettable! Bold, fun and inviting, Spring Awakening is an exhilarating new musical.”
- Charles Isherwood, The New York Times

“Duncan Sheik and lyricist-librettist Steven Sater’s new version of Spring Awakening explodes in a burst of power pop. Bill T. Jones dances do a marvelous job of capturing youthful energy. This ought to run for years.”

“Imagine that Stephen Schwartz, theater’s most resourceful and tasteful rock-inspired composer, has been born later and grown up listening to Elvis Costello in addition to The Beatles and Richard Rogers. Then you’ll have a sense of the robust grace and sweep of this score, which veers from haunting ballads to exuberant post-punk tirades.”

“The turbulence of youth sad, sweet and sexual stands front and center in Spring Awakening, the new musical by pop songwriter and singer Duncan Sheik and playwright Seven Sater. A remarkable, adventurous and thoroughly compelling new musical.”

- Michael Kuchwara, Associated Press 

“—once in a generation a new musical comes along that changes everything. A breakthrough musical of the highest order!”

- John Heilpern, New York Observer

“The musical nowadays can make money; it can rarely make art. Spring Awakening is a sprightly step in the right direction. An exciting new musical.”

SKYLAR ASTIN  (Georg/Dieter)Marking his Broadway debut, Skylar returns to Spring Awakening after being a part of the Off-Broadway run at the Atlantic theater, and the concert at the American Songbook Series at Lincoln Center. His previous credits include performing as Javert in the final performance of Les Misérables on Broadway, and playing the role of Sonny in Grease at Sacramento Music Circus. In New York City, Skylar has performed in many productions and workshops including playing Skylar in The Me Nobody Knows, and Timmy in Timmy The Great. Skylar would like to thank his family for their unconditional love and support.

LILLI COOPER (Martha) is currently majoring in drama at LaGuardia Arts High School and has also studied voice and piano for several years. Credits include Godspell at the Professional Performing Arts School, Goodbye My Island at New Dramatists, Reel To Real at Alice Tully Hall and Hair at LaGuardia Arts. She has been dancing at The School at Steps for eight years and has performed in numerous dance showcases at John Jay College.

CHRISTINE ESTABROOK (The Adult Women) A veteran stage actress, Estabrook appeared on Broadway in The Sisters Rosensweig, The Heidi Chronicles, I’m Not Rappaport and The Inspector General. Off-Broadway, she’s worked with Second Stage, the Public Theater, and the Lamb’s Theater. She played the role of “Boo” in Blue Window and originated the role of “Helen” in Christopher Durang’s Baby with the Bathwater. Her performance in Pastorale garnered her an Obie Award and she received a Drama Desk Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her portrayal as “Sheila” in The Boys Next Door. TV audiences will instantly recognize Estabrook as Martha Huber, the nosy neighbor who met an untimely end on ABC’s hit show Desperate Housewives. Other notable credits include guest-starring roles on “Six Feet Under,” “7^th Heaven,” and “Veronica Mars.” Feature films include Spiderman 2 and The Usual Suspects. 

JOHN GALLAGHER JR. (Moritz) Last appeared on Broadway in Rabbit Hole. Theatre credits include: Current Events at MTC, David Lindsay-Abaire’s plays Kimberly Akimbo Off-Broadway at Manhattan Theatre Club and South Coast Repertory and the UK premiere of Fuddy Meers (Birmingham Repertory and London’s West End Arts Theatre). Television: “The West Wing,” “Law & Order,” “Law & Order: CSI,” “NYPD Blue,” “Ed,” “Love Monkey” and Hallmark Hall of Fame’s “The Rising Flamingo.” Film credits: Pieces of April, the upcoming Mr. Gibb, and Kenneth Lonergan’s Margaret.

GIDEON GLICK (Ernst/Reinhold). New York theatre credits include: The Issues Project: Democracy (Naked Angels/ The Culture Project), D.C. (Ensemble Studio Theatre) and played Aladdin in Aladdin (MTI's Disney Theatricals). He has performed in numerous regional Philadelphia productions, most notably, Peter Pan and Wendy, The Snow Queen (Prince Music Theatre) and The Three Musketeers (Wilma Theatre).  Gideon's first feature film, One Last Thing…was released this past year.

JONATHAN GROFF (Melchior). Broadway: In My Life. National Tour: The Sound of Music (Rolf). Regional: Fame (North Shore), The Sound of Music (Fulton Opera House), Bat Boy (title role), Honk! and Jesus in Godspell.

BRIAN JOHNSON (Otto, Ulbrecht). Broadway debut. Brian has studied at NYU Tisch and the Atlantic Theater Company. He grew up in Buffalo, NY and is excited to make the move downstate and onto Broadway.

LEA MICHELE (Wendla). Broadway: Fiddler On The Roof (Shprintze, Chava), Ragtime (Little Girl), Les Miserables (Young Cosette). Regional: Anne in The Diary of Anne Frank at Round House Theater, Ragtime (Little Girl) at Toronto’s Ford Center. TV: “Third Watch,” “Guiding Light.” Lea has appeared as Wendla in three previous Spring Awakening workshops, most recently at Lincoln Center.

LAUREN PRITCHARD (Ilse) began her acting career at the age of 7 doing shows in and around the Nashville area. When she was 13 she sang in Carnegie Hall as a member of the National Children's Choir. When she was 14 she began songwriting and then at the age of 16 Lauren decided to move to Los Angeles, California to further pursue an acting and singing career. Lauren appeared in the Lisa Marie Presley "Idiot" music video as well as a few commercials. Lauren is currently working on her own music and hopes to become a recording artist in the near future.

STEPHEN SPINELLA (The Adult Men) won two Tony Awards for his roles in both parts of Angels in America: in 1993, as Best Featured Actor (Play) for Angels in America: Millennium Approaches," and in 1994, as Best Actor (Play) for: Angels in America: Perestroika He was also Tony-nominated in 2000 as Best Featured Actor (Musical) for James Joyce's The Dead. Also an accomplished screen actor, he was recently seen on the hit series “24” playing Miles Papazian, a key figure in the Department of Homeland Security.

PHOEBE STROLE (Anna) graduated from the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drama. Phoebe’s television credits include a recurring role as Jennifer on the FX Network’s hit show “Rescue Me.” She has also had guest lead appearances on NBC’s “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” and Comedy Central’s “Stella.” Phoebe has many credits from the New York University stage. She starred opposite Marcia Gay Harden in a reading of When Grace Comes In on stage at Tisch. Other NYU stage productions include, Smile, Sex, aka Weiners & Boobs, and Myths & Fables. Other theatre: Penguin Repertory Theatre's Animal of the Year and A Different Moon as well as Casa Manana Theatre's Evita, Violet and Bye Bye Birdie. Phoebe has most recently completed the feature film Descent starring Rosario Dawson and directed by Talia Lugacy. 

JONATHAN B. WRIGHT (Hanschen, Rupert) began acting at the age of fourteen at the Creative and Performing Arts magnet program in Michigan. CAPA productions: Brigadoon, You Can't Take It With You, Stage Door, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Les Miserables, Dancing at Lughnasa, Li'l Abner, Into The Woods, Stanley in A Street Car Named Desire, The Crucible, and Macbeth. Jon won a scholarship to the Cranbrook Summer Theatre in his junior year where he played Romeo in Romeo & Juliet. He was cast in Jake Heggie and Terrence McNally’s opera Dead Man Walking at the Michigan Opera Theatre in 2003. Jon performed at Heartlande Theatre Company at Oakland University in 2003 and Heartlande Theatre's "Play by Play" in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He also directed a student version of Sam Shepard’s Buried Child. Jon is a member of the Actors’ Center Conservatory program.

REMY ZAKEN (Thea). Remy is absolutely thrilled to making her Broadway debut in Spring Awakening!  Off Broadway: Radiant Baby at the Public Theatre (directed by George C. Wolfe), Captain Louie  (Little Shubert). Regional: A Little Princess at Theatreworks (directed by Susan Schulman), A Tree Grows in Brooklyn at Goodspeed (Connecticut Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Debut), Annie Warbucks at Playhouse on the Green.  National Tour:  Ragtime.  Recordings: A Little Princess Demo, Scarlet Street's "Jeepers Creepers, Kimbo Educational’s "Circle Time Activities." Many thanks to mom, dad, Michael, Alex, and Nancy Carson.

DUNCAN SHEIK (Music). In addition to writing the music for Spring Awakening, which received a critically acclaimed Lincoln Center American Songbook Concert staging last season, Grammy award nominated singer–songwriter Duncan Sheik collaborated with Playwright Steven Sater on The Nightingale, a musical based on the Hans Christian Andersen classic which premiered during the 26th annual O’Neill Music Theater Conference at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center. Sheik has composed original music for the Public Theatre’s Shakespeare in the Park production of Twelfth Night and for The Golden Rooms of Nero, which recently debuted at Cornell University and opened at the Magic Theater in San Francisco earlier this year. His self-titled debut album, which was an enormous popular and critical success, introduced the hit singles “Barely Breathing” and “She Runs Away,” and spent 30 weeks on the Billboard 200. Other albums include “Humming,” “Daylight,” “Phantom Moon” with lyrics by Steven Sater and his latest, “White Limousine”, which was released in January of 2006. Film Soundtracks: Great Expectations, The Saint, Teaching Mrs. Tingle, Three to Tango, What a Girl Wants, Transamerica and A Body Goes Down. Sheik recently composed and produced the original score for the feature film A Home at the End of the World, directed by Michael Mayer and starring Colin Farrell.

STEVEN SATER (Book & Lyrics) plays include the long-running Carbondale Dreams, Perfect for You, Doll (Rosenthal Prize, Cincinnati Playhouse), Umbrage (Steppenwolf New Play Prize), A Footnote to the Iliad (New York Stage and Film, The Miniature Theatre of Chester), Asylum (Naked Angels), Murder at the Gates (commissioned by Eye of the Storm), In Search of Lost Wings (Sanford Meisner) and a reconceived version of Shakespeare's The Tempest, with music by Laurie Anderson, which played London's Lyric Hammersmith and toured internationally. In addition to Spring Awakening, Sater has collaborated with alt-rocker Duncan Sheik on the NY premiere of Umbrage (HERE), Nero: Another Golden Rome (The Magic Theatre), and The Nightingale (commissioned by Martin McCallum, work-shopped both at the O’Neill Musical Theatre Conference and La Jolla Playhouse, forthcoming in La Jolla’s 2007 season).  He is the lyricist for Sheik's critically-acclaimed album Phantom Moon (Nonesuch), and together the two wrote the songs for Michael Mayer's feature film A Home at the End of the World (Warner Classics) as well as the independent feature Brother’s Shadow. Steven is co-creator and Executive Producer, with Paul Reiser, of recent pilots for both NBC and Sony/FX, and has developed two projects for HBO, and a pilot for Showtime (with Reiser). He is also at work, with Jessie Nelson, on a feature film for New Line. Nelson and together they have recently completed a rewrite of the Warner Bros animated feature, C Horse. In addition, Steven continues to work as a lyricist with a variety of composers in the pop/rock world.

MICHAEL MAYER (Director). Broadway: ‘night Mother, After the Fall; Thoroughly Modern Millie (Drama Desk Award and Tony nomination); An Almost Holy Picture; Uncle Vanya; You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (Tony nomination); The Lion in Winter; Side Man (Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle awards); A View From the Bridge (Drama Desk award); Triumph of Love. Off-Broadway credits include The Credeaux Canvas, Stupid Kids, Antigone in New York, Baby Anger, View of the Dome, Missing Persons, America Dreaming, Hundreds of Hats. National tour: Angels in America. West End: Thoroughly Modern Millie, Side Man. Film: A Home at the End of the World and the upcoming feature film Flicka.

BILL T. JONES (Choreographer)is the recipient of the 2005 Wexner Prize, the 2005 Samuel H. Scripps American Dance Festival Award for Lifetime Achievement, a 2005 Harlem Renaissance Award, and the 2003 Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize.  Mr. Jones began his dance training at the State University of New York at Binghamton (SUNY), studying classical ballet and modern dance.  Mr. Jones choreographed and performed worldwide as a soloist and duet company with his late partner, Arnie Zane before forming the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company in 1982, which recently celebrated its 20^th Anniversary season. Creating more than 100 works for his own company, Mr. Jones has also choreographed for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Boston Ballet, Lyon Opera Ballet, and Berlin Opera Ballet, among others. In 1994, Mr. Jones received a MacArthur “Genius” Award. Bill T. Jones has been awarded several New York Dance and Performance (“Bessie”) Awards; 1986 Joyce Theater Season (along with Arnie Zane), D-Man in the Waters (1989 and 2001), The Table Project (2001) and The Breathing Show (2001). In 2000, The Dance Heritage Coalition named Mr. Jones “An Irreplaceable Dance Treasure.”  Mr. Jones has received honorary doctorates from the Art Institute of Chicago, Bard College, Columbia College, the Juilliard School, Swarthmore College, and the SUNY Binghamton Distinguished Alumni Award.Television credits include PBS’s “Great Performances” Series (Fever Swamp and Last Supper at Uncle Tom’s Cabin/The Promised Land)and “Alive from Off Center” (Untitled). A PBS documentary on the making of Still/Here, by Bill Moyers and David Grubin, “Bill T. Jones: Still/Here with Bill Moyers”, premiered in 1997.  D-Man in the Waters is included in “Free to Dance”, a 2001 Emmy winning documentary that chronicles modern dance’s African-American roots.