Pangdemonium's Spring Awakening

Last Friday (Feb 3), we caught the opening (yes, the very first!) show of Spring Awakening at the National Library's Drama Centre.

These are our tickets:

Because we booked early, we got really good seats--just four rows away from the stage, giving us close look at Pangdemonium's production.

Spring Awakening, as the title suggests, is a coming-of-age story about a bunch of teenagers who get a taste of the real world's many pleasures and pains. The play tackles difficult topics: suicide, sexual abuse, unplanned pregnancy.

Some comments about the cast:

Photo credit: www.feveravenue.com

It's nice to find a Filipina cast in the female lead role. Julia Abueva coasts by smoothly in her sweet role as Wendla (the character's name distracts me, by the way). Initially, I thought that she lacked gravitas to do justice to her character, but hey, the role is that of a clueless, virginal lass, so I shouldn't be nitpicking. I have no doubt she'll eventually mature and be a star in the international scene.

Photo credit: www.feveravenue.com

Powpow thought that Eden Ang (in the pivotal role of Moritz) was more concerned with getting his moves right than actually singing the part well. And I agree: he seemed like a poseur--someone who does rock star poses and stances without really feeling and understanding the heart of the song.

Photo credit: www.feveravenue.com

I think the star of the show was Nathan Hartono. He sang bravely and wonderfully, connecting with the audience on a primal level. Two songs--"Touch Me" and "Left Behind"--became my favorite because of him.

Pangdemonium's Spring Awakening bristles with raw emotions, but somehow, it didn't really "come together" or "hit the spot" for me, if you know what I mean. It had great moments, especially "The Bitch of Living" and the two songs I mentioned, but ultimately, the musical (at least during the opening) didn't fully satsfy me.

OVERALL SCORE: 6.75/10

Pangdemonium! Productions Presents: Spring Awakening!

Date: 3 – 26 February 2012

Venue: Drama Centre Theatre at the National LibraryTickets can be purchased from Sistic (www.sistic.com.sg, tel: 6348-5555).