StageArt Announces the Cast for Spring Awakening

StageArt is pleased to announce the cast for the Victorian professional premiere of the Broadway musical Spring Awakening, which will play at Prahran's Chapel off Chapel from May 18.

Spring Awakening is the Tony Award winning story of youth, rebellion, sexuality and mortality set to a beautiful contemporary rock and folk infused score that conveys teenage turmoil in unexpected and heartfelt ways. The electrifying musical is set in Germany 1891, in a world where the adults hold all the cards and the youth struggle through the adversity of coming of age in a time when sexual education is non- existent.

StageArt has gathered a stellar creative team to bring this powerful and daring tale of teenage angst and self-discovery to life. Spring Awakening is directed by Robbie Carmellotti (The Color Purple, HAIR), who is also an Executive Producer alongside Katherine Armstrong. Caleb Garfinkel (The Color Purple) is Musical Director and renowned contemporary Choreographer Zoee Marsh is making her musical theatre debut.

"Spring Awakening transports us to a time and place which is almost unrecognisable to today's society, yet remarkably the show's contents still strike a resonating chord in all. You can't help but get empathetically swept up into the fatal lives of these young people, who are just trying to understand the world they live in, the bodies they are home to and the urges they feel," says Director Robbie Carmellotti.

From an open call that attracted over 260 extraordinary artists nationally, StageArt announces the Spring Awakening cast: Leading as the beautiful young Wendla is Jessie-Lou Yates (Dirty Dancing UK, Wicked), who explores the mysteries of her

body and wonders aloud where babies come from.

The brilliant and fearless young Melchior will be played by Ashley Roussety (Rent, Hair) who interrupts a mind-numbing Latin class to defend his friend Moritz, played by Brent Trotter (Next to Normal), a boy so traumatised by puberty he can't concentrate on anything.

One afternoon, in a private place in the woods, Melchior and Wendla meet by accident and soon find within themselves a desire unlike anything they've ever felt...

The other young girls in town are Ilse, played by Hannah McInerney (Dogfight, vocalist for Meg Mac), Martha (Luisa Scrofani - Motor-mouth Loves Suck-Face: An Apocalyptic Musical), Thea (Grace Browne) and Anna (Alice Batt - Einstein: Master of the Universe).

The teenage boys are Ernst, played by Alex Thompson (Titanic, Reefer Madness), Ha?nschen (Henry Brett - Oklahoma! A Little Touch of Chaos), Otto (Nathan Fernandez) and Georg (Jordon Mahar - Einstein: Master of the Universe, First Date).

Rounding out the cast is Olivia Solomons as Adult Woman and Barry Mitchell as Adult Man; with Adam Canny and Gabriella Barbagallo as Ensemble.

Spring Awakening is a 2006 Broadway musical adaptation of the 1906 play by Frank Wedekind, with music by Duncan Sheik and a book and lyrics by Steven Sater. The original Broadway production won 8 Tony Awards including Best Musical, Direction, Book, Score and Featured Actor. The original cast also received a Grammy Award. Licences exclusively by Music Theatre International (Australasia). All performance materials supplied by Hal Leonard Australia.

StageArt, led by Katherine Armstrong and Robbie Carmellotti, continues to produce groundbreaking musicals that are rarely seen on Australian stages. The company strives to cast its shows with diversity and equality by showcasing the extraordinary talent that exists locally.

StageArt presents Spring Awakening From May 18
Chapel off Chapel
12 Little Chapel Street, Prahran Tickets on sale April 03, ticket prices $49-$79 www.stageart.com.au/springawakening