Review: SPRING AWAKENING at Musical Theatre Southwest

Spring Awakening is a rock musical with music by Duncan Sheik and a book and lyrics by Steven Sater. It is based on the 1891 German play Spring Awakening by Frank Wedekind. The musical tells the story of late 19th-century German teenagers discovering the inner and outer tumult of adolescence and sexuality in an oppressed society.

The show begins with teen Wendla Bergmann (Kimberly Jurgens), lamenting the fact that her mother gave her "no way to handle things" and has not taught her the lessons she is meant to know as a young woman. She tells her mother that it is time she learned where babies come from, a confrontation her mother tries to dodge and ultimately tells her a great untruth that will come to color the outcome of the entire show.

At the same time the boys of the show are learning Latin, being abused by their teacher and attempting to deal with their growing lustful feelings and puberty. One student, Melchior Gabor (Noah Smith) claims to have the answers to all the questions the boys are feeling – one boy, Mortiz Steiffel (Lennon Vossen) is particularly anxious and struggling with everything facing him. These troubles are soon to increase, as the school faculty (Jim Williams and Virginia Spotts, who play all the adult roles over the course of the show) plot to release Moritz from school at the end of term.

Both the girls and boys are grappling with questions none of the adults want to answer – the adults ascribe to the “children should be seen and not heard” philosophy, as well as caring far too much what the neighbors think (as opposed to their children). This sets up the action of the show, which deals with unrequited love, homosexuality, pregnancy, abortion, suicide and more.

Sound like an up night at the theater, right? Well, it is. The music is at times beautiful, troubling, sad and angry; standout numbers include “The Dark I Know Well,” sung by Martha (Kristina Padilla) and Ilse (Kyra Sprague) in a wonderful staging and lighting moment – kudos to lighting designer Brittney Baker and director Robb Sisneros for this powerful moment.

The ensemble number are the general standouts throughout the show, including a rousing “The Bitch of Living” and a sensual “The Word of your Body, (and its reprises as well). 

The show is incredibly pertinent today, as we see our society attempting to stifle free speech, human rights and return us to the “good old days;” we seem to have a short term memory about what the good old days are and Spring Awakening is here to remind us all to never go back.

Big props to choreographer Donielle Torres for creating beautiful stage pictures and moments within each song. The ensemble dancing was especially on point and well executed; these were the strongest moments for me as an audience member.

However, I was disappointed to see MTS using tracks instead of live musicians for this show; it’s a show that really benefits from the hard-driving of a good rock band, the tracks created some oddly timed starts and finishes. My companion thought maybe too much funding is being used for licensing and not enough for live musicians? Something to think about moving forward.

And while the blank minimal stage was compelling, it could have used a bit more, I would have liked to see more use of levels for the action. I was not really sure what the choice was to have so many soloists singing upstage with backs to audience members – it was fine once or twice but annoying that so many of the solos were sung to a dead space. While it was encouraging to see MTS employing the great Zoe Burke as an intimacy coordinator (totally necessary for this play!), the choice to stage Wendla and Melchior’s sex scene in a back corner, blocked by the entire ensemble seemed to negate the entire point of the play.

Full disclosure, I always want to give MTS props for taking risks and making bold choices – it’s not something you see every day in community theater. All of their productions, even when there are moments missed there are far more moments of connection, and this Spring Awakening definitely connects with its audience.

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Spring Awakening

6/5 - 6/28/2026