Kari Lien

'Spring Awakening,' opening July 25, speaks directly to today's teens. This 2007 Tony Award-winning Broadway rock musical by Duncan Sheik and Steve Sater is based on a late nineteenth century play by Frank Wedekind. Very controversial in its time, Wedekind's play depicted German parents extending childhood long past the time when nature dictated it was over. They essentially abandoned their children to cope with awakening sexuality without knowledge or support of any kind. Today's American teenagers are luckier - they have enlightened parents, or at least the Internet. Nevertheless, they understand the 'Spring Awakening' characters, and they love the music.