Deaf West's "Spring Awakening" is a Dazzling Success

I have seen and was a fan, to varying degrees, of the all four of the past Deaf West musicals from "Oliver" to "Pippin," with a special affinity for "Big River."  In addition, I was quite taken with the Steven Sater/ Duncan Sheaik's musical adaptation of "Spring Awakening" when I first saw it in previews  in 2006 at the Atlantic Theater in New York and in its subsequent Broadway and road tour versions.  Thus, in advance I was primed to like Deaf West's re-imagined "Spring Awakening," which seemed like a good fit of material to concept.   But upon viewing the show this past weekend at the Inner City Arts complex in downtown Los Angeles, I  was stunned by what I witnessed on stage - stunned by the vision, the artistry, the cohesion of the incredibly talented and committed cast, and the perfect melding of show to concept.

The intersection of the deaf and hearing world explored in this production finds a perfect mate in underlying themes of "Spring Awakening," and give new meaning and emotional vibrancy to the show.  While I have liked the previous productions of "Spring Awakening" that I have seen, in all prior productions there were portions of the show that I found a little too harsh, distant and strident.  Not so in this production.  My empathy for these characters in this revival was immediate and constant, making me feel the characters' pain all the more deeply.

A few words about the cast.  Most of these cast members were new to me, but it would be hard to imagine ever finding a more talented and well suited ensemble.  It would not be fair to single out any individual members of the cast for mention, both because they are all so good, and because they appear to operate as a seamless collective.  The band sounds terrific; the staging, projection, lighting and sound are top-notch; and the choreography and movement (by Spencer Liff) are beautifully fluid and appropriately contextual.  The melding of singing, movement and signing is nothing short of breathtaking.

Director Michael Arden is a musical actor who singing and acting has always impressed me, but his directorial work here came as a welcome surprise.  He has created a very special work here that no serious theatergoer in Los Angeles should miss.

Kudos to everyone involved.   You deserve a sold out run.  I suspect you will get one.