Archived Video: Day at Chicago Beach

Spring Awakening Tour Archives: Day at Chicago Beach

During these frigid winter months of record breaking snowstorms, we take you back into the SA Tour archives of a warm summer day, Chicago beach style. Join the SA cast as they soak up the August sun in the always freezing Chicago waters of Lake Michigan. Swimsuits, carnivals, Ferris Wheels, Sears Tower, Navy Pier - oh, to trade in the scarfs and gloves for a little SA fun in the sun. This video was narrated by Anthony Lee Medina (mostly) and edited by Krystina Alabado. Enjoy!

VIDEO

Class Assignment: Spring Awakening Holiday Traditions

Traditions are what make the holidays warm and bright on nights when it's "chill in the wind", and every family has different ways to celebrate the season. The Spring Awakening family has traditions of its own, including trading Secret Santa gifts with each other while in Denver. Now, after months of being on the road, everyone is looking forward to going home for the holidays. In this class assignment, we asked our cast members, "what are some of the holiday traditions that make your family unique?" Here are their answers:

Jake Epstein: I come from a family of very talented musicians and crazy South African uncles. Every year, my fam has a Hanukkah party. But the rule is , if you want to eat, you have to get up and perform a skit for everyone. It started as a tradition to entertain all of us youngsters, but as we've gotten older we're now the ones who have to perform. It makes for a really hilarious night.



Kimiko Glenn: Every year, my family opens one gift on Christmas eve that they've been eying under the Christmas tree. We usually end Christmas night with a walk through our neighborhood which is notorious for getting together and decking their houses with the most beautiful, outrageous Christmas decorations. Then we settle down with a rented movie around the fireplace. I can't wait!

Krystina Alabado: I love Christmas!! It is my most favorite holiday and season! Like, I'm obsessed haha. Anyway, my tradition back at home with my family is a little different than most. We actually open our presents from Santa on the Eve not the Day! While we go to church "Santa" makes an early pit-stop at our house and drops off all our presents, and then when we get home, we pump up the X-mas tunes and pour the eggnog and we open them like most families do on Christmas morning! Then we all jump in the car and head to my grandma's house where we celebrate Christmas with all my aunts and uncles and cousins! There is lots of music, and pictures, and amazing food! Then, on actual Christmas morning, me and all of my cousins wake up super early, and wake up our parents and we all eat my Grandmas homemade posole (an amazing Mexican stew) and gather around the tree and open up presents from each other...my favorite memories come from those Christmas's with my huge crazy family!! And I cannot wait to go home and do all this! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!



Marques Walls: Every Christmas Eve, my mother and I watch the movie "Jingle All the Way" while eating caramel popcorn and egg nog.

Matt Shingledecker: I play the piano for my whole family every year, and at some point in the day I make up lyrics to popular songs roasting various members of my family. My Mama also makes the best Mac and Cheese ever!

Sarah Hunt: In Portland, Oregon there's a street called "Peacock Lane" where all of the tenants are required to decorate their houses and property for the holiday season creating a street full of regurgitated holiday cheer. My favorite family tradition is going to Peacock Lane every year on Christmas Eve and getting hot apple cider, freezing my ass off, and seeing all of the decorations- somehow the experience never gets old and never ceases to bring a happy nostalgia to my heart.

Krista Pioppi: I have a HUGE Italian family, so on Christmas Eve we celebrate the Vigil with the festa dei sette pesci, or the Feast of the Seven Fishes. It's a meal that typically consists of seven different seafood dishes, and since I am a pescetarian (I dont eat meat, only fish), I really enjoy this tradition that fits my lifestyle! Just being home with family is the best part of the holidays :)



Steffi D: During the holiday season, my entire family gathers for a huge, old fashion, loud, Italian dinner. After we are nice and full, we sit around the dinner table and take Ouzo shots. (This liquorice flavoured Greek liquor. Yuk!) We pour a shot glass full for a family member and scream "Ouzo! Ouzo! Ouzo!" until they take it. (Thankfully, the drinking age in Canada is 19) Then, we gather in the living room for dirty jokes told by my uncle Angelo and bad karaoke songs.

We'd love to hear your fun family traditions as well! Please leave a comment below. There will not be a blog post this Friday, the 25th.

In this season of giving thanks for those who love and nurture us, the Spring Awakening family wants to thank you, our fans, for giving us so much inspiration and love along the way. Wishing you and your families warm, bright and joyful nights this season.

Hershey On Stage Seats Go on Sale Monday Dec 21st at 9 am

Starting this Monday, Dec. 21st at 9:00 am, remaining onstage seats for our Hershey engagement will be available to the public by phone or at the box office window. There is very limited seating remaining for some shows, so call 717.534.3405 on Monday as soon as you can!

As a reminder, here's some basic info:

Each person can purchase two stage seats to the Spring Awakening performance of your choice. Each stage seat will cost $25. Call 717.534.3405 to order the tickets, or visit the Box Office window at 15 E. Caracas Avenue in downtown Hershey. Remember: These tickets will be available starting this Monday at 9 am.

Here is a listing of Spring Awakening's dates and times:

Tuesday, January 5 at 7:30 pm
Wednesday, January 6 at 7:30 pm
Thursday, January 7 at 7:30 pm
Friday, January 8 at 8 pm
Saturday, January 9 at 2 OR 8 pm
Sunday, January 10 at 2 OR 7 pm

Remember - there is only very limited seating left!

Cincinnati On-Stage Seats go on sale Mon Dec 21st

ON STAGE SEATS FOR SPRING AWAKENING IN CINCINNATI
GO ON SALE MONDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2009!

On stage seats for every performance of SPRING AWAKENING, playing the Aronoff Center January 12-24, 2010 will go on sale this Monday. These seats offer an exciting and unique way to experience the performance with the action of the show taking place all around you.

On stage seats are $25 and will be available for purchase in-person only at the Broadway Across America Box Office, downtown in the Mercantile Center at 120 East 4th Street. Box Office hours are Monday through Friday 9:00am-5:00pm. The Box Office will be closed December 24-January 4th for the holidays.

For the safety of the patrons and the performers, ticket buyers will be asked to adhere to the stage seating procedures that will be provided to them at the time of purchase.

IF YOU LIVE OUTSIDE THE AREA: For ticket buyers who live outside of the Cincinnati area, please call the box office at 513-241-2345 during box office hours.

Fan Friday Video: Denver's Meet and Greet with the Cast

One of the top prizes for the Guilty One Street Team members who earn enough points is a MEET AND GREET with the Spring Awakening Tour cast. Kat, one of our Denver Guilty Ones, posted this awesome video from the Denver Meet and Greet at the Hard Rock Cafe.

What makes this video filled with awesomeness? Kat's own "Hot Minute" questions for our cast members such as "what is your internet vice?" and "what flavor popsicle would you be?" See how the cast responded. The video also features some really cool shoes worn by Steffi D and Jake beat bopping to Lady Gaga's "Christmas Tree" with the street team! Another nice surprise? Jenna Ushkowitz from the Broadway company (and currently on GLEE), was there! Thanks, Kat and co for this vid and for all your hard work! Hope you guys had a great time being street team members!




If you would like to join the street team for an upcoming tour city, email your name, age and phone number with the tour city closest to you in the subject heading to: nationalguiltyones (at) gmail (dot) com.

Next Profile of the Month: Christy Altomare!

Our next Profile of the Month is our fierce, sweet Wendla, Christy Altomare!

Christy is especially well suited to be our next profile. Not only are we going back to PA, where Christy is from (we'll be in Hershey Jan 5-10th), but Christy went to college in Cincinnati (where we'll be Jan 12th-24th). She got her BFA in musical theatre at the College Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati where she received the Offenberger/Duckett award for Excellence in Musical Theater. She also wrote the score for the play "Anon[ymus]", by Naomi Iizuka, which got the Cincinnati ACCLAIM award for best play of the season.

Christy has been performing since the age of five in theater productions. She wrote her first song at the age of twelve and has recorded three CDs:Not yet Over You(2004), Waiting For You (2007). and an EP entitled After You which was recorded in the fall of 2008 while on tour with Spring Awakening in Los Angeles.

Got a question for Christy? Leave it as a comment below. Deadline is Sunday, Jan 3rd, 2010.

Hey Los Angeles! Upright Cabaret with Kyle and Christy

For all of you in SoCal, this little announcement may help to fill the void in your heart created when Spring Awakening left town a few weeks ago (boy, we sure think highly of ourselves, don't we?).

Christy Altomare and Kyle Riabko, our original Melchoir, will be in Los Angeles for a special cabaret. Don't miss it!

The Kyle and Christy Cabaret will be an evening filled with music, stories and laughs. Kyle Riabko and Christy Altomare have been touring together in the National Tour of Spring Awakening, and now they are back in LA to share some of their original music. Also, a couple of surprise guests!

Thursday, December 17th
9pm

To purchase tickets, click here: http://www.uprightcabaret.com/?m=20091217&cat=4

***UPDATE from a fellow fan: "Called the Upright and they said there are still tickets that will be sold at the door but they are standing room only. Advanced sales are sold out."

New TotallyTrucked Video: Who Wants to Be An American Idiot?

Spring Awakening Tour:" Who wants to be an American Idiot?

The theatre community was abuzz in the Bay Area this past October with not one, but two groundbreaking musicals hitting the scene with some familiar ties. SA garnered rave reviews in San Jose while SA Broadway alums John Gallagher Jr., Brian Charles Johnson, and Gerard Canonico were playing to sold out houses at Berkeley Rep performing Green Day's punk musical "American Idiot,"directed by Spring Awakening director Michael Mayer. Our cast, along with hitchhiker and original SA cast member Skylar Astin, bussed it out to support them (by the way, the "n" is missing in Astin's name in the video, which was created by Steffi D. She wanted y'all to know, she knows how to spells Skylar's name..it's a computer glitch). Christy Altomare says "It's probably the best musical I've ever seen in my whole life"(aside from Spring Awakening of course!). Check it out as Steffi D takes you on the American Idiot journey...

VIDEO

LAST CALL: VOTING for SA's Totally Trucked Ends Sunday 12/13

We are down to the last few days of Mashable's Open Web Awards and we need EVERYONE to vote during this home stretch. Contest ends this Sunday 12/13!!

Let's show the world what true Guilty Ones are made of. You will be helping us promote the show and will give the cast members the recognition they deserve for working so hard to supply you with your TotallyTrucked videos.

Make Totally Trucked the "Best brand Use of YouTube". Vote ONCE A DAY until Sunday! It's just a click away - http://bit.ly/MashNom

You can make the difference. Thank you!

Spring Awakening Tour's Honorary Dog TAG Needs Your Help

Many of you have seen our honorary Guilty One and 4-legged friend TAG at the stage door and wondered, "What up with the dog?" Well TAG is not your typical yellow lab but a PAWS & EFFECT service dog in training and he needs your help. SA "Adults" Angela Reed and Todd Cerveris have been volunteering to help train TAG for his debut as a full fledged service dog and now the time has arrived for a young man with Multiple Sclerosis to receive TAG's love and guiding paw.

In order for this to happen, however, the full cost needs to be fundraised. Donations can be placed online by simply clicking this link - http://paws-effect.org.

Todd has written a letter to all Totally Trucked Fan and can be read in full below. In the meantime, check out this exclusive vid brought to you by TAG himself...




Dear Totally Trucked Fans,

Recently, while on tour with SPRING AWAKENING, my wife Angie (your friendly, neighborhood "Adult Female") and I (understudy to the "Adult Male") made the acquaintance of Paws and Effect, an organization in Des Moines, Iowa that specializes in the care & training of therapy dogs and service dogs.

In the Spring of 2009, while on the road, we ended up taking care of a P&E service-dog-in-training, a 9-month-old yellow lab named Tag. His skill set was already advanced; our charge was very simple: expose him to the rigors of travel. He became a favorite of the cast & crew. I'm sure many of you saw him at the stage door, in his service vest, learning the ropes.

Tag’s now fully-trained and ready for service. His future recipient suffers from multiple sclerosis. He’s wheelchair-bound. His speech is mildly affected. He's a student graduating from college this December and plans to pursue a career in human services. He'll rely on Tag to answer the phone, to open doors, to pick up items he's dropped. To serve as his hands, and sometimes his legs. Paws & Effect has committed to making the placement, however a well-trained service dog is not cheap; so we're helping raise funds to cover the rest.

There’s a grant application in the works, private donors have been contacted, but neither will come close to meeting the full cost. Which is why I am pleased to announce Paws & Effect’s current fundraising effort - http://paws-effect.org

I won’t be coy – I’m asking for a donation (http://paws-effect.org)

It's a chance to make a single, straight-forward improvement in one person's quality of life. It's a chance to know you've had a direct and immediate impact. And one important element of a challenge like this is knowing that several…many…hundreds…even thousands of people out there want to help make it right.

In other words, it’s perfectly fine if your donation amount is small. Perfectly fine. But let’s help make the number of actual donorsbig. Enormous. GIGANTIC.

If there's one lesson to be taken away from a show like SPRING AWAKENING, it's that we are not alone in this life. We all need each other's help, support, and compassion. Please, won’t you consider making a donation? And please, tell your friends.

Your donation is tax-deductible, and please know that 100% of all donations go directly towards the cost of care, training, and veterinary expense of placing Tag. Awash as we all are with vague pleas for generic help, with only the presumed impact of social good – here’s a way you can help change one person’s life. Easily. Directly. Profoundly.

Thanks for your help & best wishes to you all this holiday season,
Todd Cerveris

Spring Awakening at the Buell Theatre, Denver: Reviews and Press

We got unanimous rave reviews in Denver!! One music critic loved the show so much, the next day, he got eight more tickets to see the show three more times! In this post are some interesting tidbits that will be of interest to any true Spring Awakening fan, including new information on our cast members (See pictures of Taylor's previous productions, Chase talks about his awakening, a video interview with Jake, and more) and intelligent discourse about the show (did you know that Hanschen's kiss was a metaphor for capitalism?). Read on.


REVIEWS

DENVER POST
"Few musicals have the ability to impact lives like this one. Speaking with an uncanny clarity about a fundamental, frightening rite of human passage, "Spring Awakening" is not just for 16-year-olds, but also for anyone who remembers being 16.
Many look to theater for an escape into faraway worlds. Others seek some catharsis that might help them make urgent sense of their own confusing lives. Almost never does one piece achieve both."
http://www.denverpost.com/theater/ci_13911151

OUT FRONT COLORADO
"Lovers of dark, serious theatre will love it. Lovers of great musical theatre will love it. One of the most satisfying evenings of theatre this season."
http://www.outfrontcolorado.com/extra.php?itemid=538

GAY CULTURE EXAMINER
"Raising eyebrows as it raises the roof. Judging from the standing ovation that Tuesday evening’s performance received, Denver is welcoming the break in season with Spring Awakening."
http://www.examiner.com/x-6694-Denver-Gay-Culture-Examiner~y2009m12d2-Denver-welcomes-Spring-Awakening-with-standing-ovation

DSCRIBER
"Victorian Punk. 'Spring Awakening' spreads the ever-present adolescent gospel - everything is not OK, we are going crazy, stop lying to us. That's a good message to hear, at any age."
http://dscriber.com/home/754-victorian-punk-spring-awakening-tour-hits-heartland.html

MILE HIGH MAMAS "If you desire to have a little rock and roll added to your life by this dynamic cast full of fabulous young voices and commanding on stage personalities get your tickets soon! We truly had a fabulous evening!"
http://www.milehighmamas.com/2009/12/04/broadway-musical-spring-awakening-review/

AGE OF MELISSIUS
"I was completely blown away! We (parents, teachers & clergy) need to be available as a safe place to come to with concerns. If I walk away from seeing this with at least being that kind of parent to my boys, then maybe I can save them some of the heartache that comes with growing up."
http://ageofmelissius.blogspot.com/2009/12/spring-awakening.html

CHRONICLES OF A WRITER
"After more than a year of waiting, my high expectations of experiencing the exploitive sensation that is Spring Awakening is nothing if not utterly fulfilled."
http://www.chroniclesofawriter.com/archives/495

FEATURES

Interview with Taylor Trensch. Taylor was a member of the Lake Dillon Summer Repertory in 2008. You'll love these pics from his past productions.
http://blogs.denverpost.com/runninglines/2009/12/04/spring-awakenings-taylor-trensch-at-lake-dillon/


Taylor in Little Shop of Horrors

A pop music critic's take on SA. Ricardo Baca loved the show so much, the next day, he got eight more tickets for three more performances! "How excellent is it that guitarist Freddy Hall looks just like Fray lead singer Isaac Slade? And how wild is it that associate conductor Kristen Lee Rosenfeld comes off like a cool indie rock chick, guiding her band with the ease and unaffected charisma of Erika Wennerstrom of indie darlings the Heartless Bastards"
http://blogs.denverpost.com/runninglines/2009/12/04/ricardo-baca-onstage-at-spring-awakening/

Interview with Steven Sater and Jake Epstein. "On film, sex sells. On stage, sex scares people to death." A great discussion. http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_13873894

Denver Post critic John Moore sees the show again from onstage and elaborates in his blog on the Hanschen kiss as a metaphor for capitalism: http://blogs.denverpost.com/runninglines/2009/12/03/spring-awakening-in-denver-tidbits-and-leftovers/

BROADWAY WORLD
Interview with the Denver Guilty Ones
http://denver.broadwayworld.com/article/Denvers_Guilty_Ones_talk_Spring_Awakening_20091201

Article: Interview with Taylor Trensch
"In high school ... I started to have so much difficulty in school towards the end, so it's definitely been cathartic to get to play this role and kind of re-live my own adolescence"
http://www.outfrontcolorado.com/features.php?itemid=524

Out Front's Video interview with Jake Epstein
Interviewer: So, Jake, are you single?
Jake: I'm not going to answer that question."
http://www.outfrontcolorado.com/blog/?p=1470&cpage=1

Video interview with Steffi D. Steffi describes the show and her character.
http://mydenvercenter.org/2009/12/07/spring-awakening-and-ilse/

Blog interview with Chase Davidson. Chase's Awakening? "“Let’s just say, I got curious one night at a sleepover!”
http://gayzetteblog.com/2009/11/30/an-awakening-on-stage/

Video interview with Angela Reed, our Adult Woman backstage: John Moore, critic for Denver Post, welcomes Angela home to Denver. Talks about her influences http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VDsJhTBNx8&feature=player_embedded

Profile of the Month: Jake Epstein Part II

We continue on with Jake Epstein's Profile of the Month, Part 2 - Melchior lives on! Find out Jake's take on Melchior's life post 1891 and the official word on the impostor Twitter profile of Jake Epstein (spoiler - it's not him). And finally, how does one describe Steffi D and the rest of the cast in one word - find out!

VIDEO - Part 2


Thanks for all your submissions, everyone! Sorry we couldn't answer every question, but we tried to feature the most asked questions. For the record, Jake received five marriage proposals...LOL Here are the questions asked in Part I and II:

JAKE PROFILE OF THE MONTH QUESTIONS


1. Many fans have asked for a Hot Minute Video:

What is your:

full name?

favorite food?

TV show you’re currently hooked on?

quirk/ or interesting fact about yourself?

Pet peeve?

favorite band?

dream role?

2. Kevin wrote:

Hi, I’m a young actor (trying to get into college) and I always enjoy when this question comes up in acting classes.... Why do you act or what is the most fulfilling part about being an actor for you? How did you get your start?

3. Many fans asked: do you like acting on stage or on television better? Which character is harder to play, Craig from Degrassi or Melchior from Spring Awakening ?

4. Emily and Rozzie asked: what is the craziest thing a fan has ever done?

5. Sharon says:

You are amazing!!! Just a quick question, we all know you write your own songs... (The Way You Shine and My Window are my faves!!) Are you planning on releasing an album anytime soon? Please say yes!! :)

6. Anonymous asked:

What do you know about Melchior that we wouldn’t as an audience? For example, do you have any additional backstory that you keep in mind while portraying Melchoir? Jessica and Rachelle add: what do YOU think happens to Melchoir after the show ends? Love you!!!


7. Laura wrote:

Jake, I've read that your grandparents are Holocaust survivors and your mom wrote the book, "The Secret of Gabi's Dresser." Has this affected how you feel about playing such a radical character from pre-war Germany?

8. There seems to be someone on Twitter with a fake Jake Epstein account. Just to set the record straight, “Do you have a Twitter Profile? Myspace? Facebook? How can fans stay in touch with you?”

9. From Anne Claire:

If you could describe each of the Spring Awakening cast members (including yourself) in only one word starting with the first letter in their name, what would you say?

10. Anonymous and Devon from California asks:

If you could have dinner with any celebrity, dead or alive, who would it be?

Profile of the Month: Jake Epstein

Spring Awakening Tour: POM - Jake Epstein Part #1

You may have seen him as Craig Manning on Degrassi: The Next Generation for seven seasons. You might even have been a fan earlier on during the Zack Files or Quints years. Or perhaps you've seen him as Spring Awakening's resident hunky radical. But how well do you really know Jake Epstein? In this POM edition, Steffi D relays your long awaited questions and even pulls out her signature "Hot Minute." Find out about an uber-friendly-fan showing up unannounced at Jake's house (don't get any ideas) and if an upcoming album is in the works - perhaps with a ping pong/mad man slant.

Don't fret, Part 2 will be out next Tuesday with more of your burning questions!

VIDEO PART 1

Spring Awakening in Denver, CO!

We're leaving the balmy California weather and getting ready to put our snow boots on! There's nothing to get you more in the holiday spirit than some snow (provided, of course, there are fireplaces, blankets and hot cocoa waiting near by). Denver is a hip, progressive town with a hopping arts scene. It's also beautiful at this time of year. As Krista Pioppi writes in her new blog post, "The streets are all decked out in lights and wreaths, and you can hear holiday music playing in every restaurant/store. It's FABULOUS!!" Oh yeah. we're going to rock the Mile High City!!

Spring Awakening plays Denver at the Buell Center Dec 1-13th. Tickets start at just $25-$90 and can be purchased here:
http://www.denvercenter.org/shows-and-events/Shows/SpringAwakening/Overview.aspx

STAGE DOOR: After the show, come around back and say hi! Stage Door is on 1323 Champa St.

DID YOU KNOW? In Denver's rarified air, golf balls go 10% further. So do cocktails. Alcoholic drinks pack more of a punch than at sea level.

ANNOUNCEMENT: There are still a few $25 on-stage seats left for the run of the show, and a shockingly large number for tonight's Opening Night performance. Come be in the middle of all the exhilarating opening night energy! Tickets are not available online. They are available in person at the box office at the Helen Bonfils Theatre Complex on Speer & Arapahoe or by phone by calling 303.893.4100. Get 'em!!

IN TOWN PRESS

DVR ALERT! Our own Mile High Mama, Angela Reed, is being trotted out with the Welcome Home mat. A native from Parker, CO, Denver audiences may know our talented Adult Woman from when she won Best Actor in a Comedy in a production of After Ashley at the Denver Center. Catch her live interview today!

TUE DEC 1, 2009
4:25 pm LIVE TV FOX TV interview will be with TV news anchor Chris Parente.

A Thanksgiving in DisneyLand

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving weekend! On the road, the cast and crew don't have the luxury of home cooked meals and other traditions that people may take for granted. No, they have to make up their own traditions, and what could be more untraditional--and fun--than spending Thanksgiving at the Happiest Place on Earth!? Kayla Foster uploaded these pics and provided captions of the Spring Awakening family's thrill-filled Turkey day. Enjoy!



Christy, Krystina, and Kayla with their Minnie Mouse ears in front of the castle!



Andy Mientus striking a pose while waiting in line...he's great at multi-tasking.



Twins!



Big drop on Space Mountain!



Matt tweeted this pic. Think he was hungry...?



We had such a fun Thanksgiving at the "The happiest place on earth"!

To see more pictures, go to our Flickr gallery: http://www.flickr.com/groups/springawakeninggallery