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