Fan Friday

Meet Frances Koncan. Frances is a huge Spring Awakening fan. Hear what she had to say about her experience with the show below.

SA: How long have you been a fan of Spring Awakening?
FK: I have been a fan of Spring Awakening just over a year now. I am unfortunately neither 'old school' nor 'new school', and thus have been suffering for an identity crisis for quite some time now.

SA: When and where have you seen the show? (More than once?)
FK: Like age, it's nothing but a number. It doesn't really mean anything. For anyone that's interested, we'll make it fun! Solve for X: [4^((2x - 132)^(1/3))]/8 + 467 = 469. Major props to anyone who bothers to figure that out. If you seriously did, holler and I will take you out for coffee so I can bow down to your mathematical skill in person. To get all needlessly specific, I saw the show 5 times in San Francisco, and the rest in New York. In retrospect, I had way too much free time in early 2008.

SA: What is your favorite part of the show?
FK: I have many favourite parts of the show. My enjoyment of different songs and scenes depends greatly on who I am with, where I am sitting, who's in the cast, and how much coffee I've had to drink. I really like 'Left Behind' if I am up onstage with some friends, because we like to put sad faces on and see which one of us can get the fake tears going first. My absolute favorite part of the show, though, is 'Song of Purple Summer'. I am told I look very bored when I watch the show, but that I always seem very happy during Purple Summer. This is true. It melts my frozen, apathetic little heart and I usually end up spending a good 20 minutes hugging everyone and telling them how much I love them afterwards. I like that. There is never a bad time to tell your friends you love them. Can I tell them right now? Dear friends, I love you! Also, Robert Downey Jr., I love you as well. (Facebook me!)

SA: What's your favorite song from the soundtrack?
FK: Several people asked me to take this time to relay a public service announcement: it's not a soundtrack, it's a cast recording. Personally, I don't care or see why it matters and I understand the question so I'm not going to dwell on a technicality (but I felt like I should throw that out there since I have commandeered this soapbox for a hot minute!) I am in the camp of nitpickers who think the cast recording is kind of sub-par; based on that recording, I would say my favourite song is 'The Dark I Know Well', because not a whole lot is lost in translation from stage to cd/ipod. Based on other audios I prefer to listen to... I would still go with 'The Dark I Know Well'. I know this song is not exactly uplifting and I feel like a tool tapping my foot and bopping my head to a song where girls are singing about how their fathers sexually abuse them, but that drum beat is too much contagious. It's like the flu, or lice.

SA: Any other music, shows, or bands that you particularly love?
FK: I love all music! I love it more than anything or anyone else in the world. Much to the chargrin of my parents, I am under the impression that I do not need food, clothing, or money, just music, to survive. Music is the best of mathematics and the best of art and I adore it. I listen to and appreciate a wide variety of genres and styles, but when it comes down to it, I am very loyal to classical music (I studied classical horn and classical piano for my first few years in college before deciding I wanted to become a journalist at work for CNN instead). Fact: there is an awful lot of Gregorian Chant on my iPod.

Farewell San Francisco!

Hey Bloggers!

As we head into our final weekend here in San Francisco, I think I speak on behalf of the whole company when I say THANK YOU SAN FRANCISCO for making these past six weeks so special. We had a great time here, whether it was hanging out with Sea Lions at Pier 39 or getting locked up at Alcatraz. All your support means so much to us and we're so grateful for this enthusiastic reception of our production. I just wanted to send this out before all the craziness started - we've got a lot of packing to do and I wouldn't want to go without a proper goodbye!

So, once again, good bye and thank you San Francisco - Seattle, here we come!

-Ben

More Videos from San Francisco

Fan Friday

This week’s featured fan is Chris Murakami from Elk Grove, CA. Chris has memorized every song and scene from the show and has taught himself every ensemble harmony. Recently, in his high school cabaret show, he directed a short sequence of numbers from Spring Awakening teaching all of the ensemble harmonies and most of the original choreography! Chris is a true fan, and answered some questions for us.

SA: How long have you been a fan of Spring Awakening?
CM: The first time I was introduced to Spring Awakening was when a friend brought the soundtrack to my birthday party a few years ago. At first, I was a bit taken aback by the lyrics and profanity, but soon became an instant fan. Since then, I've completely fell in love with the show and how captivating it is.

SA: Have you seen the show live yet? If so, where and how many times?
CM: I have seen the show once live with the touring company in San Francisco. However, I eventually want to see the show in New York. I'm planning on seeing the show this Sunday again on the 28th. I'm really excited to meet the cast again and hope they remember me.

SA: What's your favorite scene from the show?
CM: My favorite part of the show is "The Song of Purple Summer". When I saw it live, there
were so many more harmonies than on the recording and I was completely blown away. Another favorite moment of the show was the beating scene. Since I hadn't seen the show before, this was a surprise to me. Although I'm sure the actors have rehearsed it so many times, it seemed so real, spontaneous, and raw. In my opinion, it's the most powerful scene in the show.

SA: What is your favorite song from the Soundtrack?
CM: The best song on the soundtrack is Mama Who Bore Me (Reprise). I love to blast the song in my car and just belt it. When I'm at stoplights, people tend to stare at me...

SA: Any other music, shows or bands that you particularly love?
CM: The mixing of stage and contemporary music that is featured in Spring Awakening and other current musicals helped inspire me to begin writing my own musical. I play the piano and I am learning guitar, and have written a number of original songs for my show. I'm finishing writing the lyrics and revising the script, but I'm well on my way. In addition to this, I helped organize and teach a medley of songs from Spring Awakening for a talent show at my high school. Sadly, I'm able to recite every original cast member, the role they've played, the roles they've understudied (including the swings), and am currently working on memorizing the tour cast. My favorite performer from Spring Awakening is Phoebe Strole, the original Anna, and i'd love to meet her someday. Finally, I auditioned for the show when there were open calls in San Francisco. I got called back to read for Moritz and sing from the show. Overall, it was an awesome experience and I loved every minute of it!