Tomorrow will be our last blog post. Totally Trucked has been the production's way of reaching out to our dedicated fan base, whom we love so dearly. Our little show would never have gotten this far if our fans hadn't decided to adopt it as a show that belonged to them. We were particularly moved by this blog post of one fan, Michelle F., who randomly heard about us on Broadway through a free iTunes download and a mention on Zach Braff's blog. What ensued was a three year old love affair that has had her traipsing to see the show multiple times in New York and around the country--in Pittsburgh, Cleveland, DC, Hershey, and Detroit. Whether you've seen the show once or 100 times, we think every fan will be able to relate to Michele's thoughtful post about what this journey has meant to her, and we wanted to share an excerpt with you:
From: SUPER AWESOME BROADWAY NINJA'S BLOG BY MICHELLE F.
...Many things have changed over my three-year journey with Spring Awakening. Convincing my parents that yet another roadtrip is necessary has become easier, for one thing. I now have two years of college under my belt. I am a more confident person than the seventeen-year-old who watched every cast interview and performance at least eight times. I have met my best friends because of my interest in the show and Broadway in general. But most of all, my journey with Spring Awakening has shown me the impact that art can have on a young person's life. .. I feel that I have gone on as much of a trip with the tour as its fantastic cast members have. Seeing the show over and over again may border on the obsessive, but there's something thrilling and yet comforting about the familiarity of it all. Live theater is never the same, and I remember each and every performance of the show that I've attended - the mishaps, the particularly moving portrayals of various characters that have evolved beautifully over time, and "catching up" with the cast members who recognize us....
As I sat in my seat on Saturday and the a capella section of "Purple Summer" arrived, I thought about everything I've gained from this show, and about everything I'm going to miss - looking over the list of tour cities and figuring out which ones are within driving distance, road-tripping to places that are sometimes deserted and sketchy, the quest to sit in my favorite stage seat again, the feeling of the cast taking the stage and Wendla moving her hair from her shoulders to begin the show. The finality of the tour closing is imminent and weird, and I can't even imagine what emotions the cast is feeling as a huge chapter in their lives comes to a close. But I couldn't have asked for a more perfect final show, and I feel good about the way my journey with it has turned out. As the final chord sounded, I felt a chapter of my own life come to an end. Spring Awakening came along at the perfect time for me, and I will always look back at these years in my life with fondness and nostalgia.
Please read the rest of the post here
Thank you, Michele--and EVERYONE--for your devotion through these years. We can't tell you how much it you meant to us. This may be the end of the road for us, but Spring Awakening continues to live on through international productions and the tour which kicks off next year with a completely new cast! Not gone, not gone...
13 comments:
so this won't be the site to communicate with the non-equity tour? do u know if there's going to be another site for them?
also, if we still want to submit a video audition, do we still submit it at the same website springawakening.com?
I am so grateful that spring awakening came into my life. And one reason why i'm especially sad that this tour is closing is because i have been following the tour since its beginning; so there's a special connection to the tour. i hope i speak for everyone when i say that i hope the cast members know how much they all mean to the fans, including the adults, the band, the crew, and all of the people behind the show.
thanks for all the great memories :)
endless love from Guam.
so much nostalgia in the closing of the 1st tour. and hearing that this blog is closing too makes me even more sad. :(
like what michelle wrote in her blog--it's like a chapter in my life is closing.
but looking forward to the non-eq tour is also like the beginning of another chapter in my life (also with the fact that i'm going to college this fall). aaahhhhh!!! too many changes all at the same time.
beautifully written blog, michelle.
it pretty much sums up how i feel about the show too.
is there a list of tour stops and their dates?
"tomorrow will be our last blog post" just made it all the more final and sad. I guess I just wanted Pun to continue posting videos and updates. I will miss this more than you will ever know and just want to thank you for doing such a great job with this site. I felt like i knew each cast member and it was so much fun to go on this journey with them throughout the past two years. I wish everyone much success in the future...and thank you Pun.
I'm with Anonymous, I'm not sure it's said often, but I think all us fans would agree that we'll miss you as well, Pun :)
I don't think I ever mentioned this, but I once gave a presentation on social media marketing for a class (I'm a web design/visual communications student), and I talked a lot about Spring Awakening's use of social media and how much it's always impressed me -- how from early on SA has jumped on useful technologies (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) and used them well, in a way that made information regarding the show easily accessible (and entertaining!), but more importantly, in a way that always made us fans feel like a part of this. That's social media at its best, I think.
It's unfortunate, but perhaps appropriate, that with all of this misinformation and disorganization regarding the upcoming non-equity tour going on everyone seems to be appreciating just how much you've spoiled us ;) (FYI everyone, the dates for said tour are in NETworks' calendar on their website. Which I found by accident. If that tour continues to be this confusing I just might have to start a fan blog to make up for the lack :P)
Spring Awakening has touched so many lives, mine included. Thank you to the writers, producers, and directors for creating something SO moving and inspiring. Thank you to the cast and crew for giving it your ALL every single night. I truly hope that one day you can all realize the profoundness of what this show has accomplished. I wish everyone the best of luck in all their future endeavors! And, I hope to see Spring Awakening back in the Carolinas soon.
I count myself lucky that I got to see two of the last performances here in Orlando. By accident I got to meet most of the cast outside the stage door after one show, and they were more than gracious and lovely. Taylor was adorable, Steffi D was a joy to talk to, Christy was so tiny in person - hard to imagine that powerhouse voice coming out of her! Having no previous knowledge of the show before I saw it, I can now say that I am haunted by it, in a good way. The songs are stuck in my head, along with the message(s) of the show. These actors are so talented and inspiring, and my hope for them is that they truly realize the gifts they have been given - there are so few people who are blessed with one talent, and these cast memebers have SO MANY talents! I hope they all go on to have long careers and I see them again and again in O-Town! Thank you for such a moving, haunting, exciting experience, and may you all be blessed!
Reading that tomorrow will be the last blog made even more real that the tour is actually over. This cast has inspired sooo many people along its tour! They were amazing and I'm so sad I couldn't be at that final performance. Good luck to everyone involved in this amazing project! The first national tour with the beyond awesome cast may be over, but at least the story of Spring Awakening will continue on with the non-eq tour!!
Pun,
Many many many thanks to you for keeping up this blog and feeding us such great info about the show and the cast. I seriously think you should've been the last Profile of the Month! :) Best wishes to you!
This show has been an influence in my life since I first heard the music in a musical theatre workshop and fell in love with it. Although it has been more than a year since the tour stopped in my city, having this blog has made me feel connected to such an amazing tour. I will most definitely miss it!
It's funny -- I normally don't see the same show twice, but Spring Awakening has been a massive exception.
I had never heard about the show before I saw a giant card hanging from the ceiling in the lobby of Cleveland's Palace Theater while attending a different production--when I walked to the box office to purchase a ticket I was warned that it was a "very extremely explicit" show at least twice before my credit card was taken.
Waiting for the show to come, I bought the OBC CD and fell in love with the music. I saw the show the first time, and was hooked by everything.
I enjoyed it so much that I saw the show a 2nd time in Cleveland.
Then I happened to be in Pittsburgh for work...and saw the show a 3rd time.
Then I scored a on-stage seat for Philadelphia...so I went. And saw the show twice (once from the house, once from the stage)
Then I saw it with my mom while I was in Orange County for work.
Then I saw it twice on stage on the same day in Detroit--on 1 hour of sleep and with a 4 hour drive after the evening performance.
Four states and eight shows later, I can't think of anything I would have rather seen that many times or in that many places.
Congratulations to the cast, musicians, and crew and best wishes for the adventures ahead...
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