Playhouse Stage Company Presents Award Winning Musical “Spring Awakening.”
Written by Staff on April 5, 2024
From Playhouse Stage Company.
Rock musical based on 19th Century German play of the same name explores the challenges of adolescence and coming of age in a repressive world.
Cohoes, N.Y. (April 5, 2024) –On Friday, April 12, Playhouse Stage Company opens a new production of the celebrated musical Spring Awakening. The production will play at Cohoes Music Hall through April 28, with 7:30pm evening performances on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, as well as 2pm matinee performances on Saturdays and Sundays. Playhouse Stage Company has been producing free, outdoor summer musicals at Albany’s Park Playhouse since 1989, and has been presenting musicals year-round at the historic Cohoes Music Hall since 2016.
Complimentary tickets are available throughout the run for members of the media and local theatre press who wish to cover or review the production. To request tickets, please email Owen Smith, Producing Artistic Director, at owen@playhousestage.org.
The winner of eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Spring Awakening features a book and lyrics by Steven Sater, and a rock-infused score by Duncan Sheik. Of its original, 2006 Broadway production, The New York Observer wrote, “Once in a generation, if we’re lucky, an unexpected new musical comes along & changes everything. That is the thrilling achievement of Spring Awakening.” The musical explores the tumultuous journey of adolescents discovering the complexities of life, love, and sexuality in a repressive society. With electrifying music that Entertainment Weekly called “the most gorgeous Broadway score of the decade,” and a fearless approach to important, often taboo topics, including suicide, sexual assault, and child abuse, Spring Awakening grips audiences with an intense emotional journey.
The production is directed by Playhouse Stage Managing Director, Chuck Kraus, with choreography and musical staging by Director of Education AshleySimone Kirchner, and musical direction by Brandon Jones. The trio have helmed the Playhouse’s advanced teen productions since 2016. Rounding out the Creative Team as Intimacy Director is Yvonne Perry, in her first Playhouse Stage Company collaboration.
The youth roles in the production are performed by advanced teen students from the Playhouse Stage Academy theatre training program, alongside local professional performers Ellen Cribbs and Nick Martiniano in a variety of adult roles. The fifteen-person cast is supported by a seven-person, on-stage band comprised of Albany Musicians’ Association players.
“We are excited to give our very talented teen students a chance to work on such a relevant, challenging and exciting piece of theatre,” said Playhouse Stage Producing Artistic Director Owen Smith. “Many themes and topics explored in Spring Awakening are often referred to as adult subject matter, but these are things that teenagers deal with daily, and it is important to shine a light on them. We are extremely proud of both our students and our creative team for handling the heavy-hitting subject matter in such a professional manner, and rising to the occasion to tell this vital story so effectively.” The Playhouse provides a content advisory for the production, reading “Spring Awakening explores subjects that parents may not find desirable to share with children. While this production endeavors to handle these subjects with great care, please be advised: this play contains instances or discussions of violence, sexual situations, assault and self-harm. Individual discretion is encouraged.”
Tickets for Spring Awakening are on sale through The Cohoes Music Hall Box Office, by phone at 518-434-0776, or online at www.playhousestage.org. The production plays April 12-28, 2024.
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