How to make a deaf musical

Deaf West is putting on a production of Spring Awakening. This video gives some insight into how the production was created.
Spring Awakening is a great musical. I saw it in New York a bunch of years ago. I happened to see the original cast which included actors/actresses who most people probably know from the TV show Glee.

Spring Awakening is in the city!

Remember I said that Spring Awakening was coming to the city? Well, it's here.
Read up about it before you decide to see it as it's a little bit controversial, but I would highly recommend it.
The touring cast is mostly different from the cast that I saw on Broadway, but the guy who plays Moritz is still the same and has already gotten a mention at blogto. I remember liking him as well. I think I liked most, if not all of the performers, come to think of it.
It was a great show.

Spring Awakening

Another day, another musical!
I picked this one only because it won the 2007 Tony Award for Best Musical. I wanted to see what the big fuss was about and get a feel for what the Tony's reward.
Spring Awakening is a musical based on the play by Frank Wedekind. A play so controversial at the time that it was banned from being performed. Set in a provincial German town in the 1890s, the musical shows the lives of a group of adolescents who, as the time dictates, live a sheltered life. As one individual takes it upon himself to learn more about life and the world around them issues that youth face no matter the time and place. I don't want to tell you too much more about the struggles that they have or else I'd be giving it all away.
Even though it wasn't your typical feel-good musical, I really enjoyed it. It dealt with serious issues, but the musical numbers were fantastic. The cast was incredible. Whoever did the casting did a great job. It was so fun to see the characters really come alive - the musical numbers really helped in that regard. The staging, the lighting, the set - everything was so appropriate to the type of show that it was. You wouldn't think that tube fluorescent lights would be effective, but it really was amazing. I was sitting at the front of the balcony - really really good seats, but due to the intimate nature of the show, I would recommend that you get orchestra seats to this show - unless they're at the very back or something, than maybe balcony would be better. There are also seats onstage as well, which put you right in the middle of the action. Speaking of action (bad segway), if you're uncomfortable with nudity and PDA, then maybe this isn't the best show for you. Again, really serious issues, so don't expect to go home feeling good about life. Maybe you will, because the show was so well done, but it makes you think.
I think I read somewhere that they're putting on a production in Toronto, although I forget where I read that so I could be completely making this fact up. I don't know if it'll be as good as the Broadway version, so if you can, get out to NY to see the show. The Tony Awards did a good job.

- picture courtesy of www.springawakening.com

Leysin (July 14th, 2007)

Exactly 10 years ago I was at the same place at the same time. I wanted to wait until the perfect moment in my Neuch experience to go back. To go back to where it all began. Just a couple weeks before the experience would be ending seemed the most fitting. Closure.
I wasn't sure how I would feel about being there. I wasn't even sure if I knew how to get there. I wasn't sure if it would look the same.




As soon as I got off the train at Aigle to make my connection...I knew. It all...it was just there. The rest of the day was like this bizarre re-awakening. Unbelievable.
The signs...the cog train...the view...the paths through the woods...the Co-op where I
sampled my first chocolate bars and chuckled to myself that the "Swiss Alpina" water that we all hated was actually just the Co-op brand of sparkling water...Chalet Fougeres, and although I don't think they still have the same program, I just wondered who the guests staying there were.
Some things, you just can't put into words.

More shows to numb my brain

I've added two shows to the background noise-list...and both happen to be linked to education.
1. Community. This show takes place at a community college and focuses on the interactions between a group of diverse classmates who's connection is Spanish class. The characters are hilarious.
2. Glee. This show takes place at a high school and focuses on a group of students who belong to the glee club and various teachers at the school. There is singing and dancing and some stars who I noticed way back when there hadn't hit it bit yet. Two of the characters were in the original production of Spring Awakening and Lea Michele, who played Wendla stood out in my mind as being such a strong presence. There's an episode of Glee where Kristin Chenoweth guest stars. I've been a big fan of hers ever since she appeared (as an unknown) on the Rosie O'Donnell show as Sally with the cast of the revival of You're a Good Man Charlie Brown for which she later went on to win a Tony. Of course, she is now fabulously successful (I would have loved to see her in Wicked, well any show, I guess would suffice). so anyway, seeing the two of them on the show was cool. The show doesn't have much substance to it and I imagine that it's catering to a small demographic. Every so often they'll be a nugget of insight to the life of being a teacher, but other than that - it's very much a in-the-background kind of show.