Went to see Spring Awakening for the 3rd time on May 20th, 2008. From what I understand, the two leads (Lea Michele and Jonathan Groff) had just recently left, although I’m not sure of the time frame. And the person I saw that night play Melchior was the understudy - and I’m not clear if he had been understudying the role all along or if he came in with the new Melchior - I wish there was a better way to find out this information. Or perhaps it’s irrelevant.

The show is still great. I think it’s lost a little of it’s initial magic from when it first opened, but that happens with most shows. I think their initial shock of not only making it to Broadway but then also becoming a massive hit, has worn off slightly. Now it’s going to go through the same phases as any other Broadway show, with ups and downs and cast changes and whatnot. And that’s ok. Hopefully it will continue to run for a long time.

The majority of the original cast has left at this point, except for 3 of the 4 supporting girl roles. Says something - doesn’t it? Like the guys can just skip off and do other shows but it’s so much harder for girls to find work, so they’ve stayed in the show. Fine by me - they’re great. It was odd to see the gay blonde character be no longer blonde, and the little Indian boy be no longer little or Indian - they didn’t do the trick of casting look-alikes to the original actors, which is great - they went with the actors best suited for the roles. But it does change the dynamic and look of the show. The new boys are mostly lankier and taller. I’m not sure about Otto (the traditionally heavy kid) because I saw his understudy - and somehow managed to make the once sensitive character much more manly and aggressive. Not sure if the original actor is still playing the role or not, but I missed his presence for sure.

The new actress in the role of Wendla, Alexandra Socha, comes across much younger than Lea Michele and therefore her naivite is much more believable. Although not as much of a Broadway powerhouse singer, her smaller stature, vocals, and mannerisms made much more sense for this young, sheltered character. And our Melchior was every bit as good as Groff - plays it less cocky, more endearing. Makes him much more of a sympathetic character. Less of a cocky know-it-all, even though that’s how the character is written.

Most strikingly different is the recasting of John Gallagher Jr. with Blake Bashoff, who I knew from the TV show Lost as Karl. He handles the role excellently - sometimes with hints of Gallagher’s interpretation of the character, but for the most part, he makes Moritz his own. More quirky, awkward, lanky adolescent. More vulnerable. More spastic. It’s a nice change but of course Gallagher’s Tony-winning performance will be the one that stays with me always - perhaps because it’s a darker portrayal. He played it as an emotional, suicidal mess from the get go, where Bashhoff’s decline is more gradual. His first scenes are almost comedic, compared to Gallaghers.’

Also, taking over the role of Ilsa, the teenage runaway, is Emma Hunton, taking over for Lauren Pritchard. There are striking differences between these two actresses, making it appear that the role could be played by anyone - doesn’t have to be a certain type. The new girl is much more of a powerhouse singer, compared to Pritchard’s soothing folk-singer voice. Visually, the two actresses look nothing alike. The new girl actually kind of reminds me of myself actually, and has me a bit sad that I’m not 10 years younger and will never be able to play the part. Oh well. The only role that remains open for me is that of the adult female, still played by Christine Estabrook. She’s tweaked her performance - all her various characters have actually changed and evolved and become more nuanced in the past year. I guess you’d have to do that to prevent boredom - 8 shows and week and all.

If you’re a fan of the show, it’s definitely worth checking out the new cast. Changes the vibe, but the show remains as wonderful as ever.