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Doug Booher
IU Auditorium
dbooher@indiana.edu
812-855-9529

Last modified: Tuesday, February 1, 2011

'Spring Awakening,' winner of eight Tony Awards, makes Bloomington debut Feb. 22 at IU Auditorium

WHAT: Spring Awakening
WHEN: Feb. 22, 8 p.m.
WHERE: IU Auditorium
TICKETS: $20-$41 for IU Bloomington students with a valid ID, and $38-$60 for general public, on sale now. Individual tickets may be purchased online at IUauditorium.com, in person at the IU Auditorium Box Office, as well as through Ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster outlets, or charge by phone at 800-745-3000. The IU Auditorium Box Office is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feb. 1, 2011

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Broadway's eight-time Tony Award-winning musical Spring Awakening will be performed one night only, Feb. 22 at 8 p.m., at IU Auditorium.

Spring Awakening

Set against the backdrop of repressive late 19th century Germany, Spring Awakening follows a group of teenagers as they navigate through adolescence on their way toward adulthood.

This rock-musical adaption (of the controversial 1891 German play of the same title by Frank Wedekind) explores the topics of teen suicide, sexual urges, unplanned pregnancy and physical abuse through the eyes of three teenagers.

Set against the backdrop of repressive late 19th century Germany, Spring Awakening follows a group of teenagers as they navigate through adolescence on their way toward adulthood: Wendla, who is constantly asking questions her prudish mother will not answer; Melchoir, whose anti-authority mentality makes him a girl magnet; and Moritz, whose insecurities cause him to constantly second-guess his own actions.

Wedekind's original script was once considered so racy that it was banned from the stage and not performed in its complete version for nearly 100 years. Despite the era in which it was written and portrays, Spring Awakening makes these stories relevant now through transcendent dialogue and songs that relay meaning, longing, beauty and hope.

"Spring Awakening explores the journey from adolescence to adulthood with poignancy and passion," said Doug Booher, director of IU Auditorium. "Our audience will relish in the combination of rock concert and traditional musical that uses driving, contemporary music to tell a story of teen anguish that is extraordinarily tragic and yet passionately inspiring."

The show features a critically acclaimed indie rock score by Duncan Sheik, book and lyrics by Evansville, Ind., native Steven Sater and original direction and choreography by Michael Mayer and Bill T. Jones, respectively. It debuted on Broadway on Dec. 10, 2006, and the original cast recording (which featured "Glee" star Lea Michele), won the 2008 Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album.

Broadway direction and choreography will be re-created by Lucy Skilbeck and JoAnn M. Hunter. Set design is by Christine Jones, costume design by Susan Hilferty, lighting design by Kevin Adams and sound design by Brian Ronan.

Spring Awakening contains mature themes, sexual situations and strong language.

For more information on Spring Awakening and all 2010-2011 season shows at IU Auditorium visit IUauditorium.com. The Web site features video clips and a selection of songs from this season's performances, in addition to a direct link to the IU Auditorium Facebook Fan Page and Twitter page, whose members receive exclusive benefits throughout the year.

Spring Awakening is sponsored by Indiana Memorial Union and Lamar Outdoor Advertising. The IU Auditorium 2010-2011 season is presented by Curry Auto Center, B97, the Herald-Times, Indiana University Document Service Center and Indiana University Residential Programs and Services.