StageArt announces cast for Spring Awakening

Chapel off Chapel StageArt Spring AwakeningStageArt has announced the cast for the Victorian professional premiere of the Broadway musical Spring Awakening, which will play at Chapel off Chapel in Prahran from 18 May 2017.

A 2006 adaptation of the 1906 play by Frank Wedekind, with music by Duncan Sheik and a book and lyrics by Steven Sater, Spring Awakening is the Tony Award winning story of youth, rebellion, sexuality and mortality set to a beautiful contemporary rock and folk infused score that conveys teenage turmoil in unexpected and heartfelt ways.

The musical is set in Germany 1891, in a world where the adults hold all the cards and the youth struggle through the adversity of coming of age in a time when sexual education is nonexistent. One afternoon, in a private place in the woods, teenagers Melchior and Wendla meet by accident and soon find themselves within a desire unlike anything they’ve ever felt…

From an open call that attracted over 260 extraordinary artists nationally, StageArt has gathered a stellar creative team to bring this powerful and daring tale of teenage angst and self-discovery to life. Spring Awakening is directed by Robbie Carmellotti (The Color Purple, HAIR), who is also an Executive Producer alongside Katherine Armstrong. Caleb Garfinkel (The Color Purple) is Musical Director and renowned contemporary Choreographer Zoee Marsh is making her musical theatre debut.

Spring Awakening transports us to a time and place which is almost unrecognisable to today’s society, yet remarkably the show’s contents still strike a resonating chord in all,” says Director Robbie Carmellotti. “You can’t help but get empathetically swept up into the fatal lives of these young people, who are just trying to understand the world they live in, the bodies they are home to and the urges they feel.”

Leading the cast as the beautiful young Wendla is Jessie-Lou Yates (Dirty Dancing UK, Wicked), who explores the mysteries of her body and wonders aloud where babies come from. The brilliant and fearless young Melchior will be played by Ashley Roussety (Rent, Hair) who interrupts a mind-numbing Latin class to defend his friend Moritz, played by Brent Trotter (Next to Normal), a boy so traumatised by puberty he can’t concentrate on anything.

The cast also features Hannah McInerney, Luisa Scrofani, Grace Browne and Alice Batt as the teenage girls, while Alex Thompson, Henry Brett, Nathan Fernandez, and Jordon Mahar feature as the teenage boys. Rounding out the cast is Olivia Solomons as Adult Woman and Barry Mitchell as Adult Man; with Adam Canny and Gabriella Barbagallo as Ensemble.

Spring Awakening will play at Chapel off Chapel in Prahran from 18 May. Tickets on sale from 3 April 2017. For more information and to join the waitlist, visit: www.stageart.com.au for details.

Image: Spring Awakening – courtesy of StageArt