**Parents, be aware that this review contains topics that may not be suitable for younger children**

I had the opportunity to head over to the Buell Theater this week and see the highly acclaimed, multiple Tony Award winning Broadway show, Spring Awakening.  I have been to many musicals before and I can honestly say this was unlike any other I have seen, for many reasons.  It is based on Frank Wedekind’s controversial 1891 novel and the topics it addresses are still shockingly valid for today’s youth.  The characters address difficult and confusing situations that we all face in our teenage years where we are struggling to find our place in that awkward yet exciting transformation…not quite a child and, yet, not quite an adult either.  I am not so old as to have forgotten the angst of my teenage years and the struggle to identify myself as a woman, a friend, a student, a daughter and dare I say, a sexual being.  It is a production that addresses the full gamut of topics such as parental detachment from the reality that their children are facing, sex and the ensuing guilt, teen pregnancy, abortion, sexual and physical abuse, suicide, homosexuality, and masturbation.  It is not for the faint of heart or for those who seek to shelter their children from the realities of life.  While there are those of us, myself included, who wish some of these realities did not exist, it is folly to pretend they don’t or that if we don’t discuss them with our children they will never hear of them.  The warning is clear:  When children are not armed with the necessary information to deal with the adult situations they will inevitably encounter at this stage of life, BEWARE as they will end up with an abundance of misinformation from their peers.  When children are denied unconditional love and acceptance from their parents they will seek to fill that void with feelings of love and acceptance from others which often comes at a greater cost to themselves than they can even begin to understand.    Thankfully my children are not old enough yet to be faced with the issues Spring Awakening so boldly tackles but I still thoroughly enjoyed the musical as did, it seemed, all my fellow theater enthusiasts which literally ranged in age from around 16 to 90.  The play presents an opportunity for those who are out of touch with their children or seek to relive their own teen angst to perhaps get a glimpse into the past and remember the fervent passion and desire for discovery unique to that tumultuous stage in life.
 
Just like your first love, Spring Awakening will only be here for a little while.  If you desire to have a little rock and roll added to your life by this dynamic cast full of fabulous young voices and commanding on stage personalities get your tickets soon!  It will be at the Buell Theater from now until December 13th with tickets starting at only $25.00.  If you have never been to the Buell it is a very intimate theater and you would be hard pressed to find a bad seat in the place.    We truly had a fabulous evening!

Disclaimer:    There is mild nudity in an onstage sex scene and a scene where a young man is clearly masturbating under his night clothes.  There is also profanity in some of the songs.  I would say it is nothing more than one might find in an R rated movie but certainly not appropriate for your younger kiddo.
*I was given tickets to view the musical for this review. I received no other form of payment. The opinions expressed in this review are those of my sister. She was able to review and write this post.