Spring Awakening wins Best Musical

I'm going to call it at 5pm Sunday at Grounded. There shouldn't be too much surprise tonight. If we are surprised and Mary Poppins wins the Tony's will have made another poor decision for Best Musical (i.e. The Producers over The Full Monty.)

We can remember when were young and didn't know what was happening to us and our bodies. I thought no one knew what I was going through or how to help. I had a friend close to me get bone cancer and another die in a car accident. I took it especially hard because it was they were close to me and I was the only child. If you're the only child you understand that your friends are treated like family by you and your parents.

This musical uses music from today to give a contemporary voice to issues that have been around for ages. Sexuality, suicide, child abuse, anger, parents and love are just some of the issues. One reason I'm so on the Spring Awakening "bandwagon" is because it's on the few original works out there. I'm not against Legally Blonde; it's already sold 9 million dollars in advance ticket sales, but nothing I would see unless I got a free ticket or knew someone in it. The Little Mermaid is coming in November and I know two people in it! It better be halfway decent.

Spring Awakening was based on a non-musical play by German Frank Wedekind — written in 1891. The songs woven in this tapestry add to the beauty. They don't really move the story along, a concept started by Oklahoma. At one point, the actors go off, get mike stands, come back onstage and "rock out". It's hot. I'm very into Bertolt Brecht, so I was in heaven with this style of theatre. The style of...scene, song about scene, then another scene. It's great. It's hard to pick a single song that I love, but I have to mention two, Mirror Blue Light and Left Behind. I was crying.

That's my small rant. I hope Broadway gets the hint. We need to blow a little fresh air into Broadway. You can pander to the older crowd of you want, but when they die off, who are you going to have left going to the theatre? Let's open our eyes and let Americans of all ages and colors get their story told. It can only help Broadway in the long run.